Related Wild Species Research Articles

Development and characterization of wheat–Aegilops kotschyi 1Uk(1A) substitution line with positive dough quality parameters

Exploring novel high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) from wild related species is a strategy to improve wheat processing quality. The objective of the present investigation was to identify the chromosomes of the wheat-alien introgression line N124, derived from the hybridization between Triticum aestivum with Aegilops kotschyi, and characterize the effects on quality-related traits. Fluorescence in situ hybridization karyotypes showed that N124 is a disomic 1Uk(1A) substitution line. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography verified N124 expressed two HMW-GSs of the Ae. kotschyi parent. PacBio RNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the two HMW-GSs were Ukx and Uky. Compared to the wheat parent, the substitution line had no obvious agronomic defects except fewer grains per spike but improved several major quality parameters. It can be served as a donor or bridge material for wheat quality improvement.

Breeding melon (Cucumis melo) with resistance to powdery mildew and downy mildew

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) production is often restricted by a plethora of pests and diseases, including powdery mildew and downy mildew caused respectively by the fungal species Podosphaera xanthii/Golovinomyces orontii and oomycete species Pseudoperonospora cubensis. Many efforts have been directed on identification of resistant sources by screening (wild) melon germplasm. In the current review, we summarized such efforts from various publications of the last 50 plus years. Resistance to powdery mildew has been identified in 239 melon accessions and downy mildew resistance in 452 accessions of both C. melo and the wild relative species C. figarei. Among the resistance sources, C. melo var. cantalupensis accessions PMR 45, PMR 5, PMR 6, and WMR 29 as well as C. melo var. momordica accessions PI 124111, PI 124112, and PI 414723 have been considered as the most valuable germplasm because multiple resistance genes have been identified from these accessions and are widely used in melon resistance breeding. Further genetic mapping in a number of resistant sources has enabled identification of 25 dominant genes, two recessive genes and seven QTLs conferring powdery mildew resistance, as well as eight dominant genes and 11 QTLs for downy mildew resistances. Based on the reported sequences of associated markers, we anchored physically (many of) these genes and QTLs to chromosomes of the melon cv. DHL92 genome. In addition to presenting a comprehensive overview on powdery mildew and downy mildew resistance in (wild) melon germplasm, we suggest strategies aiming at breeding melon with durable and broad-spectrum resistance to pathogens and pests.

Discovery of a DFR gene that controls anthocyanin accumulation in the spiny Solanum group: roles of a natural promoter variant and alternative splicing.

Anthocyanins are important pigments that impart color in plants. In Solanum, different species display various fruit or flower colors due to varying degrees of anthocyanin accumulation. Here we identified two anthocyanin-free mutants from an ethylmethane sulfonate-induced mutant library and naturally occurring mutants in Solanum melongena, with mutations in the 5' splicing site of the second intron of dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) - leading to altered splicing. Further study revealed that alternative splicing of the second intron was closely related to anthocyanin accumulation in 17 accessions from three cultivated species: S. melongena, Solanum macrocarpon and Solanum aethiopicum, and their wild related species. Analysis of natural variations of DFR, using an expanded population including 282 accessions belonging to the spiny Solanum group, identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the MYB recognition site in the promoter region, which causes differential expression of DFR and affects anthocyanin accumulation in fruits of the detected accessions. Our study suggests that, owing to years of domestication, the natural variation in the DFR promoter region and the alternative splicing of the DFR gene account for altered anthocyanin accumulation during spiny Solanum domestication.

Identification of Fusarium Head Blight Resistance in Triticum timopheevii Accessions and Characterization of Wheat-T. timopheevii Introgression Lines for Enhanced Resistance.

A diverse panel of wheat wild relative species was screened for resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) by spray inoculation. The great majority of species and accessions were susceptible or highly susceptible to FHB. Accessions of Triticum timopheevii (P95-99.1-1), Agropyron desertorum (9439957), and Elymus vaillantianus (531552) were highly resistant to FHB while additional accessions of T. timopheevii were found to be susceptible to FHB. A combination of spray and point inoculation assessments over two consecutive seasons indicated that the resistance in accession P95-99.1-1 was due to enhanced resistance to initial infection of the fungus (type 1 resistance), and not to reduction in spread (type 2 resistance). A panel of wheat-T. timopheevii (accession P95-99.1-1) introgression lines was screened for FHB resistance over two consecutive seasons using spray inoculation. Most introgression lines were similar in susceptibility to FHB as the wheat recipient (Paragon) but substitution of the terminal portion of chromosome 3BS of wheat with a similar-sized portion of 3G of T. timopheevii significantly enhanced FHB resistance in the wheat background.

Introgression of the Triticum timopheevii Genome Into Wheat Detected by Chromosome-Specific Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR Markers.

Triticum timopheevii (2n = 28, AtAtGG) is a tetraploid wild relative species with great potential to increase the genetic diversity of hexaploid wheat Triticum aestivum (2n = 42, AABBDD) for various important agronomic traits. A breeding scheme that propagated advanced backcrossed populations of wheat-T. timopheevii introgression lines through further backcrossing and self-fertilisation resulted in the generation of 99 introgression lines (ILs) that carried 309 homozygous segments from the At and G subgenomes of T. timopheevii. These introgressions contained 89 and 74 unique segments from the At and G subgenomes, respectively. These overlapping segments covered 98.9% of the T. timopheevii genome that has now been introgressed into bread wheat cv. Paragon including the entirety of all T. timopheevii chromosomes via varying sized segments except for chromosomes 3At, 4G, and 6G. Homozygous ILs contained between one and eight of these introgressions with an average of three per introgression line. These homozygous introgressions were detected through the development of a set of 480 chromosome-specific Kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) markers that are well-distributed across the wheat genome. Of these, 149 were developed in this study based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) discovered through whole genome sequencing of T. timopheevii. A majority of these KASP markers were also found to be T. timopheevii subgenome specific with 182 detecting At subgenome and 275 detecting G subgenome segments. These markers showed that 98% of the At segments had recombined with the A genome of wheat and 74% of the G genome segments had recombined with the B genome of wheat with the rest recombining with the D genome of wheat. These results were validated through multi-colour in situ hybridisation analysis. Together these homozygous wheat-T. timopheevii ILs and chromosome-specific KASP markers provide an invaluable resource to wheat breeders for trait discovery to combat biotic and abiotic stress factors affecting wheat production due to climate change.

A Review on Origin and Genetic Analysis of Wheat Genes Conferring Resistance to Wheat Rust in Common Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Wheat rusts, produced by three species of Puccinia, are severe diseases and important biotic impediments in efforts to keep wheat production going around the world.The most commercially significant and prevalent diseases among global wheat varieties includes leaf rust also known as brown rust, caused by Puccinia graminis triticina Eriks, stem or black rust caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, and stripe or yellow rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. Tritici.Currently,more than 200 rust resistance genes (100 leaf rust, 60 stem rust, and 51 stripe rust) have been identified by using various molecular approaches from several wheat crop species and related wild species. This review highlights various aspects of Lr (Leaf rust), Sr (Stem rust) and Yr(yellow rust) resistance genes, their primitive origins, and their prevalence in globally wheat cultivars.

Biodiversity Enhancement for Improving the Sustainability of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea vr. italica Plenk) Organic Seed Production

The plant heritage of the Mediterranean basin, with its wide biodiversity, offers the best conditions to pursue the objectives of the EU Green Deal, and among it, we pointed our attention to the Brassica oleracea crops, thanks to the high number of landraces and of its wild relative species widespread both in agro and ecosystems. In the framework of the European project BRESOV H2020 “Breeding for Resilient, Efficient and Sustainable Organic Vegetable Production”, we evaluated different organic growing conditions and plant characteristics to pursue a good yield and high quality of organic seed under different nutrition protocols. We took in attention the two landraces of sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenk) Sparaceddu and Cavolo Riccio di Messina, which well express the traditional trait of broccoli Sicilian biodiversity that is often unfortunately underestimated. The results showed that the new tools for organic plant nutrition implement the plant characteristics and the related seed yield also by using a lower level of inputs, achieving economically sustainable production by the use of the nutrition protocols evaluated. There is, therefore, a strong need to affirm the concept of “minimum dose” in order to obtain a satisfactory result in terms of production and quality. The research also focused on the characteristics of brassicas crops, highlighting the main factors that render the use of biodiversity possible and profitable.

Overview of developed core and mini core collections and their effective utilization in cultivated rice and its related species (Oryza sp.)—A review

AbstractGenus Oryza consists of two cultivated and 21 related wild species. Cultivated rice is not only the staple food of the majority of the countries in the world, but it also serves as a model crop for genomic studies. The rice germplasm is conserved in different gene banks around the world, which can be accessed for plant breeding programmes aiming to improve rice varieties. However, the ever‐increasing number of accessions poses problem of the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the germplasm. Therefore, to speed up characterization and utilization of germplasm, the concept of core collection (~10–20% of total base collection) was developed which provides maximum diversity in limited number of accessions. Similarly, a mini core collection (~1–2% of the entire collection) is constructed retaining maximum diversity to provide wider genetic coverage in manageable numbers. The present review summarizes the current information on different core and mini core sets developed for varied purposes from world rice collections using different strategies.

Metabolite profiling and protein quantification to a large library of 96 horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) germplasm

The present study was framed for the assessment of metabolic diversity of 96 diverse horsegram lines derived from 700 germplasm accessions of Pan India. The nutritional component of horsegram germplasm was studied using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) and micro-Kjeldal method. Differential range of protein content was found 13–40% in the selected panel. The related wild species Macrotyloma sar-gharwalensis contained highest protein content (40%), and the lowest protein content (13%) was found in IC-120837 and TCR-1439. Seed based 1H NMR spectroscopy of horsegram discovered 45 different metabolites (17 amino acids, 7 flavonoids, 10 organic acids/phenolic acids/sugar alcohols/steroids, 7 carbohydrades/sugars, and 4 vitamins). The number of total metabolites quantified among diverse horsegram panel ranged from 25–44. The lowest metabolites number was 26 in PLKU-38, while, IC-280031 and IC-139356 lines showed the presence of highest number of metabolites (44). Lines IC-280031 and IC-139356 were found most nutritive amongst selected panel of horsegram germplasm by containing maximum number of quantifiable metabolites during 1H NMR spectroscopy study. Further, the NMR based data of 96 germplasms was subjected for statistical analysis (PCA, Matrix plot, stacked charts) that revealed the similarities and variations among the whole germplasm. The methionine, sucrose, maltose, riboflavin and myricetin were observed as differential chemo-markers that help to differentiate the horsegram lines of selected panel. This information will further aid in the selection of nutritionally efficient cultivars for proteomics and genomics studies and these lines can be used as nutraceutical food for the prevention of various health ailments including kidney stone.

Dependence on Nitrogen Availability and Rhizobial Symbiosis of Different Accessions of Trifolium fragiferum, a Crop Wild Relative Legume Species, as Related to Physiological Traits.

Biological nitrogen fixation by legume-rhizobacterial symbiosis in temperate grasslands is an important source of soil nitrogen. The aim of the present study was to characterize the dependence of different accessions of T. fragiferum, a rare crop wild relative legume species, from their native rhizobia as well as additional nitrogen fertilization in controlled conditions. Asymbiotically cultivated, mineral-fertilized T. fragiferum plants gradually showed signs of nitrogen deficiency, appearing as a decrease in leaf chlorophyll concentration, leaf senescence, and a decrease in growth rate. The addition of nitrogen, and the inoculation with native rhizobia, or both treatments significantly prevented the onset of these symptoms, leading to both increase in plant shoot biomass as well as an increase in tissue concentration of N. The actual degree of each type of response was genotype-specific. Accessions showed a relatively similar degree of dependence on nitrogen (70–95% increase in shoot dry mass) but the increase in shoot dry mass by inoculation with native rhizobia ranged from 27 to 85%. In general, there was no correlation between growth stimulation and an increase in tissue N concentration by the treatments. The addition of N or rhizobial inoculant affected mineral nutrition at the level of both macronutrient and micronutrient concentration in different plant parts. In conclusion, native rhizobial strains associated with geographically isolated accessions of T. fragiferum at the northern range of distribution of the species represent a valuable resource for further studies aimed at the identification of salinity-tolerant N2-fixing bacteria for the needs of sustainable agriculture, as well as in a view of understanding ecosystem functioning at the level of plant-microorganism interactions.

Applied phenomics and genomics for improving barley yellow dwarf resistance in winter wheat

Barley yellow dwarf is one of the major viral diseases of cereals. Phenotyping barley yellow dwarf in wheat is extremely challenging due to similarities to other biotic and abiotic stresses. Breeding for resistance is additionally challenging as the wheat primary germplasm pool lacks genetic resistance, with most of the few resistance genes named to date originating from a wild relative species. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the use of high-throughput phenotyping to improve barley yellow dwarf assessment; (2) identify genomic regions associated with barley yellow dwarf resistance; and (3) evaluate the ability of genomic selection models to predict barley yellow dwarf resistance. Up to 107 wheat lines were phenotyped during each of 5 field seasons under both insecticide treated and untreated plots. Across all seasons, barley yellow dwarf severity was lower within the insecticide treatment along with increased plant height and grain yield compared with untreated entries. Only 9.2% of the lines were positive for the presence of the translocated segment carrying the resistance gene Bdv2. Despite the low frequency, this region was identified through association mapping. Furthermore, we mapped a potentially novel genomic region for barley yellow dwarf resistance on chromosome 5AS. Given the variable heritability of the trait (0.211–0.806), we obtained a predictive ability for barley yellow dwarf severity ranging between 0.06 and 0.26. Including the presence or absence of Bdv2 as a covariate in the genomic selection models had a large effect for predicting barley yellow dwarf but almost no effect for other observed traits. This study was the first attempt to characterize barley yellow dwarf using field-high-throughput phenotyping and apply genomic selection to predict disease severity. These methods have the potential to improve barley yellow dwarf characterization, additionally identifying new sources of resistance will be crucial for delivering barley yellow dwarf resistant germplasm.

A chromosome scale tomato genome built from complementary PacBio and Nanopore sequences alone reveals extensive linkage drag during breeding.

The assembly and scaffolding of plant crop genomes facilitate the characterization of genetically diverse cultivated and wild germplasm. The cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has been improved through the introgression of genetic material from related wild species, including resistance to pandemic strains of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) from Solanum peruvianum. Here we applied PacBio HiFi and ONT Nanopore sequencing to develop independent, highly contiguous and complementary assemblies of an inbred TMV-resistant tomato variety. We show specific examples of how HiFi and ONT datasets can complement one another to improve assembly contiguity. We merged the HiFi and ONT assemblies to generate a long-read-only assembly where all 12 chromosomes were represented as 12 contiguous sequences (N50 = 68.5 Mbp). This chromosome scale assembly did not require scaffolding using an orthogonal data type. The merged assembly was validated by chromosome conformation capture data and is highly consistent with previous tomato genome assemblies that made use of genetic maps and Hi-C for scaffolding. Our long-read-only assembly reveals that a complex series of structural variants linked to the TMV resistance gene likely contributed to linkage drag of a 64.1-Mbp region of the S. peruvianum genome during tomato breeding. Through marker studies and ONT-based comprehensive haplotyping we show that this minimal introgression region is present in six cultivated tomato hybrid varieties developed in three commercial breeding programs. Our results suggest that complementary long read technologies can facilitate the rapid generation of near-complete genome sequences.

Spermatozoa Survival in Egg Yolk-Based and Soybean-Based Extenders at Ambient and Chilling Temperature in Domestic Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo).

Simple SummaryHunting pressure and loss of habitat exacerbated by climate change have led to a decline in the number of many galliform species, especially those found in the wild. One such species is the Congo peacock, which has been classified as vulnerable. A domestic galliform species such as the domestic turkey can conceivably be used as a model to research and understand reproduction patterns of related wild and endangered species. The collection, preservation and use of the male gametes for assisted reproductive techniques are key to the successful breeding of such species. This study was aimed at developing a suitable semen extender using two extender formulations (egg yolk-based and soybean-based with or without L-ascorbic acid supplementation) and two storage protocols (ambient temperature and chilled). The results show that both extender formulations preserved turkey semen viability for up to 6 h at ambient temperature and up to 24 h at the chilling temperature. In conclusion, the two extenders were similar with regard to semen quality parameters, and L-ascorbic acid supplementation of the turkey semen extenders improved semen quality during liquid storage.Populations of many galliform species have declined mainly due to habitat loss and over-hunting, notably the Congo peacock, which has been classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The domestic turkey, being a species of least concern, which has been reported to be closely related to peacocks, could serve as a model for the optimization of assisted reproductive technologies for the Congo peacock. This study was aimed at developing a suitable turkey semen extender for artificial insemination in field conditions. Semen was collected using the dorso-abdominal massage technique from seven turkey toms and analyzed. Ejaculates with >70% motility and >80% live spermatozoa were pooled and divided into four aliquots (four treatments). Each of the four treatments was extended in a soybean-based extender or an egg yolk-based extender, with or without L-ascorbic acid. Two liquid preservation protocols (ambient temperature (35 °C) and chilled (4 °C)) were employed, and quality parameters including motility, viability and morphology were evaluated. The results show that the two extenders were similar with regard to semen quality parameters, and L-ascorbic acid supplementation of the turkey semen extenders improved semen quality during liquid storage.

Genome-wide characterization and expression analysis of Dof family genes in sweetpotato

<p id="C3">DNA-binding One Zinc Finger (Dof) transcription factors are widely involved in various life activities of plants. Forty-six <italic>IbDof</italic> genes from sweetpotato cv. Taizhong 6 with a highly conserved Dof domain structured as a C2C2-type zinc finger were identified and named from<italic> IbDof1</italic> to <italic>IbDof46 </italic>according to their position on the chromosomes. IbDof family could be divided into four subgroups (A-D), which shared the similar motifs and gene structures. Motif 1 and Motf 2 occurred in all of the identified IbDofs, Motif 5 and Motif 9 only occurred in subgroup A, and Motif 6-Motif 8 and Motif 10 only occurred in subgroup D. Twelve segment duplicated gene pairs and five tandem duplicated gene pairs of <italic>IbDofs</italic> (<italic>IbDof2/IbDof3</italic>,<italic> IbDof12/IbDof13</italic>,<italic> IbDof9/IbDof10</italic>,<italic> IbDof28/IbDof29</italic>, and<italic> IbDof32/IbDof33</italic>) contributed to the expansion of IbDof family in sweetpotato. The average divergence times of segmental duplication gene pairs and tandem duplicated gene pairs seemed to have emerged 35.22 MYA and 1.86 MYA, and the Ka/Ks ratios of the paralogous<italic> IbDofs </italic>were range from 0.07 (<italic>IbDof12/IbDof13</italic>) to 0.68 (<italic>IbDof6/IbDof25</italic>). Tirty-eight orthologous <italic>IbDof</italic> gene pairs between sweetpotato and their wild relative species <italic>Ipomoea trifida</italic> were involved in duplicated genomic blocks based on synteny analysis. Transcriptome analysis indicated different subgroups expressed specifically in various tissues, and <italic>IbDofs</italic> in the same subgroup also revealed different expression tends. Various hormones and stresses response element were identified in the promoters of <italic>IbDof</italic> genes, and qRT-PCR demonstrated specific<italic> IbDof </italic>genes responded to various environmental stresses, including cold, drought, salt, and H₂O₂. Most <italic>IbDof</italic> genes were regulated by cold treatment; <italic>IbDof10</italic> and<italic> IbDof14</italic> were up-regulated by drought treatment;<italic> IbDof-2</italic>, <italic>-14</italic>,<italic> -37</italic>,<italic> -41</italic>, <italic>-43</italic> were up regulated by high salt stress; and <italic>IbDof-8</italic>,<italic> -10</italic>,<italic> -25</italic>,<italic> -41</italic> were up regulated by H₂O₂ treatment. In summary, our result indicated that <italic>IbDof</italic> family genes coordinately regulated the growth and development of sweetpotato and been involved in the various abiotic stresses process.

Chromosome-specific KASP markers for detecting Amblyopyrum muticum segments in wheat introgression lines.

Many wild-relative species are being used in prebreeding programs to increase the genetic diversity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Genotyping tools such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based arrays and molecular markers have been widely used to characterize wheat-wild relative introgression lines. However, due to the polyploid nature of the recipient wheat genome, it is difficult to develop SNP-based Kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) markers that are codominant to track the introgressions from the wild species. Previous attempts to develop KASP markers have involved both exome- and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplicon-based sequencing of the wild species. But chromosome-specific KASP assays have been hindered by homoeologous SNPs within the wheat genome. This study involved whole genome sequencing of the diploid wheat wild relative Amblyopyrum muticum (Boiss.) Eig and development of a de novo SNP discovery pipeline that generated ∼38,000 SNPs in unique wheat genome sequences. New assays were designed to increase the density of Am. muticum polymorphic KASP markers. With a goal of one marker per 60 Mbp, 335 new KASP assays were validated as diagnostic for Am. muticum in a wheat background. Together with assays validated in previous studies, 498 well distributed chromosome-specific markers were used to recharacterize previously genotyped wheat-Am. muticum doubled haploid (DH) introgression lines. The chromosome-specific nature of the KASP markers allowed clarification of which wheat chromosomes were involved with recombination events or substituted with Am. muticum chromosomes and the higher density of markers allowed detection of new small introgressions in these DH lines.

Soil chemical properties and mineral nutrition of Latvian accessions of Trifolium fragiferum, a crop wild relative plant species

The aim of the present study was to compare soil chemical composition and aspects of mineral nutrition of several accessions from different geographically isolated sites in Latvia of Trifolium fragiferum L., a crop wild relative plant species. Eight geographically isolated micropopulations of T. fragiferum in Latvia were identified, and material was sampled for analysis of plant-available mineral nutrient concentrations in soil and mineral nutrient concentrations in leaf tissues. Micropopulations of T. fragiferum were associated with rivers, lakes and the sea, thus also outside typical coastal or inland-located salt-affected grassland habitats. Soil concentration of plant-available mineral nutrients showed significant variation between different sites, ranging from 59% for N to 193% for Ca. Variation in mineral element concentration in plant leaf tissues was relatively lower. Multivariate analysis showed that sites with similar localization on river shores or in coastal areas had similar characteristics, as these were grouped together according to both soil mineral nutrient availability as well as leaf tissue mineral element concentrations. T. fragiferum can be characterized as a species able to maintain mineral homeostasis in leaf tissues irrespective of large variability in soil plant-available mineral nutrient concentrations and different levels of soil pH. Together with general resilience to environmental constraints, this allows to predict a relatively good conservation status of T. fragiferum in Latvia in spite of rather limited number and size of the geographically isolated micropopulations.

Identification and Characterization of Wall-Associated Kinase (WAK) and WAK-like (WAKL) Gene Family in Juglans regia and Its Wild Related Species Juglans mandshurica.

Wall-associated kinase (WAK) and WAK-like kinase (WAKL) are receptor-like kinases (RLKs), which play important roles in signal transduction between the cell wall and the cytoplasm in plants. WAK/WAKLs have been studied in many plants, but were rarely studied in the important economic walnut tree. In this study, 27 and 14 WAK/WAKL genes were identified in Juglans regia and its wild related species Juglans mandshurica, respectively. We found tandem duplication might play a critical role in the expansion of WAK/WAKL gene family in J. regia, and most of the WAK/WAKL homologous pairs underwent purified selection during evolution. All WAK/WAKL proteins have the extracellular WAK domain and the cytoplasmic protein kinase domain, and the latter was more conserved than the former. Cis-acting elements analysis showed that WAK/WAKL might be involved in plant growth and development, plant response to abiotic stress and hormones. Gene expression pattern analysis further indicated that most WAK/WAKL genes in J. regia might play a role in the development of leaves and be involved in plant response to biotic stress. Our study provides a new perspective for the evolutionary analysis of gene families in tree species and also provides potential candidate genes for studying WAK/WAKL gene function in walnuts.

Wild relatives of potato may bolster its adaptation to new niches under future climate scenarios

AbstractFood production strategies and patterns are being altered in response to climate change. Enhancing the adaptation of important food crops to novel climate regimes will be critical to maintaining world food supplies. Climate change is altering the suitability of production areas for crops such as potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) making future productivity, resilience, and sustainability of this crop dependent on breeding for climate adaptation, including through the introgression of novel traits from its wild relatives. To better understand the future production climate envelopes of potatoes, and the potential of its wild relatives to contribute to adaptation to these environments, we estimated the climate of potato in four future climate scenarios and overlapped the current climate of 72 wild relative species and potato with these future climates. We discovered a shift of up to 12.5% by potato from current to novel climate by 2070 and varying magnitudes of overlap by different wild relatives with potato, primarily driven by the extent of endemism. To address the threat of novel climate on potato production and with the wealth of data available for the agrobiodiversity in potato wild relatives, we systematically developed a prioritization value inspired by the logic of the breeder's equation for locating potentially beneficial species possessing local adaptability, climatic plasticity, and interspecific crossability. In doing so, 26 unique species by discrete climate combinations are found, highlighting the presence of unique species to use in adapting potato to changing local climates. Further, the 20 highest prioritized values belong to diploid species, enforcing the drive to shift into diploid breeding by the potato research community, where introgression of the local climate adaptability traits may be more streamlined.

Vegetable Genetic Resources to Mitigate Nutritional Insecurity in India

Vegetable crops are key sources of essential micronutrients required for good health. They add fiber, flavor, taste, and nutritional quality to human diets. Increasing production and consumption of vegetables constitutes a direct and affordable way to deliver better health and overcome malnutrition. Vegetable production has the potential to generate more income and employment than any other segment of the agricultural economy. Vegetables can be grown on small areas of land, close to the consumers in urban and peri-urban settings, and they do not necessarily need advanced technologies to grow them. To realize those benefits, governments and donors need to give more weight and support to the ex situ, on-farm, and in situ conservation of genetic resources including farmers’ varieties, landraces, and wild related species of global, as well as traditional, vegetables.

In vivo maternal haploid induction in tomato.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) is the second largest vegetable crop and the largest fruit crop (Costa and Heuvelink, 2018). Progress in tomato breeding has been achieved by classical breeding, introgression of traits found in related wild Solanum species and exploiting heterosis in F1 hybrid crosses (Lin et al., 2014). These approaches require the development of inbred lines to reduce or largely eliminate heterozygosity. Classically, multiple rounds of selfing or backcrossing are used to generate inbred lines (Gale, 1980), but homozygous lines can also be obtained in a single generation using doubled haploid (DH) technology (Jacquier et al., 2020). However, tomato is highly recalcitrant for haploid induction (HI) (Seguí-Simarro, 2010).