Red Cultivars Research Articles

Nutritional and Antinutritional Characteristics of Ten Red Bean Cultivars (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from Cameroon

Beans are nutritionally and economically important food crop in Cameroon. However, data on the nutritional value of the different red bean cultivars remain poorly known to consumers. The objective of this study is to characterize 10 red bean cultivars in order to determine theirs nutrients, minerals and antinutrients contents. Grains of raw and cooked beans were evaluated for proximate, mineral and antinutrients composition. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using the ANOVA and the Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05). The results of chemical analysis of the raw and cooked cultivar bean revealed moisture content ranging from 4.19 to 12.34%, protein from 10.56 to 46%,. lipids from 5.31 to 7.38%, ash from 1.93 to 4.61%, fiber from 2.42 to 7.97% and carbohydrates 38.30 to 68.85%. Different bean cultivars showed statistically significant differences in minerals. The most abundant minerals in the samples were potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) with contents ranging from 565.17 to 912.99 mg/100g dry matter (DM) and 78.5 to 933.85 mg/100g DM respectively. Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) contents ranged from 1.89 to 4.19 mg/100g DM and 2.10 to 5.15 mg/100g DM respectively. Antinutrients contents ranging from 0.14 to 1.00%, 2.86 to 8.82%, 0.07 to 0.18% and 0.26 to 1.22% respectively for tannins, phytates. oxalates and saponins after treatment. After soaking associated with cooking, red beans cultivars were found to contain the least minerals contents and that treatment significantly reduced (p<0.05) all the antinutrients evaluated. Red beans cultivars are potential nutrients rich food material for food formulation.

Key genes in the phenylpropanoids biosynthesis pathway have different expression patterns under various abiotic stresses in the Iranian red and green cultivars of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Phenylpropanoids are a large and important family of plant secondary metabolites. The biosynthetic pathway of phenylpropanoids is induced in plants under environmental stresses to cope with these harmful conditions. In the present study, for the first time, we identified and characterized one reference gene (ACTIN) and three key biosynthetic genes (4CL, C4H and CVOMT) in the Iranian red and green cultivars of sweet basil. Also, the expression patterns of 4CL, C4H and CVOMT biosynthetic genes were determined for the first time in the Iranian red and green cultivars of sweet basil under cold, drought, heat, light and salt stresses. The results showed that the ACTIN, 4CL, C4H and CVOMT genes identified in the Iranian cultivars are identical to other cultivars in terms of all characteristics such as ORF length, protein sequence length, molecular weight, functional domains, lack of signal peptide, subcellular localization site, and secondary structures. Our results also revealed that the 4CL, C4H and CVOMT biosynthetic genes have different expression in the Iranian red and green cultivars of sweet basil under abiotic stresses and their expression patterns are cultivar dependent. The findings of this study can advance our knowledge of phenylpropanoids biosynthesis in plants under environmental stresses. These findings also can be used in plant breeding programs for stress tolerance in sweet basil and other plants.

Pollination and Plant Reproductive Success of Two Ploidy Levels in Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.)

Plant reproduction in red clover requires cross-fertilization via insect pollination. However, the influences of visitation rate and timing on maximizing ovule utilization are yet to be determined. We aimed to study the influences of visitation rate, flowering stage, and self-incompatibility on reproductive success. We applied hand and honey bee pollination in the study of eight red clover cultivars with two ploidy levels released between 1964 and 2001. In hand pollination, increasing the visitation rates (from 10 to 80 pollinated florets per flower head) increased the seed number per flower head but reduced the seed number per pollinated floret. Different flowering stages (early, middle, and full flowering) did not influence the seed number per pollinated floret significantly. There was a marked difference in reproductive success depending on the ploidy level, with 0.52 seeds per pollinated floret in diploid and 0.16 in tetraploid cultivars. During the cultivar release history, seed number per pollinated floret seemed to decrease in diploid cultivars, whereas it increased in tetraploids. In honey bee pollination, diploid cultivars had more two-seeded florets than tetraploids. Different visitation rates and the stochastic nature of pollen transfer resulted in difficulties when the plant reproductive success between hand and bee pollination was compared. A maximum of 0.27 seeds per pollinated floret were produced in hand pollination compared to the 0.34 in honey bee pollination. In spite of this, hand pollination provided a valuable method for studying the pollination biology and reproduction of red clover. Future studies may employ hand pollination to unravel further aspects of the low reproductive success with the future perspective of improving seed number per pollinated floret in tetraploid red clover.

‘GA JT141‐14E45’: A new soft red winter wheat cultivar adapted to Georgia and the U.S. Southeast region

AbstractIn Georgia and the southeast region of the United States, acreage of soft red winter wheat (SRWW) (Triticum aestivum L.) has decreased in recent years. There is an urgent need to release new cultivars with high yield potential, resistance to yield‐limiting diseases and insects, and good baking quality to maximize value in regional markets. To address this, the SRWW breeding program at the University of Georgia (UGA), in collaboration with the SUNGRAINS breeding programs, developed ‘GA JT141‐14E45’ (Reg. no. CV‐1183, PI 689519), a SRWW cultivar released by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and licensed to AGSouth (AGS) Genetics as AGS 3030. GA JT141‐14E45 is widely adapted to the U.S. Southeast, having high yield, good resistance to diseases such as leaf rust, stripe rust, powdery mildew, and Soil‐borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV) and to current biotypes of Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor Say). It has good resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) or scab. GA JT141‐14E45 has good grain volume weight and acceptable milling and baking quality. GA JT141‐14E45 was derived from the cross of ‘AGS 2026’/‘Jamestown’. Jamestown was used in the cross mainly for its resistance to FHB (FHB QTL 1A‐Neuse and 1B‐Jamestown). AGS 2026 is a UGA cultivar released in 2007 with very good disease resistance to rusts (Yr17/Lr37/Sr38), Hessian fly resistance (H13), and excellent yield.

Development of Molecular Markers for Predicting Radish (Raphanus sativus) Flesh Color Based on Polymorphisms in the RsTT8 Gene.

Red radish (Raphanus sativus L.) cultivars are a rich source of health-promoting anthocyanins and are considered a potential source of natural colorants used in the cosmetic industry. However, the development of red radish cultivars via conventional breeding is very difficult, given the unusual inheritance of the anthocyanin accumulation trait in radishes. Therefore, molecular markers linked with radish color are needed to facilitate radish breeding. Here, we characterized the RsTT8 gene isolated from four radish genotypes with different skin and flesh colors. Sequence analysis of RsTT8 revealed a large number of polymorphisms, including insertion/deletions (InDels), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and simple sequence repeats (SSRs), between the red-fleshed and white-fleshed radish cultivars. To develop molecular markers on the basis of these polymorphisms for discriminating between radish genotypes with different colored flesh tissues, we designed four primer sets specific to the RsTT8 promoter, InDel, SSR, and WD40/acidic domain (WD/AD), and tested these primers on a diverse collection of radish lines. Except for the SSR-specific primer set, all primer sets successfully discriminated between red-fleshed and white-fleshed radish lines. Thus, we developed three molecular markers that can be efficiently used for breeding red-fleshed radish cultivars.

The bacterial mixture effect of Azotobacter and Azospirrilum on nitrogen content and harvest date of upland red rice cultivar

The research aims were to analyse the effect of bacterial mixture of Azotobacter and Azospirrilum on the nitrogen content and harvest date of upland red rice. This research was conducted in Agriculture Farm of Agriculture Faculty in Halu Oleo University. The research was arranged in a split plot design. The bacterial mixture dosage as main plot and different of cultivar as sub plot. The bacterial mixture dosage were without application bacterial mixture, Bacterial combination mixture of Azotobacter 2.5 L ha−1 + Azospirillum 2.5 L ha−1, and Bacterial combination mixture of Azotobacter 5.0 L ha−1 + Azospirillum 5.0 L ha−1. The cultivar tested were Labandiri, Jangkobembe, Ranggohitam, and Paedara. This research shows that application of bacterial mixture had no significant effect on nitrogen leaf content, but had a significant effect on flowering time and harvesting. It was found that flowering time tended to accelerate, but on harvesting-date parameters tended to be prolonged.

Indian red rice phenolic metabolites as potential natural inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease: A metabolomic and in silico study

COVID-19 is a viral respiratory infectious disease caused by the novel strain of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M-pro) is associated with viral replication and transcription, thereby making it a potent target for combating COVID-19. Natural compounds from plants are being widely explored for viral inhibitors due to their safety aspect. Therefore, the present study aimed at predicting the antiviral property of red rice phenolic metabolites (RRPM) from three Indian rice varieties against SARS-CoV-2 M-pro through metabolomics and in silico studies. The Indian red rice cultivars, i.e., Veethi vadankan, Samba mosanam and Kuzhiadichan, were subjected to Q-TOF-LC-MS analysis and eighteen abundant polyphenols were selected using hierarchical cluster analysis. The abundant RRPM were virtually screened using Swiss ADME, a web-based tool. All the abundant polyphenols obeyed the Lipinski's rule except for hesperetin 3'-O-glucuronide, thereby exhibiting drug likeliness. Based on ADME analysis, fifteen of the RRPM showed good oral bioavailability, high GI absorption and acceptable overall bioavailability score. The 15 RRPM were further subjected to molecular docking analysis using Auto dock 1.5.6 against SARS-CoV-2M(pro). The analysis revealed 7, 4'-dihydroxy flavone and eriodictyol to have strong binding affinity (>10 kcal/mol) higher than nelfinavir (-8.53 kcal/mol). Eight other compounds also proved to be potential natural inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 M-pro. The present study has revealed Kuzhiadichan as a good source of eight potent natural inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 M-pro and as a potential functional food for COVID-19 management.

Post-harvest quality and quantification of betalains, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in fruits of three cultivars of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill)

Postharvest quality, quantification of betalains, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of peel, pulp, and juice of fruits of three prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) cultivars of Colegio de Postgraduados in México, were measured. The red and orange cultivars showed outstanding features of postharvest quality (size, texture, TSS and pulp and juice content) highest content of betalains and phenolic compounds. Therefore, highest antioxidant activity. In general, the highest content of bioactive compounds was detected in the peel, besides the content in pulp and juice did not show statistically significant differences. Phenolic content is very high in comparison with other fruits. Antioxidant activity was measured by three assays:FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH. Three cultivars showed a high correlation between antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds. The methodologies used in this work are a very useful tool for the quantification of bioactive compounds in O. ficus-indica fruit tissues.

Post-harvest quality and quantification of betalains, phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in fruits of three cultivars of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill)

Postharvest quality, quantification of betalains, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of peel, pulp, and juice of fruits of three prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) cultivars of Colegio de Postgraduados in México, were measured. The red and orange cultivars showed outstanding features of postharvest quality (size, texture, TSS and pulp and juice content) highest content of betalains and phenolic compounds. Therefore, highest antioxidant activity. In general, the highest content of bioactive compounds was detected in the peel, besides the content in pulp and juice did not show statistically significant differences. Phenolic content is very high in comparison with other fruits. Antioxidant activity was measured by three assays:FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH. Three cultivars showed a high correlation between antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds. The methodologies used in this work are a very useful tool for the quantification of bioactive compounds in O. ficus-indica fruit tissues.

Comparison of floral traits in Calibrachoa cultivars and assessment of their impacts on attractiveness to flower-visiting insects

Ornamental plants are appreciated by humans for their colorfulness, beauty, abundant flowering and long blooming periods. Many ornamental plants can also constitute an additional foraging resource for flower-visiting insects. However, the ability of the popular ornamental plant Calibrachoa to support urban insect communities is not well documented. In this study, 20 different Calibrachoa cultivars were selected and tested in regard to their insect friendliness based on standardized observations (I) in flight tents using the large earth bumble bee Bombus terrestris as a model species and (II) in open field trials. To investigate what floral characteristics might constitute attractiveness to bumble bees, various floral traits were recorded and compared across all tested Calibrachoa cultivars. Over a two-year period, a total of 6,327 foraging bumble bees were recorded in the tent observations. In the open field observations, we counted 4,188 flower-visiting insects. Our results revealed that (I) all Calibrachoa cultivars were visited by insects for foraging, (II) the number of insect visitors varied significantly among the 20 tested cultivars and (III) the cultivars displayed different floral traits. For the morphometric floral traits and the aroma profiles of Calibrachoa, only the mean nectar quantity and a few identified compounds could be correlated with attractiveness to the model species B. terrestris. We also found that the petal color of the tested cultivars had a significant impact on the number of visitors. Therefore, B. terrestris clearly preferred red or blue Calibrachoa cultivars over those with other petal colors. However, as the cultivar preferences in the different insect groups differed, it is highly recommended to use various cultivars in urban plantings. Nevertheless, efforts must be made to explain what additional floral traits make Calibrachoa and other ornamental plants generally attractive to flower visitors. This information can then be used for breeding purposes to increase the insect friendliness of ornamental plants.

Soilless Cultivation System, Electrical Conductivity of Nutrient Solution, and Growing Season on Yield and Quality of Baby-Leaf Oak-Leaf Lettuce

The floating system (FL) is a common soilless method for baby-leaf production, whereas the ebb and flow system (EF) has been proposed as an alternative. Both of them allow managing plant saline stress while preventing reduction in plant growth and yield and increasing product quality. The oak-leaf lettuce response to the growing conditions (hydroponics, salinity) in interaction with climate and genotype has been little studied. Two experiments were carried out with two oak-leaf cultivars (green- and red-colored type) grown in FL and EF systems at two levels of nutrient solution (NS) electrical conductivity (EC) (EC = 2.5 and 3.5 dS m−1; EC2.5, EC3.5, respectively) under autumn and late-spring conditions. The EF system caused an increase in salinity in the substrate where roots mainly develop, so it overcomes the effect of the EC3.5 treatment. In the autumn cycle, irrespective of the EC, EF-grown plants had improved leaf thickness (specific leaf area), color, and antioxidative (total phenol and carotenoid contents) properties; however, a reduction in yield was observed in the most productive cultivar (green type). In late spring, higher yield and product quality (processability, nitrate content) were obtained at the expense of color, with the FL showing the best productivity in the green type cultivar. The red type cultivar had higher dry mass, phenol, and carotenoid concentrations.

Foliar and Root Applications of Vegetal-Derived Protein Hydrolysates Differentially Enhance the Yield and Qualitative Attributes of Two Lettuce Cultivars Grown in Floating System

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leafy vegetable cultivated widely for its fast and year-round production and its beneficial phytochemical content, which may be boosted further by plant biostimulants that are considered eco-sustainable means for enhancing horticultural crop production. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate the yield and qualitative parameters of two differently pigmented lettuce cultivars grown in a floating raft system either untreated or treated (leaf, root or leaf/root application) with vegetal protein hydrolysates (PHs). For foliar application (F), lettuce plants were sprayed at a dose of 3 mL L−1, whereas for root application, 0.15 (T1) or 0.3 (T2) mL L−1 was applied to the nutrient solution alone or in combination with foliar spray (T1 + F and T2 + F) with the same foliar concentration. Bio-morphometric and production data were collected after harvest. Physiological and plant nutrition assays included leaf gas exchange, leaf fluorescence, SPAD index, mineral content, carotenoids, total phenols, total ascorbic acid content and antioxidant activities. Cultivar-specific reactions to biostimulant application were noted: whilst the green pigmented cultivar thrived under nutrient solution applications and recorded higher yield by 82.7% (T1) or (T1 + F) and 71.7% (T2), the red cultivar thrived under combined treatments, yielding 55.4% (T2 + F) higher than control and providing the most concentrated phytochemical content. These latter treatments also engendered the highest SPAD index, Fv/Fm ratio, CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance and transpiration. In addition, the T2 + F treatment boosted ‘Canasta’ hydrophilic antioxidant activity (21.9%) and total ascorbic acid (5.6-fold). Nutrient solution treatments alone proved advantageous when compared to foliar treatments, while mixed treatments proved genotype-specific. New research on genotype specificity of biostimulant effects is warranted for future use, in order to rationalize biostimulant application modes and dosages.

Metabolite Profiling Reveals Distinct Modulation of Complex Metabolic Networks in Non-Pigmented, Black, and Red Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivars.

Comprehensive profiling of primary and secondary metabolites was performed to understand metabolic differences associated with color formation in pigmented rice (Oryza sativa L.). Overall, 110 metabolites from non-pigmented, black, and red rice cultivars were identified. Black and red rice contained high levels of flavonoids associated with plant color. Black rice also contained high levels of terpenoids (carotenoids, tocopherols, phytosterols, and monoterpenes). The non-pigmented rice contained relatively low levels of secondary metabolites. Multivariate and pathway analyses were performed to data-mine the metabolite profiles. Hierarchical clustering analysis of correlation coefficients revealed metabolite clusters based on nitrogen and carbon sources. These clusters suggested a negative correlation between nitrogen and carbon. Pathway analysis revealed that black rice was rich in carbon-based secondary metabolites, with relatively low levels of primary metabolites compared with other rice cultivars. These data highlight the complex interactions between nitrogen and carbon metabolism of primary and secondary metabolites in rice. For the first time, the relationships and metabolic differences in terpenoid content (monoterpenes, triterpenes, and tetraterpenes) of non-pigmented and pigmented rice cultivars were analyzed. These findings should greatly contribute to the understanding of pigmented rice metabolome and inform breeding programs for new rice cultivars.

Cultivar Susceptibility to Natural Infections Caused by Fungal Grapevine Trunk Pathogens in La Mancha Designation of Origin (Spain).

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are one of the main biotic stress factors affecting this crop. The use of tolerant grapevine cultivars would be an interesting and sustainable alternative strategy to control GTDs. To date, most studies about cultivar susceptibility have been conducted under controlled conditions, and little information is available about tolerance to natural infections caused by GTD fungi. The objectives of this study were: (i) to identify tolerant cultivars to GTD fungi within a Spanish germplasm collection, based on external symptoms observed in the vineyard; and (ii) to characterize the pathogenic mycoflora associated with symptomatic vines. For this purpose, a grapevine germplasm collection including 22 white and 25 red cultivars was monitored along three growing seasons, and their susceptibility for esca foliar symptoms was assessed. Fungi were identified by using morphological and molecular methods. Cultivars such as, ‘Monastrell’, ‘Graciano’, ‘Cabernet Franc’, ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, ‘Syrah’, ‘Moscatel de Alejandría’, ‘Sauvignon Blanc’, and ‘Airén’ displayed high susceptibility to GTDs, whereas others such as ‘Petit Verdot’, ‘Pinot Noir’, ‘Chardonnay’, and ‘Riesling’ were considered as tolerant. The prevalent fungal species isolated from symptomatic vines were Phaeomoniella chlamydospora (27.9% of the fungal isolates), Cryptovalsa ampelina (24.6%), and Dothiorella sarmentorum (21.3%).

Effect on Phytochemical Content and Microbial Contamination of Actinidia Fruit after Shock Cooling and Storage

Abstract Mini kiwi fruits are tasty and contain valuable nutrients - vitamin, micro end macroelements and polyphenols. The tested cultivars (Sientiabrskaja, Geneva, Issai, Ken’s Red) belong to two species of Actinidia (A. arguta and A. kolomikta), which tolerate well the conditions of a temperate climate with negative temperatures in winter. The effect of postharvest shock cooling on fruit quality was investigated after 6 weeks of storage in CA and then after 5 days of shelf life. Shock cooling of fruit after harvest reduced adverse changes in fruit quality after storage in CA cold storage and shelf life. They were firmer, more puncture resistant, and retained more L-ascorbic acid and polyphenols. After 6 weeks of cold storage in CA, eight types of fungi and molds were found that caused the mycotoxins patulin, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone were found in the fruit of all cultivars. Fruits of the Ken’s Red cultivar were the most firm and puncture resistant, the darkest, and contained the most anthocyanins and the least L-ascorbic acid. In contrast, fruits of the cultivar Sientaibrskaja were the least suitable for storage and transport.

Gene action and heritability of F4 generation derived from the crossing of Silopuk red rice cultivar with superior Fatmawati variety

Population F4 is a segregated population the character of certai, so important to know the parameters of genetics. The purpose of our research to determine action of gene and the values expected heritability population F4 (Silopuk X Fatmawati). The research has been from month of October 2017 to February 2018 in land farmer Padang Limau Manis. The research use method experiment without repitition the head to row with analysis Z Skewness and Z Kurtosis. The genetic material of this research is rice seed on the F3 generation from the selection of pedigree crosses between silopuk and Fatmawati superior variety and the other seeds were Silopuk cultivar and Fatmawati superior variety as control. The research data showed that Z test skewness and Z test Kurtosis for whole characters observed were dominant controlled by minor genes. The character age of flowering, plant height, length of panicle and percentage filled grain per panicle were controlled by many gene additive. The broad heritability value for all character observed in the F4 population ranged from 0.01-0.99 with low to high criteria.

Development of an embryo germination protocol for shy-seeded grape (Vitis vinifera L.)

AbstractAcquisition and germination of seeds are the most desired targets for the improvement of vegetatively propagated crops. In the present study, we developed a potential embryo germination protocol for the Red Globe grape cultivar having a low seed germination rate. Three grape berries at different developmental stages, viz. 50, 60 and 70 days after flowering (DAF), were selected for in-vitro embryo germination. Three growth media, namely Emershad and Ramming (ER), Nitsch and Nitsch (NN) and Murashige and Skoog (MS), and plant growth regulators (benzyl amino purine (BA), 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 mg/l; indole butyric acid (IBA), 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mg/l; and gibberellic acid (GA), 0.1, 0.3 and 0.9 mg/l) were screened individually in different combinations with three amino acids, namely cysteine, glutamine and proline (2.0 μmol/l each). The maximum embryos germination percentage recorded at 70 DAF was 63.33, 47.78 and 45.56% in ER, NN and MS media, respectively, supplemented with 0.9 mg/l BA, 2.0 mg/l IBA, 0.9 mg/l GA and 2.0 μmol glutamine. Glutamine was found to have the most significant impact, and it improved the rescued embryos germination. The present study provides a potential recipe for a medium that can facilitate efficient germination of grape embryos.

Races, disease symptoms and genetic variability in Pyrenophora tritici-repentis isolates from Oklahoma that cause tan spot of winter wheat

In recent years, tan spot of wheat caused by the fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis has become more prevalent in Oklahoma. Experiments were conducted to investigate the race structure, disease symptoms and genetic variability in P. tritici-repentis isolates collected from winter wheat over three decades. Race determination was conducted for 16 isolates based on expression of necrosis and/or chlorosis produced on wheat differentials. Variability in disease symptoms expressed by 12 isolates was determined on 13 hard red winter wheat cultivars grown in Oklahoma. In addition, genetic variability among 17 isolates was determined using amplified fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (AFLP-PCR). All isolates except one (El Reno) were classified as race 1. Isolates varied widely in producing necrosis and/or chlorosis symptoms on wheat cultivars, but necrosis with a chlorotic halo was predominant (56.4%). AFLP-PCR analysis using 13 primer pairs produced a total of 494 alleles of which 285 were polymorphic. The overall genetic diversity among the isolates was 25.2%. Genetic relationships based on cluster analysis and principal component analysis showed only minor differences between isolates, and isolates did not form tight clusters or groups. The isolates of P. tritici-repentis were predominantly race 1; however, they produced a range of tan spot symptoms on wheat cultivars. The lack of distinct genetic grouping by the AFLP marker study indicates that the isolates used in this study likely originated from a single lineage.

The Effects of Red Clover Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma and Electromagnetic Field on Germination and Seedling Growth Are Dependent on Seed Color

This study aimed to estimate the effects of cold plasma (CP) and electromagnetic field (EMF) treatment of red clover (Trifolium pratense) seeds with different coat colors on germination kinetics, the content of seed phytohormones, and the growth of seedlings. Seeds of red clover cultivar ‘Arimaiciai’ were treated with radio-frequency EMF or capacitively coupled low-pressure CP for different durations. There were no differences in germination kinetics between yellow, brown, and dark purple seeds in control, but the germination rate of seeds treated with CP and EMF depended on seed color: The germination of yellow seeds was stimulated stronger compared to dark purple and brown seeds, and EMF did not stimulate germination in brown seeds. The content of phytohormones in control seeds and the shift in their amount induced by seed treatments were also strongly dependent on seed color. No relationship was found between the effect on germination kinetics and changes in phytohormone levels. In the control, seedlings growing from the yellow seeds were heavier, and the number of root nodules was 12.5 times larger compared to seedlings of dark purple seeds. Seed treatments with CP and EMF significantly increased the number of root nodules, and this effect was stronger in seedlings from dark purple seeds compared to those from yellow seeds.

A new soft red winter wheat cultivar, ‘GA 07353‐14E19’, adapted to Georgia and the U.S. Southeast environments

AbstractSoft red winter wheat (SRWW) (Triticum aestivum L.), historically a major crop in Georgia and the U.S. Southeast (SE) region, has been challenged by numerous biotic and abiotic constraints resulting in decreased hectarage in recent years. Hence, an urgent need exists to release new cultivars with high yield potential, good resistance to predominant diseases and insects, and acceptable quality attributes to capture and maximize value in regional markets. The SRWW breeding program at the University of Georgia (UGA), in collaboration with the Southeastern University GRAINS (SUNGRAINS) breeding programs, is responding to these challenges by developing and releasing superior SRWW cultivars adapted to Georgia and the SE wheat region. ‘GA 07353‐14E19’ (Reg. no. CV‐1179, PI 689520), a SRWW cultivar developed by the UGA small grains breeding program, was released by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and licensed to Stratton Seed Company in 2017 as GO WHEAT 2032. GA 07353‐14E19 is adapted to the SE region with high yield, good resistance to prevalent diseases, including leaf and stripe rusts, Fusarium head blight, powdery mildew, and Soil‐borne wheat mosaic virus. GA 07353‐14E19 also showed good resistance to current biotypes of Hessian fly. GA 07353‐14E19 possesses the H13, Sbm1, and Yr17–Lr37–Sr38 genes that protect it against the above pests. It has very good grain volume weight and good milling and baking quality as a SRWW.