Response Of Genotypes Research Articles

Response of sunflower genotypes Helianthus annuus L. to amounts of nitrogen fertilizer on growth characteristics and components

The field experiment was carried out during the spring and fall season of 2021 in Basra Governorate, Al-Haritha area. The study aimed to studying the response of 6 genotypes of the sunflower which symbolized by the symbol (V ) V1 = local, V2 = moons, V3 = Ishaqi 1, V4 = Ishaqi 2, V5 = Turki Tarzan , V6 = shmoos, And four levels of nitrogen fertilizer symbolized by the symbol (N0) (N = 0 without fertilizer (control), N1 = ( N 100 kg. ha-1 ) , N2 = ( N 200 kg. ha-1 ) , N3 = ( N 300 kg. ha-1 ). According to the complete randomized block design, R.C.B.D. With three replicates and in the order of Split Plot Design (the levels of nitrogen fertilization were distributed in the main plots and the cultivars in the sub-plot). The results have shown superior to the genotypes shmoos, Moons, and Ishaqi2 compared to other cultivars in the studied traits, and most of the yield components as; plant height, leaf area, weight of 1000 seeds total seed yield. In comparison, the study showed the superiority of the fertilizer level 300 kg N. ha- 1 Significant in the traits mentioned earlier.

Treatment Response and Drug Resistance Profiling of Genotype 6 of Hepatitis C Virus in HCV/HIV Co-Infected Patients: A Pilot Study from INDIA.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) genotype (GT) 6 demonstrates maximum genomic diversity out of all the known genotypes of HCV, attributable to its inherent intra-genotype and inter-genotype recombination property. This is the most common genotype seen in HCV/HIV co-infected cases. HIV/HCV co-infection is linked with increased genetic diversity in HCV structural genes. The detailed information on the distribution of HCV GT6, its subtypes, and resistance to currently available antiviral drugs is limited in the Indian subcontinent. Therefore, in this single-center retrospective cross-sectional study, we aimed to map the occurrence of HCV GT6, its subtypes and resistance-associated substitution (RAS), and its correlation with antiviral treatment response in HCV-infected patients. From a cohort of 2052 HCV-infected patients, the overall prevalence of GT6 was 2.5% (n = 53), with a maximum of 81.1% (n = 43) seen in HCV/HIV co-infected patients. Nine different subtypes, 6a, 6b, 6f, 6i, 6n, 6u, 6v, 6w, and 6xa, were detected in the Indian population for the first time, with a predominance of 6xa (41.5%), a rare subtype, followed by 6n (39.6%). The phylogenetic analysis by the neighbor-joining method revealed three prominent viral clades, 6v, 6n, and 6xa–6u. The baseline (before treatment initiation) plasma samples of all GT6-infected patients were retrieved from −80 °C and a part of the NS5a and NS5b region of the viral genome was analyzed for the presence of RAS. No RASs were seen in the NS5b region, while in two patients (3.7%) RASs were seen at baseline in the NS5a region of the virus. Sustained viral response (SVR) was attained in 81% (n = 43) of patients. No difference in GT6 subtype distribution or occurrence of RAS was seen between mono-infected HCV and HIV/HCV co-infected cases. Our study revealed that RAS at baseline did not influence the attainment of SVR and the currently available antiviral therapy is effective against GT6 mono-infected and HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

Phenotyping Deficit Moisture Stress Tolerance in Tomato Using Image Derived Digital Features

Evaluation of tomato genotypes for the response to water stress using digital features assists in high-throughput phenotyping. A study was conducted on imaging tomato genotypes maintained at field capacity and water deficit stress at flowering stage during 2016 at the plant phenomics facility, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Image derived digital features were obtained through image analysis. Physiological parameters, relative water content, water potential and quantum efficiency of PSII were measured at field capacity and water deficit stress conditions. Study established the relationship between physiological functionality and digital features of tomato plants. Transition of plants from field capacity to water stress caused reduction in digital biomass and canopy top area (CTA) among nine tomato genotypes. Deficit moisture stress resulted in lower relative water content, water potential and quantum efficiency of PSII. We observed an apparent relationship between physiological functionality and digital features, convexhull area and compactness. Two genotypes, IIHR 2843 and IIHR 2195 displayed contrasting response under 100% and 50% FC moisture regimes. At 50% FC, the genotypes IIHR 2843 and IIHR 2195 showed lower and higher water use efficiency, respectively. Genotype IIHR 2195 not only continued to sustain biomass production under deficit moisture stress but showed lower water consumption and higher water use efficiency compared to IIHR 2843. Apparent relationship established between physiological functionality and the digital features in this study clearly indicated that the digital features could be employed to capture the response of tomato genotypes to water deficit stress.

Phosphorus Deficiency Induced Physiological and Antioxidant Response in Mungbean

Background: Phosphorus (P) is the essential nutrient required for the growth and development of plants. P deficiency mainly leads to dark green foliage, alteration of root architectural traits and higher root to shoot ratio in plants. Further P deficiency results in enhancement of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby it leads to oxidative damage to plant cells. Plants have developed the mechanisms like production of antioxidants to overcome this effect. Methods: In the present study, 18 genotypes were evaluated under a hydroponic system with normal and low P levels. After 21 days, the seedlings were used for investigating the physiological and antioxidant activity response of genotypes under normal and low P condition. Result: The mean values of traits chlorophyll concentration, root dry weight, root to shoot ratio, H2O2, FRAP and DPPH were significantly higher under low P condition compared to normal P condition. The correlation and principal component analysis revealed that the traits RDW and TDW are major contributors to variation and could be used for P deficiency screening in mungbean. Based on major contributing traits of variation, the genotypes PUSA 1333 was identified as an efficient genotype and could be used in P use efficiency improvement in mungbean.

Delineation of Physiological, Agronomic and Genetic Responses of Different Wheat Genotypes under Drought Condition

Abioticstress such as drought is a potential threat posing a severe challenge to wheat production across the globe. The current study comparatively delineated the performance of elite Pakistani bread wheat genotypes at physiological (chlorophyll, canopy temperature, cell membrane percentage stability and leaf relative water content), agronomic (plant height, tillers plant−1, flag leaf area, spike length, spikelets spike−1, grains spike−1, grain yield spike−1, thousand grain weight and plant biomass) and genetic (TaDREB1A, TaGROS-A, TaLEA3, TaHSFA1a, TaWRKY44 and TaEXPA2) levels. Atri-replicate experiment was conducted in a two factorial arrangement using RCBD, and data were analyzed statistically using the computer-based programsStatistix8.1 and R-studio. In general, all wheat genotypes illustrated significant (p ≤ 0.05) alterations in physiological and agronomic traits under drought stress as compared to the control; however, this alteration was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) different among all genotypes owing to their varying genetic potential. Furthermore, these genotypes were evaluated for the extent of the association of physiological and agronomic traits using PCA, correlation and heatmap analysis, which proved statistically significant variation in the paired association of traits among all genotypes during drought stress as compared to the control. In addition, based on statistical evaluations, the genotypes Pakistan-13, Shahkar-13, AAS-11, Chakwal-86, Chakwal-50 and AUR-09 were found to be tolerant, while genotypes Anmol-97, Chakwal-97, Bhakkar-02 and BWP-97 were comparatively susceptible. Furthermore, these screened genotypes showed differential expression of drought-related genes, with relatively high expression in tolerant genotypes compared to susceptible genotypes. The current study concluded that physiological, agronomic and molecular characteristics are significantly interconnected, and these associations determine the end productivity of wheat genotypes during abiotic stress. Therefore, their integrated study can enhance the pace of wheat breeding for drought tolerance in the near future.

A stepwise approach for the management of primary erythromelalgia: A prospective single-arm study

A stepwise approach for the management of primary erythromelalgia: A prospective single-arm study

The response of mesophyll conductance to ozone-induced oxidative stress is genotype-dependent in poplar

The CO2 diffusion conductance within the leaf mesophyll (gm) is considered a major limiting factor of photosynthesis. However, the effects of the major secondary air pollutant ozone (O3) on gm have been poorly investigated. Eight genotypes of the economically important tree species Populus × canadensis Moench were exposed to 120 ppb O3 for 21 d. gm showed a genotype-dependent response to O3-induced oxidative stress and was a major limiting factor of net assimilation rate (Anet), ahead of stomatal conductance to CO2 (gsc) and of the maximum carboxylation capacity of the Rubisco enzyme (Vcmax) in half of the tested genotypes. Increased leaf dry mass per area (LMA) and decreased chlorophyll content were linked to the observed gm decrease, but this relationship did not entirely explain the different genotypic gm responses. Moreover, the oxidative stress defence metabolites ascorbate and glutathione were not related to O3 tolerance of gm. However, malondialdehyde probably mitigated the observed gm decrease in some genotypes due to its oxidative stress signalling function. The large variation of gm suggests different regulation mechanisms amongst poplar genotypes under oxidative stress.

Regulatory T Cell Modulation by Lactobacillus rhamnosus Improves Feather Damage in Chickens.

It is currently unclear whether potential probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria could affect behavioral problems in birds. To this end, we assessed whether a supplementation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 can reduce stress-induced severe feather pecking (SFP), feather damage and fearfulness in adult birds kept for egg laying. In parallel, we assessed SFP genotypic and phenotypic-related immune responses and aromatic amino acid status linked to neurotransmitter production. Social stress aggravated plumage damage, while L. rhamnosus treatment improved the birds' feather cover in non-stressed birds, but did not impact fearfulness. Our data demonstrate the significant impact of L. rhamnosus supplementation on the immune system. L. rhamnosus supplementation induced immunosuppressive regulatory T cells and cytotoxic T cells in both the cecal tonsils and the spleen. Birds exhibiting the SFP phenotype possessed lower levels of cecal tonsils regulatory T cells, splenic T helper cells and a lower TRP:(PHE+TYR). Together, these results suggest that bacteria may have beneficial effects on the avian immune response and may be useful therapeutic adjuncts to counteract SFP and plumage damage, thus increasing animal health and welfare.

Bazı arpa genotiplerinin tuzlu koşullarda çimlenme tepkilerinin değerlendirilmesi

Aims: The aim of this research was to determine the responses of some barley genotypes to salinity stress at the germination period. Methods and Results: Barley seeds provided from the Osman Tosun Gene Bank at Ankara University. Eight six-row barley genotypes (33, 64, 159, 184, 200, 202, 220 and 231) and two six-row barley cultivars (cv Avcı-2002 and cv Cetin-2000) were used in this study. Salinity stress was applied to the seeds in four different doses of NaCl (distilled water (0), 75 mM, 150 mM and 225 mM). The experiments were carried out at 25±1°C and dark conditions with triplicate according to completely randomized plot design. In order to determine the salinity tolerance of genotypes in the study; germination speed (%), germination power (%), root length (cm), shoot length (cm), shoot fresh weight (g), shoot dry weight (g), root fresh weight (g) and root dry weight (g) parameters were measured. Conclusions: As results of these measures, all parameters were found to be statistically significant (p≤0.01) except for germination power and shoot dry weight. Genotype × NaCl dose interaction was found significantly different at p≤0.01 level for germination speed and root fresh weight. Significance and Impact of the Study: Genotype 200 and 220 showed better performance under salinity stress than other genotypes. Also, it can be used as a parental genitor in future breeding studies.

Determination of The Response of Wild and Cultivated Tomato Genotypes to Some Disease and Pests by Molecular Markers

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Verticillium spp., and nematodes, as well as virus diseases that negatively affect production with limited chemical control cause significant losses in greenhouse tomato cultivation. The practical and effective side of controlling diseases is genetic control by breeding. Using a genomic approach for plant breeding is a more sustainable and effective way to control disease and pests. The development of the resistant line is improved by conventional breeding methods that can be conducted over a long period. However, molecular markers make these processes considerably shorter with identifying resistant individuals. In this study, 14 wild and 188 cultivated tomato genotypes have been tested against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL), Meloidogyne spp. (root-knot nematodes), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and Verticillum dahliae Kleb. (Ve) diseases and pests with using MAS (Marker- Assisted Selection) technique. According to these results, it has been determined that the selected markers can be used effectively in breeding studies to determine the diseases mentioned above.

IN-VITRO REGENERATION OF MULTIPLE SHOOTS FROM APICAL MERISTEMS OF COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata L. (WALP) USING DIFFERENT GENOTYPES (LOCAL AND IMPROVED) AND MEDIA COMPOSITIONS

Organogenesis in-vitro was evaluated in explants derived from shoot apices of four cowpea varieties cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium. To evaluate the response of the cowpea genotypes to in vitro regeneration, seedlings were drived from zygotic embryos excised from surface sterilized seeds after two weeks of culture on MS basal medium + vitamins supplement with 30% sucrose. To regenerate multiple shoots, apices of the in vitro seedlings with average length of 1cm were excised and cultured on MS supplemented with 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5mg/L 6-Benzylamino purine(BAP) with or without 0.1mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for six weeks. The highest shoot number was recorded with IT99k-573-2-1 and Danilla and shoot length was highest in Kanannado, IT04k-33-2-1and Danilla indicating that Danilla responded well to in vitro regeneration. To optimise the production of multiple shoots the effects of different concentratios (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5mg/L) of 6-benzyaminopurine (BAP) with or without 0.1mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid on the number of responding explant, number of multiple shoot produced and length of the shoots were tested. after six weeks of culture, the percentage of responding shoot apices was highest on media supplemented with 1.5mg/L BAP with and without 0.1mg/L NAA.The number of responding apices decreasing with decrease in the concentration of BAP. Maximum number of multiple shoots and the highest mean shoot length were also obtained when MS was supplemented with 1.5mg/L BAP with and without 0.1mg/L NAA.

SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS IN LOCAL COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata L. (WALP) VARIETIES

Organogenesis in vitro was evaluated in explants derived from shoot apices of two local cowpea varieties cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium. To evaluate the response of the cowpea genotypes to in vitro regeneration, seedlings were drived from zygotic embryos excised from surface sterilized seeds after two weeks of culture on MS basal medium + vitamins supplement with 30% sucrose. To regenerate shoots, apices of the In Vitro seedlings with average length of 1cm were excised and cultured on MS supplemented with 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5mg/L 6-Benzylamino purine (BAP) with or without 0.1mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for six weeks. Variation was observed in response of the shoot apices from different cowpea cultivars to in vitro regeneration of shoots. The highest shoot number was recorded with Danilla and shoot length was highest in Kanannado, indicating that Danilla responded well to in vitro regeneration. While there were significant differences between these concentrations and other concentrations used in this study on the number of shoots produced, statistically there was no difference between the traetments tested on the in vitro shoot length recorded in this study.Although shoots were succesfully regenerated in this study rooting was not achieved as the explants gradually transformed into calli

Physiological and molecular signatures reveal differential response of rice genotypes to drought and drought combination with heat and salinity stress.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01162-y.

Response of sorghum genotypes for turcicum leaf blight [Exserohilum turcicum (Pass.) Leonard and Suggs] and agronomic performances in southern Ethiopia

A field study consisting of fourteen sorghum genotypes was conducted to determine turcicum leaf blight (TLB) intensity, resistant reactions, and agronomic performance of sorghum genotypes at Arba Minch and Derashe, southern Ethiopia. The study was carried out during the 2018 cropping year (March to July). A significant (P < 0.05 to < 0.0001) variations were observed in the magnitude of TLB intensity, resistant reactions and agronomic parameters among the evaluated sorghum genotypes as well as locations. The results indicated broad ranges of difference in disease progress rate with 0.0138 (Seredo) to 0.0392 (Rara) units day-1 at Arba Minch and 0.0138 (Kentera) to 0.0392 (Rara) units day-1 at Derashe were observed on the evaluated genotypes. The results also showed wide ranges of variations in incidence (71.15–83.51%) on average for the two locations. The highest mean severity (59.80 and 83.60%) and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) (988.65 and 1261.38%-days) were noticed from genotype Rara at Arba Minch and Derashe, respectively. The lowest mean severity and AUDPC were noted from genotype Gambella with 7.97 and 13.64% and 132.66 and 214.84%-days at Arba Minch and Derashe, respectively. Based on TLB mean severity score, sorghum genotypes were categorized as 42 and 29% resistant, 35 and 35% moderately resistant, and 23 and 28% susceptible at Arba Minch and Derashe, respectively. In addition, significant genotypic differences were observed for crop phenology, growth, yield, and yield-related parameters. The genotypes, 76TI#23 (4444.44 kg ha-1) and Melkam (4444.44 kg ha-1) (at Arba Minch) and Dekeba (1333.33 kg ha-1) (at Derashe) showed the highest grain yields as compared to the other genotypes in the two locations. Various association degrees were observed between disease scores and crop parameters. Overall results pointed out that genotypes such as 76TI#23, Meko-1, Seredo, and Gambella-1107 exhibited consistent resistance reaction to TLB, although they showed variable grain yield potential across the locations. The genotype 76TI#23 is suggested to the producers with appropriate field management practices for sorghum production, and Gambella-1107, Seredo, 76TI#23, and Meko-1 used as a source of parental material for TLB resistance development in a future breeding program.

Comparison of Maize Genotypes Using Drought-Tolerance Indices and Graphical Analysis under Normal and Humidity Stress Conditions.

This study aimed to identify drought-tolerant genotypes and to evaluate and compare the response of genotypes under normal conditions and humidity stress. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) on 12 commercial single cross hybrids of maize (Zea mays L.) with three replications in two separate experiments under normal and stress conditions. GT biplot was used to compare genotypes under normal conditions and humidity stress. Based on the polygon diagrams’ graphical analysis, KSC206, KSC704, KSC705 and KSC706 genotypes were identified as desirable hybrids. The ranking diagram of genotypes based on ideal genotype also showed that the KSC704 genotype had high desirability in all evaluated traits in normal and stress conditions. TOL, MP, HARM, GMP, SSI and STI indices were used to identify drought-tolerant genotypes, and the genotypes were ranked based on this index. Based on this, KSC260, SC302 and KSC400 hybrids were selected as resistant hybrids. Based on the correlation analysis between drought-tolerance indices, a positive correlation was observed between MP, GMP, HARM and STI indices. Based on the analysis of the PCA on the indices, the first and second principal components were given the titles of grain yield tolerance component under humidity stress conditions and grain yield stability component under normal humidity conditions, respectively. KSC704 was superior to other hybrids in terms of grain yield under normal conditions and stress, and the KSC260 hybrid was identified as a tolerant hybrid in terms of all studied traits under drought stress.

Evaluation of drought tolerance of wheat genotypes in rain-fed sodic soil environments using high-resolution UAV remote sensing techniques

Identifying drought-tolerant crops/genotypes may provide a sustainable solution to improve productivity on rain-fed sodic soils. However, the identification of genotypes tolerant to sodicity has been impeded by a lack of suitable, high-throughput techniques. Here, we propose an unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing coupled with field experimental approach to evaluate drought tolerance and/or water use of contrasting wheat genotypes by quantifying Genotype × Environment interactions on rain-fed moderately sodic and highly sodic soil sites in Australia. Significant differences ( p < 0.05) between the sites and some between genotypes were observed based on remote sensing-based vegetative drought indices, while in-season agro-climatic and soil moisture conditions were similar ( p > 0.10) between the sites. This suggests that genotypes at both sites would have grown with similar access to moisture if differences in soil constraints had not been present. Further, as a useful indicator of drought, a crop health index was computed by integrating drought vegetative and temperature response variables that significantly correlated with wheat yield (coefficient of determination R 2 = 0.67; root mean square error RMSE = 28.4 g m −2 and R 2 = 0.41; RMSE = 33.6 g m −2 for the moderately sodic and highly sodic site, respectively). Further, a drought stress tolerance index was developed using estimates of yield anomaly between the sites to differentiate genotypes tolerant to drought on sodic soils. Genotypic ranking to drought tolerance was further compared and validated with actual field measured crop water use efficiency data. Wheat genotypes Bremer and Gladius were identified as the most and least tolerant to drought on sodic soils. The research improves our understanding of genotypic response in drought stress and can assist farmers in the selection of drought-tolerant wheat genotypes in sodic soil environments. • UAV multispectral and thermal imagery were integrated for drought tolerance of wheat genotypes on sodic soils. • Drought vegetative and temperature response indices were used to quantify genotypic variations. • A new DSTI metric was developed on G×E interactions to quantify genotypic tolerance to drought. • Estimates of yield anomaly between sites using crop health index data was used to develop DSTI. • The study can be useful to improve crop productivity on rain-fed sodic soils.

Genotypes of Pain and Analgesia in a Randomized Trial of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

BackgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent chronic pain disorder with multiple underlying mechanisms and few treatments that have been demonstrated to be effective in placebo controlled trials. One potential reason may be the use of composite outcomes, such as the IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS) which includes descriptive items related to pain frequency and pain intensity as well as bowel dysfunction and bloating. We investigated if different features of IBS pain have distinct genetic associations and if these may be moderated by sex hormones.Participants and SettingAdult outpatients with moderately severe IBS (>175 on IBS-SSS) enrolled in a clinical trial reported IBS-SSS at baseline and after 6 weeks of therapy.MethodsFixed effects modeling was used to test the effect of COMT rs4680 genotype to change in pain severity (rated 0-100) and pain frequency (defined as number of days with pain in the past 10 days) from baseline to week 6 with IBS treatment. Parallel exploratory genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were also performed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with change in pain severity or pain frequency across all participants.ResultsA total of 212 participants (74% female) were included. The COMT rs4680 met allele was associated with decreased pain severity over the course of the trial in gene dosage models [beta(SE) −5.9 (2.6), P = 0.028]. Exploratory GWAS for change in pain frequency identified 5 SNPs in close proximity on chromosome 18 near L3MBTL4 which reached genome-wide significance (all P < 5.0E-8). This effect was not mediated by changing estradiol levels. There was also a region of chromosome 7 with 24 SNPs of genome-wide suggestive significance for change in pain severity (all P < 1.0E-5).ConclusionsPreviously reported association between COMT rs4680 genotype and treatment response as measured by IBS-SSS is related to pain severity, but not pain frequency. We also identified new candidate genes associated with changes in IBS pain severity (SNX13) and pain frequency (L3MBTL4) in response to treatment. Further studies are needed to understand these associations and genetic determinants of different components of IBS-SSS. ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT0280224.

An insight of association of insulin resistance with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a multifaceted condition, often has salient features like insulin resistance (IR). Abnormal alternation in insulin synthesis and function usually alters PCOS expressivity by deviating molecular and biochemical activity underlying this pathophysiology.This review intends to unveil the molecular basis of the genetic polymorphism of IR and its correlation with PCOS. It also highlights the existing methods of IR estimation.Searching of different articles using keywords including PCOS, IR, and polymorphism in various databases was performed to illustrate the review article.POCS, and IR are complex and multifactorial conditions in terms of the contributing factors, their interactions, and expressivity. Further studies on diversified genotype responses to environmental and ethnic variances are required for precise understanding.Insulin resistance (IR) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are intricately interacted conditions that abnormally alter functions from genetic to organ system level. Complex gene-environment interactions make it difficult to understand the etiology and manifestation, and so diagnosis and management approaches of the heterogeneous pathophysiology are not foolproof. Further studies on genetic susceptibility related to ethnic distribution are essential for the implementation of personalized treatment of IR and PCOS.

Soil water availability on biomass yield and water indicators of diverse warm-season perennial grasses in dryness conditions

Dryness triggers soil degradation processes and land abandonment in the south Mediterranean environment. Becoming unsuitable for food crops, it can be usable by low-iLUC risk biomass crops able to withstand prolonged dry periods due to drought-resilience traits and high biomass yield. The present experiment ascertained the biomass dry matter yield (DMY), water use efficiency (WUE) and water footprint (WF) by modulating soil water availability of six warm-season perennial grasses in the semiarid Mediterranean for two consecutive growing seasons. Two ecotypes of giant reed (Arundo donax L., ARCT and ARMO, respectively), one ecotype of African fodder cane (Saccharum spontaneum L. subsp. aegyptiacum (Willd.) Hack., SAC) and three hybrids of Miscanthus (the commercial M. × giganteus J.M. Greef, Deuter ex Hodk., Renvoize - M×G, and two new seed-based hybrids, GNT9 and GNT10, respectively) were subjected to 100%, 50% and 0% of maximum crop evapotranspiration (ETm) restoration supplied during summer months. Crop water use (CWU) differed among crops, growing seasons and irrigation regimes, and significantly influenced DMY, WUE and WF. ARCT, ARMO and SAC had higher DMY and WUE, and lower WF than Miscanthus hybrids. Among Miscanthus, the new seed-based hybrids outperformed the M×G in all examined parameters. Genotypic response in DMY, WUE and WF by varying the CWU had different trends and rates of change. The relationship between WUE and WF combining data of all genotypes, growing seasons and irrigation regimes followed an exponential decay; it underlined the importance to select for crops with high resource use efficiencies to reduce the water required per ton of biomass.

Effect of Drought Stress on Potato Production: A Review

Potato is the third most consumed crop globally after rice and wheat. It is a short-duration crop, versatile in use, suitable for growing in a wide range of environments, and its production is increasing rapidly. The modern potato is considered a drought-sensitive crop, and it is susceptible to yield loss because of drought stress. Unfortunately, drought severity, frequency, and extent have been increasing around the globe because of climate change. Potato drought susceptibility has primarily been attributed to its shallow root system. However, several studies in past decades have suggested that drought susceptibility of potato also depends upon the type, developmental stage, and the morphology of the genotype, and the duration and severity of drought stress. They have been overlooked, and root depth is considered the only significant cause of potato drought susceptibility. This review combines these studies to understand the varying response of potato genotypes. This review also explores the current potato production scenario and the effect of varying degrees of drought stress on potatoes’ growth, development, and yield. In the absence of drought-tolerant genotypes, agronomic practices should be improved to mitigate drought stress. Late maturing cultivars, nutrient management, mulching, and foliar application of plant growth regulators can be used during prolonged droughts. Irrigation at tuber initiation and the tuber bulking stage during early droughts can reduce the adverse effects of drought.