Valuable Genetic Material Research Articles

Influence of Temperature on Seed Germination of Five Wild-Growing Tulipa Species of Greece Associated with Their Ecological Profiles: Implications for Conservation and Cultivation.

Although tulips are famous worldwide as ornamental plants, the knowledge about the seed germination of wild-growing species remains limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of temperature on seed germination of the local, wild-growing Greek endemics Tulipa bakeri and T. goulimyi and the sub-Balkan endemic T. undulatifolia, which are threatened with extinction, as well as the Mediterranean T. australis and the Asiatic T. clusiana naturalized on Chios Island (Greece). The germination responses at five constant temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 °C) were assessed for all studied species in growth chambers under a 12:12 light-dark photoperiod. The ecological profile for each species was developed in R using open-source bioclimatic data; this was built to illustrate the abiotic environmental conditions of their wild habitats, to facilitate the examination of temperature effects on seed germination, and to facilitate their cultivation in artificial environments. The results indicated that the seed germination requirements of the studied species had a range-specific temperature dependence, reflecting their natural adaptation to local ecological conditions. Seed germination of T. bakeri, T. australis, and T. clusiana was observed only in a narrow range of very low temperatures (5-10 °C), whereas germination of T. undulatifolia and T. goulimyi occurred at temperatures between 5 and 15 °C. A temperature increase to 20 or 25 °C resulted in the absence of seed germination for all five Greek tulip species. The germinated seeds were planted in pots and bulblets were developed under greenhouse conditions. Seeds and bulblets constitute valuable genetic materials for the cultivation and ex situ conservation of these five Greek tulip species, three of which are threatened with extinction.

Breeding of Persian melon: Purpose to increase volatile compounds in melon (Cucumis melo) intergroup F1 cross population

AbstractUnderstanding the volatile profile of melon is an ever increasingly important task for breeders for enhancing their flavour component. For this purpose, F1 progeny and parental lines were analysed using headspace‐solid phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry‐based analysis. Diallel analysis showed that most of the investigated compounds were controlled via non‐additive genetic effects with general combining ability to specific combining ability ratios of less than 0.4. High heterosis results were observed in alcohols such as ethanol and octanol in both rind and mesocarp samples and benzylalcohol in the rind. It was also noted that the ester‐based compounds with high heterosis values in mesocarp samples differed from those with heterosis in rind samples. These observations further emphasize the non‐additive control of these compounds. It can be concluded that non‐additive genetic control is strongly governing the genetic profile within the studied progeny. This finding indicated that dudaim lines as a valuable genetic material enhanced the volatile profile of odourless commercial types of ameri and inodorus melon.

Genetic Variability of Different Jordanian Almond Prunus Amygdalus L. Landraces Revealed by Morphological Traits and RAPD Markers

The relationship among six Jordanian almond landraces was studied using morphological traits and RAPD analyses. Across six almond landraces studied, nut shape, kernel size, nut length, nut size, and shell length That showed a high level of variation (CV>30%), while kernel length, shell width, internodes length, and nut width showed comparatively low values (CV<20%). Principal component analysis showed that the first five components explained all morphological variation among the landraces investigated. Kernel and nut traits were predominant in the first three components contributing to most of the total variation that existed among landraces. Euclidean distance was used to construct clusters from morphological data which allocated individuals into two main groups with a distance ranging from 5.5 to 10.14. Hajari, Hami Hallo, and Mukhmaly with small fruit sizes composed one main cluster, while the other three landraces (Oga, Fark, and Abu Dabos) with large fruit sizes composed the other main cluster. Out of 62 pre-screened RAPD primers, 12 with reproducible bands and maximum polymorphism were selected for diversity analysis. Seventy-one bands were scored with 28 of them being the polymorphic. Average value of polymorphism/primer ranged from 20% to 74.2%. Nei's genetic distance coefficient ranged from 0.5 to 0.85 with an average of 0.70. Molecular analysis revealed inconsistent separation among the landraces compared with that based on morphological traits. Although landraces found during the screening in the Ajloun area are limited in number, but considerable variation was observed both at morphological and DNA levels indicating that Jordanian almond landraces are rich and valuable genetic materials for almond improvement.

Assessment of Alfalfa Populations for Forage Productivity and Seed Yield Potential under a Multi-Year Field Trial

Alfalfa is the most important forage legume in the production of voluminous fodder. Although not primarily produced for its seeds, the seed yield is still important for the recognition and commercial viability of the cultivars on the market. Creating a cultivar of superior yield and forage quality with satisfactory seed production is one of the biggest challenges for alfalfa breeders and seed producers. The objective of this study was to determine forage and seed yields of 19 newly developed alfalfa experimental populations (ABP 1–19) of the Agricultural Institute Osijek during a long-term research period (2014–2018) in different climatic conditions. Significant differences were found between ABPs and years for forage and seed yields. Three-year (2014–2016) average green mass yield ranged from 68.41 t ha–1 (ABP 6) to 78.05 t ha–1 (ABP 19) and dry matter yield from 13.73 t ha–1 (ABP 6) to 15.30 t ha–1 (ABP 18). The average two-year (2017–2018) seed yield varied from 150.78 kg ha−1 (ABP 9) to 335.35 kg ha−1 (ABP 7). Annual forage yield significantly increased from the year of establishment to the second and third growing seasons of alfalfa. The highest average annual yield of green mass (90.24 t ha−1) was achieved in 2015, dry matter yield (17.62 t ha−1) in 2016 and the seed yield (394.17 kg ha−1) in 2017. During the researched period there was a considerable decreasing trend in forage yield from the first to the last cut, except in the year of the alfalfa establishment. Several alfalfa populations (ABP 19, 8, 14) superior in all analyzed traits were identified, and they represent top performing materials with the potential for developing and releasing cultivars in the near future. Populations with high yields of green mass and dry matter (ABP 12, 18, 1) and seed yield (ABP 7, 4) were also detected and represent valuable genetic material to improve our alfalfa breeding program.

Livestock preference and feeding value as key determinants for forage improvement – why not ask the consumers?

This review presents a new model for a multidisciplinary approach to development of modern forage cultivars to enable high-value meat and wool production in the mixed farming zones of Australia. Many pasture improvement activities focus on biomass production, filling novel agro-ecological niches, fixing nitrogen and phenotypic markers. Key traits that drive profitability of livestock, such as feeding value (FV), and nutritive value (NV), are rarely considered in a timely manner. Farmers are often not seriously engaged until late in the development pipeline. Of the nearly 10 000 publications that reference forage improvement or breeding and Australia, less than 5% also reference ruminant production factors such as FV, metabolisable energy, digestibility, methane or toxicity in the abstract, title or keywords. We make the case that the late engagement of livestock science and farmers results in early discarding of potentially valuable genetic material. This in turn may contribute to market and nutritional limitations that contribute to the high failure rate of new pasture cultivars. Four case studies demonstrated the within and among species variation in FV and NV. The first showed the variability in dry matter digestibility and crude protein of 20 species of herbaceous perennials at different stages of maturity. A second study with annual legumes, grasses and brassicas indicated highly significant differences in the rate of decline of NV over time and across species. The third case study focused on commercial and experimental accessions of lucerne and demonstrated highly significant differences among accessions in NV, with a doubling of livestock growth expected with the lowest and highest NV accessions. These case studies demonstrated the potential risks associated with evaluation of FV and NV after most of the germplasm has been excluded. The final case study described a different model that was used in the identification and commercialisation of a woody perennial species. This process incorporated a multidisciplinary team, farmers and livestock-relevant characteristics from the start. In 9 years, Anameka™ oldman saltbush was selected for higher palatability, 20% higher organic-matter digestibility and eight times more biomass than the average of the original genetic material.

Molecular characterization of Kinnow mutants

The present experiment was conducted during 2016-18 at Division of Fruits and Horticultural Technology, ICARIARI, New Delhi. A total of 40 Kinnow mutants and 1 wild type were selected for molecular characterization and diversity analyses. Thirty-four SSR markers were screened for polymorphism, of which only 2 were found informative. Twelve alleles were detected among 2 SSRs with an average of 6 alleles per locus and the highest number of alleles (7) was recorded in SSR locus AMB2. The average diversity indices of SSR, viz. allele frequency, gene diversity, observed heterozygosity and PIC were 0.415, 0.672, 0.415 and 0.611 respectively. The N-J tree was constructed based on the 2 SSRs data which clustered the mutants into 2 major groups. Subsequently, clusters were simplified into 6 clades which distinguished gamma-irradiated and EMS derived mutants and results were reconfirmed through principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). First three axes of PCoA contributed 80.88% of the cumulative variation among the Kinnow mutants. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) explained 42% variation among the populations, 48 and 10% variation within and among the individuals respectively. The present investigation genetically characterized the Kinnow mutants and deciphered the genetic diversity among them. Thus, the variability generated through induced mutagenesis could be used as valuable genetic material for Kinnow improvement.

Evaluation of autochthonous apple varieties (Malus domestica) in the area of Tomislavgrad

The research included seven autochthonous apple varieties in the area of Tomislavgrad, Stipanjići locality, during 2018, which represent the natural wealth of our country. In seven autochthonous apple varieties: Petrovača bijela, Budimka, Ljutika-Divljaka, Ledarica, Bedrica, Ljepocvjetka-Cvjetača and Jonatanka, phenological characteristics were monitored and analyzed with morphological-pomological properties of fruits. The following phenological characteristics were monitored: flowering phenophases, germination of the first fruits, fruit growth, fruit ripening and full maturity. Five characteristics for the description of apple fruits were determined using the UPOV descriptor for apples (UPOV, 2003). The results of monitoring the morphological and pomological properties of fruits show that the lowest average fruit weight was in the variety of Cvjetača (58,38 g), while the highest average of fruit weight had variety Bedrica (140,59 g). In the result is evident that the lowest value of fruit width had variety Cvjetača (53,72 mm), and the highest had variety of Jonatanka (70,83 mm). The Cvjetača variety had the lowest average fruit lenght (47,24 mm), while the Bedrica variety had the highest (59,72 mm). The Budimka variety had the highest average stem length (2,73 cm), while the Divljak variety had the lowest average stem length (1,43 cm). The Jonatanka variety had the largest average cup concavity and was (1,28 mm), while the Petrovača bijela variety (0,41 mm) had the lowest average cup concavity. Based on the this research, the examined autochthonous apple varieties can be used a valuable genetic material in breeding programs, and can be used to create new varieties, as well as for propagation in commercial plantations.

CONDITIONS FOR PREPARATION OF CATTLE OOCYTES FOR IN VITRO MICROMANIPULATION

When cattle oocytes are fertilized through intracytoplasmic sperm injection, the sperm is injected directly into the cytoplasm of the egg cell, allowing three natural barriers to be overcome outside the body. If the loss of highly valuable genetic material
 in a male or female parent is threatened, this may be the only way to preserve valuable hereditary traits with a high cost recovery, and it may also serve as the basis for further development of genetic engineering. In this regard, the Laboratory for Molecular Biotechnology and DNA Testing of the RUE “Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Animal Breeding” has developed and studied conditions for preparation of cattle oocytes for in vitro micromanipulation. It has been established that it is preferable to use the ovaries in the luteal and follicular phases.

Early Diagnosis of 60, XX/XY Chimerism in Cattle using RT-PCR

Background: Freemartinism is a special kind of cell chimerism occuring in female calf born co-twin with male calf. It is one of the most common forms of intersexuality found in cattle, arises as a consequence of vascular anastamosis between fetuses of different genders. Freemartinism causes alterations in the development of female reproductive organs and sterility. However, there were reports of fertile heterosexual twins also. Hence, the present study aimed at early diagnosis of 60, XX/XY chimerism in heterosexual pregnancies to prevent the unnecessary economic losses and preserve valuable genetic material. Methods: Chromosomal profile of female and male calves were analyzed through short term lymphocyte culture technique. The gene expression levels of ZFX and SRY genes were determined through SYBR green real-time PCR. Result: Both female and male co-twins were found to possess 60, XX/60, XY chimerism, yielding the PCR products of both the male (SRY) and female (ZFX) specific genes. A real-time PCR revealed higher levels of ZFX gene expression in female (81.66 per cent) and male (88.35 per cent) calves than SRY gene. Combination of karyotyping and real-time PCR gave a confirmative diagnosis of freemartinism, suggesting the early diagnosis soon after birth.

Conserving biodiversity of plant genetic collections in FRC SSC of RAS

The paper considers the problem of conserving biological diversity in the Federal Research Centre the Subtropical Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The research was carried out on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory in the humid subtropical zone. The climatic conditions in the given zone, as well as a number of other factors, contributed to the formation and growth of unique diverse species and of plant cultivars, many of which are included in the collections of FRC SSC of RAS and have been objects of research. The paper presents an analysis of genetic resources, which includes 2 700 subtropical cultivars, southern fruit, pome, nut-bearing, flower crops and tea, as well as species of natural flora, supported in a live form. Collections consisting of Russian and foreign cultivars, aboriginal, intergenerational and interspecific forms, clones, rare, endangered and endemic species of natural flora are given in the paper. 90 sources of valuable traits have been identified, of which 51 are floral, 39 are fruit. In addition to the purposes of conserving valuable genetic material, collection samples are used for fundamental research in the field of biology, genetics, breeding, physiology and biochemistry (1 594 cultivars). 1 748 cultivars are recommended for practical use, as well as for obtaining fruit and flower products and planting material.

Plant Germplasm Registration System in ICAR – Achievements

The Plant Germplasm Registration Committee (PGRC) was constituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1996 to provide recognition to researchers involved in identifying, describing and documenting potentially valuable genetic materials and to incorporate these into the public domain for their efficient use by the breeders and researchers. In the last 25 years a total of 48 meetings of PGRC have been held and 1,948 crop genetic materials have been registered belonging to 249 crop species. Among these, highest number of germplasm are registered for resistance against biotic stress (601) followed by quality and nutritional traits (583). In major food crops like cereals, oilseeds and grain legumes, maximum registration is for biotic stresses while in ornamentals, fruit crop, medicinal and aromatic crops, tea and coffee, maximum germplasm is registered for quality traits.

Using the synthetic form RS5 to obtain new introgressive lines of common wheat.

The use of the gene pool of wild relatives, which have a signif icant reserve of genetic diversity, is of immediate interest for breeding common wheat. The creation and use of synthetic forms as “bridges” is an effective method of transferring valuable genetic material from wild relatives to cultivated wheat. For this purpose, genome addition, genome substitution and recombinant “secondary” synthetic forms have been created in the P.P. Lukyanenko National Center of Grain. The synthetic recombination form RS5 (BBAASDt), in which the third genome consists of chromosomes of Aegilops speltoides (S) and Aegilops tauschii (Dt), was obtained from crossing the synthetic forms Avrodes (BBAASS) and M.it./ Ae. tauschii (BBAADt Dt), in which the D genome from Ae. tauschii was added to the BBAA genomes of the durum wheat cultivar Mutico italicum. Introgression lines resistant to leaf rust, yellow rust and powdery mildew have been obtained from backcrosses with the susceptible common wheat cultivars Krasnodarskaya 99, Rostislav and Zhirovka. Twelve resistant lines that additionally have high technological characteristics of grain and f lour have been selected. The cytological study (С-banding) has revealed chromosomal modif ications in 6 of 8 lines under study. The rearrangements mainly affected the chromosomes of the D genome, 1D, 3D, 4D, 6D and 7D. It was found that in most cases the genetic material from the synthetic form RS5 in the studied lines was represented by substituted chromosomes from Ae. tauschii. In line 5791p17, the substitution of chromosomes 6D from Ae. tauschii and 7D from Ae. speltoides was revealed. Substitutions 4D(4Dt), 6D(6Dt) from Ae. tauschii and 7D(7S) from Ae. speltoides were obtained for the f irst time. Molecular analysis of 12 lines did not reveal effective leaf rust resistance genes, presumably present in synthetic forms of M.it./Ae. tauschii and Avrodes. It is assumed that the lines may carry previously unidentif ied genes for fungal disease resistance, in particular for resistance to leaf rust, from Ae. tauschii and Ae. speltoides

Drought and smut resistance of millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) seedlings

The aim of the work was to study the impact of drought on the millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) seed germination and morphological parameters of seedlings and to identify millet genotypes with balanced rhizo- and organogenesis under arid conditions. Since the soil drought weakens plant immunity during seed germination and provokes development of various diseases, especially smut (Sorosporium destruens (Schlecht) Yanki), it is necessary to identify plant genotypes with high resistance to virulent smut races. We studied resistance of 28 millet varieties to 13 smut races registered in Ukraine. The osmotic PEG 6000 (23 %) was used to simulate soil drought during the seed germination. After six days of incubation, seed germinability was assessed and the length of shoots and roots of seedlings was measured. The stress resistance of millet varieties was evaluated by the root length/shoot length ratio (R/S). Water deficit in the soil decreased seed germinability to 50.12 %. Morphological changes were more pronounced in shoots (decrease in length by 77.3 %) than in roots (decrease by 37.7 %). Under favorable weather conditions, the rhizo- and organogenesis in seedlings was even (R/S=0.75±0.02). In case of soil drought, the ratio R/S dropped to 2.19±0.03. Most of the varieties were resistant to smut races Rs 1, Rs 5–Rs 7, and Rs 9–Rs 11; in addition, around 10 % of the studied varieties was highly resistant (9–8 points) to smut races Rs 2, Rs 8, Rs 12, and Rs 13. Millet genotypes resistant to Rs 3 smut race were not found. Thus, the varieties with R/S ratio around one and higher should be considered the most valuable genetic material in selection for drought resistance. High R/S ratios were observed in the varieties Zapovitne (1.77), Zolushka (1.54), Olitan (1.4), Skado (1.79) and Danilo (1.79). The varieties Olitan and Danilo were highly resistant to the smut races Rs 1, Rs 4, Rs 7, Rs 9–Rs 11, while the varieties Novokyivske 0.1 (2.17) and Konstantynivske (2.22) to the smut races Rs 1, Rs 4–Rs 7, Rs 9–Rs 12. The variety Bila Altanka was not affected by the most virulent smut races Rs 2, Rs 8 and Rs 13. We recommend to include these millet genotypes in selection for drought and smut resistance.

Tomato Landraces Are Competitive with Commercial Varieties in Terms of Tolerance to Plant Pathogens—A Case Study of Hungarian Gene Bank Accessions on Organic Farms

Landraces are generally neglected by industrialized agriculture, regardless of their potential to provide valuable genetic material for breeding and to diversifying the available assortment for producers and markets. They may also excel in certain plant protection issues with possible resistance or tolerance to plant pathogens. This is the first report on the disease susceptibility traits of Hungarian on certain indeterminate and determinate tomato gene bank accessions under on-farm organic conditions. For this, a three-year on-farm experiment was conducted in two management systems, open-field and protected. Yield and disease symptoms data obtained from ten tomato landraces were compared to commercial varieties. The incidence and severity of three important diseases (caused by late blight ‘Phytophthora infestans’, early blight ‘Alternaria solani’ and Septoria leafspot ‘Septoria lycopersici’), as well as yield, were recorded and assessed. According to these results, there were no significant difference between landraces and control varieties (San Marzano, Kecskeméti 549) regarding the studied parameters, and year was a determinant factor in the occurrence and severity of the infection of the studied diseases. In 2016, rainy, humid weather induced a severe late blight infection, causing serious damage to the open field, while the weather in 2015 and 2017 was favorable for tomato production and our measurements. There were some differences within and between landraces in terms of susceptibility. The investigation revealed that certain accessions can be highly recommended, e.g., the indeterminate ‘Fadd’ (RCAT030275) and ‘Mátrafüred’ (RCAT057656) had suitably high yields with significantly lower susceptibility to late blight, and the determinate ‘Szentlőrinckáta’ (RCAT078726) with high yield as well as tolerance to early blight is also recommendable, but it is sensitive to late blight under an adverse environment. This study suggests that landraces are competitive with the studied commercial varieties under organic production systems. Considering yield and the prevention of the major diseases of tomato, the studied tomato gene bank accessions are recommended for organic field and protected management systems.

Micropropagation of the endangered species Malus niedzwetzkyana for conservation biodiversity in Kazakhstan

Biodiversity conservation requires advanced and effective ex situ plant propagation techniques. The present study was conducted to optimize the micropropagation of a rare and endangered species of Malus niedzwetzkyana. The objective was the ex situ conservation and reintroduction, via micropropagation, of this species. Further, we aimed to obtain healthy planting material on a large-scale for commercial implementation. To study shoot multiplication, we examined the effects of three cytokinins (6-benzylaminopurine, kinetin, and thidiazuron) supplemented to Quoirin–Lepoivre (QL) culture medium. To examine the rooting of the shoots, we tested the effects of the macronutrient concentration of the QL medium (at 1×, 0.5×, and 0.25× concentration), and of its sucrose content (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%). The optimized micropropagation technology provided a high propagation rate (28.77 new shoots per explant) on QL medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.01 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). All shoots developed roots on 0.5× QL media with the addition of 10 mg L−1 sucrose and 1.5 mg L−1 IBA, producing a mean of 11.8 roots per explant. Using nine pairs of simple sequence repeat primers, no somaclonal variation was detected among the plantlets produced using the 13 treatments. Thus, the proposed technology makes it possible to preserve and reproduce the valuable genetic material of the M. niedzwetzkyana in the laboratory and natural conditions. This study demonstrates how biotechnology can be effectively used as an ex situ conservation strategy for this endangered species.

Physiological and Molecular Traits Associated with Nitrogen Uptake under Limited Nitrogen in Soft Red Winter Wheat.

A sufficient nitrogen (N) supply is pivotal for high grain yield and desired grain protein content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Elucidation of physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) will enhance our ability to develop new N-saving varieties in wheat. In this study, we analyzed two soft red winter wheat genotypes, VA08MAS-369 and VA07W-415, with contrasting NUE under limited N. Our previous study demonstrated that higher NUE in VA08MAS-369 resulted from accelerated senescence and N remobilization in flag leaves at low N. The present study revealed that VA08MAS-369 also exhibited higher nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUpE) than VA07W-415 under limited N. VA08MAS-369 consistently maintained root growth parameters such as maximum root depth, total root diameter, total root surface area, and total root volume under N limitation, relative to VA07W-415. Our time-course N content analysis indicated that VA08MAS-369 absorbed N more abundantly than VA07W-415 after the anthesis stage at low N. More efficient N uptake in VA08MAS-369 was associated with the increased expression of genes encoding a two-component high-affinity nitrate transport system, including four NRT2s and three NAR2s, in roots at low N. Altogether, these results demonstrate that VA08MAS-369 can absorb N efficiently even under limited N due to maintained root development and increased function of N uptake. The ability of VA08MAS-369 in N remobilization and uptake suggests that this genotype could be a valuable genetic material for the improvement of NUE in soft red winter wheat.

The effect of cultivation conditions on the growing processes of grape plants in vitro

One of alternative ways to maintain valuable genetic material is to develop optimal conditions for cultivation in an in vitro system. The goal was to evaluate the condition of plants based on changes in the shoot length indicator in order to explore the maintaining mode of the collection. We took the experimental samples from the “Vegetating collection of plants in vitro of promising varieties and clones of grapes”: 13 local Crimean varieties and 9 varieties of the Institute Magarach selection. Plant containing culture bottles were in the cold storage without internal lighting at 10-12°C for 6 months. The cultivation findings demonstrated that grape varieties differed in viability and intensity of morphogenesis. Moreover, after storage, they had a high regenerating ability of the buds.

Новий морфотип овочевої кукурудзи, отриманий методом експериментального мутагенезу

Goal. To obtain genetic mutations using strong chemical mutagens, which have a broad spectrum of action (sodium azide (NaN3) and 5-bromuracil (5BrUra)), with the aim to involve in the selection process; to improve existing and create new high-yielding hybrids of vegetable corn with improved qualities. Methods. Analysis of literature sources, use of strong chemical mutagens, instrumental and statistical. Results. It was established that 5BrUra can be used as a chemical mutagen on corn plants, and point mutations, which are formed under the influence of that mutagen, are a valuable genetic material in selection practice. A new promising genotype of vegetable corn was obtained. According to the results of comparative evaluation of the phenotypes of the obtained mutant form and the studied collection samples, their significant differences were established. The branching of the obtained form of plants occurs from the base of the rod to the apex, while for known mutant forms — partially from the base to the middle of the rod, or the rod does not branch at all, and several lateral branches are formed. Conclusions. The possibility of using 5-bromuracil as a chemical mutagen on plants has been established. Point mutations, which are manifested under the influence of this mutagen, are valuable genetic material in selection practice. According to the results of comparative evaluation of the obtained mutant forms with collectible samples, it was found that the phenotype of the studied forms have significant differences. A new form of vegetable corn was obtained on the basis of cob branching, which is promising for further research and introduction into production as a new generation of baby corn.

Genetic diversity, relatedness and inbreeding of ranched and fragmented Cape buffalo populations in southern Africa.

Wildlife ranching, although not considered a conventional conservation system, provides a sustainable model for wildlife utilization and could be a source of valuable genetic material. However, increased fragmentation and intensive management may threaten the evolutionary potential and conservation value of species. Disease-free Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) in southern Africa exist in populations with a variety of histories and management practices. We compared the genetic diversity of buffalo in national parks to private ranches and found that, except for Addo Elephant National Park, genetic diversity was high and statistically equivalent. We found that relatedness and inbreeding levels were not substantially different between ranched populations and those in national parks, indicating that breeding practices likely did not yet influence genetic diversity of buffalo on private ranches in this study. High genetic differentiation between South African protected areas highlighted their fragmented nature. Structure analysis revealed private ranches comprised three gene pools, with origins from Addo Elephant National Park, Kruger National Park and a third, unsampled gene pool. Based on these results, we recommend the Addo population be supplemented with disease-free Graspan and Mokala buffalo (of Kruger origin). We highlight the need for more research to characterize the genetic diversity and composition of ranched wildlife species, in conjunction with wildlife ranchers and conservation authorities, in order to evaluate the implications for management and conservation of these species across different systems.

DIACHRONIC DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL LINES AND RELATED GROUPS OF BROWN CARPATIAN CATTLE FOR GENERATIONS

DIACHRONIC DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL LINES AND RELATED GROUPS OF BROWN CARPATIAN CATTLE FOR GENERATIONS