Winter Cultivars Research Articles

The response of different kinds of rapeseed cultivars to foliar application of nitrogen, sulphur and boron

The study was based on in 2016–2017, 2017–2018, 2018–2019 field experiment conducted at the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce (Zawady Agricultural Experimental Station), eastern Poland. The studied factors were: I. winter rape cultivars: Monolit—open pollinated cultivar; PT248-F1 hybrid cultivars with traditional growth type; PX115-F1 hybrid cultivars with a semi-dwarf growth type and types of foliar nutrition: (1) control variant without foliar nutrition and amino acids; (2) amino acid; (3) foliar fertilizer sulphur and boron; (4) foliar fertilizer sulphur with foliar fertilizer boron and amino acid. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of foliar application of sulphur, boron, amino acids on the use and feed value of seeds of three winter rape morphotypes. The highest content of crude fat in seeds of the studied morphotypes was found after foliar fertilization with sulphur and boron and amino acids, while the lowest under the influence of amino acids. The highest concentration of total protein was obtained after the application of amino acids, and regardless of the morphotype studied on this object, the same value of this trait was demonstrated. In restored morphotypes, the use of additional foliar fertilization S and B in combination with amino acids did not significantly increase this characteristic compared to the amino acid variant. As a result of the application of amino acids and foliar feeding of S and B, and amino acids, the largest increase in crude fibre content in rapeseeds was obtained, while the application of S and B did not significantly increase this characteristic compared to the control variant. The best feed and use value of seeds were noted in restored morphotypes, with the semi-dwarf variety having the highest fat and crude fibre content. Climatic conditions in the years of research significantly determined the value of seeds. The highest values of the examined traits were obtained in the last year of the study, and the lowest in the growing season 2016–2017.

Wild grasses as the reservoirs of infection of rust species for winter soft wheat in the Northern Caucasus.

Common winter wheat is the main grain crop cultivated in the North Caucasus. Rust disease damage is one of the factors limiting wheat productivity. There are three species of rust in the region: leaf (Puccinia triticina), stem (P. graminis) and stripe rust (P. striiformis), and their signif icance varies from year to year. The most common is leaf rust, but in the last decade the frequency of its epiphytotic development has signif icantly decreased. At the same time, an increase in the harmfulness of stripe rust (P. striiformis) is noted. Stem rust in the region is mainly absent or observed at the end of the wheat growing season to a weak degree. Only in some years with favorable weather conditions its mass development is noted on susceptible cultivars. It is believed that the sources of infection with rust species in the North Caucasus are infested soft wheat crops, wild-growing cereals and exodemic infection carried by air currents from adjacent territories. In the North Caucasus, forage and wild grasses are affected by Puccinia species almost every year. Depending on weather conditions, the symptom expression is noted from late September to December and then from late February to May–June. Potentially, an autumn infection on grasses can serve as a source for infection of winter soft wheat cultivars sown in October. The purpose of these studies is to characterize the virulence of P. triticina, P. graminis, P. striiformis on wild cereals and to assess the specialization of causative agents to winter wheat in the North Caucasus. Infectious material represented by leaves with urediniopustules of leaf, stem and stripe rusts was collected from wild cereals (Poa spp., Bromus spp.) in the Krasnodar Territory in October–November 2019. Uredinium material from P. triticina, P. striiformis, and P. graminis was propagated and cloned. Monopustular Puccinia spp. isolates were used for virulence genetics analysis. In experiments to study the specialization of rust species from wild-growing cereals on common wheat, 12 winter cultivars were used (Grom, Tanya, Yuka, Tabor, Bezostaya 100, Yubileynaya 100, Vekha, Vassa, Alekseich, Stan, Gurt, Bagrat). These cultivars are widely cultivated in the North Caucasus region and are characterized by varying degrees of resistance to rust. Additionally, wheat material was inoculated with Krasnodar populations of P. triticina, P. striiformis, P. graminis from common wheat. In the virulence analysis of P. triticina on cereal grasses, four phenotypes (races) were identif ied: MCTKH (30 %), TCTTR (30 %), TNTTR (25 %), MHTKH (15 %), and f ive were identif ied in P. graminis (RKMTF (60 %), TKTTF, RKLTF, QKLTF, LHLPF (10 % each). Among P. striiformis isolates, three phenotypes were identif ied using the International and European sets of differentiating cultivars – 111E231 (88 %), 111E247 (6 %) and 78E199 (6 %). Using isogenic Avocet lines, 3 races were also identif ied, which differed among themselves in virulence to the Yr1, Yr11, Yr18 genes (with the prevalence of virulent ones (94 %)). Composite urediniums’ samples (a mixture of all identif ied races) of grass rust of each species were used to inoculate winter wheat cultivars. The most common winter wheat cultivars (75 %) were characterized by a resistant response when infected with P. graminis populations from common wheat and cereal grasses. All these cultivars were developed using donors of the rye translocation 1BL.1RS, in which the Lr26, Sr31, and Yr9 genes are localized. The number of winter wheat cultivars resistant to leaf rust in the seedling phase was lower (58 %). At the same time, all the studied cultivars in the seedling phase were susceptible to P. striiformis to varying degrees. The virulence analysis of the leaf, stem and stripe rust populations did not reveal signif icant differences in the virulence of the pathogens between wild-growing cereals and soft wheat. Urediniomaterial of all studied rust species successfully infested soft wheat cultivars. The results obtained indicate that grasses are rust infection reservoirs for common wheat crops in the North Caucasus.

Duration of the period for creating apple cultivars and tasks on reducing it

The greatest period of time was spent on creating a cultivar at the first stage of breeding in our institution, when we did not have proper experience in apple breeding. For example, in the sixties of the last century, cultivars Pepin Orlovsky, Orlovskaya Zarya, Nizkorosloye and Sinap Orlovsky were created, in which the period from hybridization to inclusion in the State Register of Breeding Achievements allowed for use was 48, 45, 43 and 34 years respectively. With the acquisition of breeding experience in selecting the initial parent cultivars and improving the methods of growing seedlings in the breeding orchard (growing hybrid seedlings in the crown of a semi-dwarf or dwarf rootstock or on insert rootstocks) the period was significantly reduced — to 20 years for such cultivars as Yablochny Spas, Aleksander Boyko, Maslovskoye and a number of others. The first immune domestic cultivar Imrus (immune russian) was created and included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements allowed for use in just 15 years. It took 16 years to create the Rozhdestvenskoye cultivar. Naturally, on average, much less time was spent on the creation of columnar cultivars due to the earlier entry into flowering and fruiting. Due to the fact that high agricultural technology improves the growth processes of hybrid seedlings in the breeding nursery and in the breeding orchard and reduces their juvenile period, it must necessarily be carried out. This report gives a brief production and biological characteristics of the best apple cultivars of the Institute’s breeding. One of the best cultivars immune to scab is the winter cultivar Imrus (immune russian). The cultivar has a rapid fruitfulness and high yield. Its fruit can be stored in the cold storage until mid-March. Veniaminovskoye and Kandil Orlovsky are also valuable immune cultivars. The fruits of Veniaminovskoye are stored in the refrigerator until the end of February; the cultivar is characterized by the dessert quality of the fruit. The advantages of Kandil Orlovsky are also high rapid fruitfulness and productivity. Triploid Aleksander Boyko is immune to scab and has large size of fruit (220 g) and regular fruiting. Columnar cultivars Priokskoye and Poezia are of great interest. Priokskoye is characterized by scab immunity and high productivity. The fruits are characterized by marketability and high consumer qualities. In the refrigerator, the fruits can be stored until February. It took only 18 years to create this cultivar. The columnar scab-immune cultivar Poezia is characterized by high rapid fruitfulness. Its fruits are stored in the refrigerator until February.

Registration of ‘KS4719’ winter canola

Abstract‘KS4719’ (Reg. no. CV‐28, PI 697260) is a winter canola cultivar (Brassica napus L.) that possesses superior winterhardiness, greater lodging resistance, and improved pod shattering. KS4719 first drew attention when a devastating cold snap in November 2014 caused much of the winter canola crop to winter kill. KS4719 winter survival scores were 15 and 121% greater than the check cultivars ‘Sumner’ and ‘Wichita’, respectively, at Kansas State University's lone surviving trial site in northern Oklahoma. In the National Winter Canola Variety Trial (NWCVT) testing, the winter survival score of KS4719 was equivalent to ‘Torrington’, the most winter hardy commercially available cultivar. Across two sites of the 2015–2016 Great Plains Canola Variety Trial (GPCVT), KS4719 showed significantly improved pod shatter compared with the check cultivars. Across 14 NWCVT sites in the U.S. Great Plains, grain yield did not differ from the check cultivars; however, KS4719 did yield 5 and 19% more than ‘Surefire’ and Torrington, respectively, the two most recent cultivar releases from the Kansas State University canola breeding program. Over five site‐years, KS4719 averaged 9% lodging, while Torrington averaged 19%. It is theorized that the improved lodging resistance of KS4719 comes from a stem and root system that is less prone to rotting in saturated soils. Greater winterhardiness is in part due to protection of the lower stem (rosette) throughout the winter months.

The Effects of Different Planting Densities on Lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.) Yield and Yield Components in Mardin Conditions

In this study, the effects of four different sowing densities (200, 250, 300 and 350 seed m-2) on the yield and yield components for two winter lentil cultivars (Şakar and Fırat-87) in Mardin conditions. The study was laid out in a factorial randomised block design with three replicates at the fields of Mardin Artuklu University, Kızıltepe Vocational High School in 2012-2013 growing season. In the study were investigated the effect of planting densities on the plant height, first pod height, numbers of branche, numbers of pod per plant and numbers of seed per plant, numbers of seed per pod, seed yield per unit area, harvest index, biological yield and 1000 seed weight. While the highest seed yield per area was obtained from second plant density and Şakar variety with 275.23 kg da-1, the lowest seed yield per area was obtained from first plant density and Fırat-87 variety with 208.83 kg da-1.

Powdery Mildew Resistance Phenotypes of Wheat Gene Bank Accessions.

Simple SummaryBread wheat is one of the most important sources of human and animal food and powdery mildew is a serious disease of this crop. Breeding and growing resistant cultivars are an effective and environmentally friendly way of reducing the adverse impact of the disease on grain yield and quality. The main aim of this study was to detect major resistances against powdery mildew in a set of wheat accessions from the Czech gene bank and to group them according to their responses. Ear progenies of 448 varieties originating from 33 countries were inoculated with three isolates of the pathogen. One hundred and ten varieties showed resistance to at least one isolate and 59 varieties were resistant to all three isolates. Resistance to the three isolates was present mostly in varieties of Northwest Europe and was more than three times more frequent in spring than in winter wheats. Results will facilitate a rational and practical approach of breeding new wheat cultivars using this set of gene bank accessions as recipients of novel genes from wheat-related species and accumulate minor resistance genes to improve resistance durability.Powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) is a common pathogen of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and genetic resistance is an effective and environmentally friendly method to reduce its adverse impact. The introgression of novel genes from wheat progenitors and related species can increase the diversity of disease resistance and accumulation of minor genes to improve the crop’s resistance durability. To accomplish these two actions, host genotypes without major resistances should be preferably used. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to carry out seedling tests to detect such resistances in a set of wheat accessions from the Czech gene bank and to group the cultivars according to their phenotype. Ear progenies of 448 selected cultivars originating from 33 countries were inoculated with three isolates of the pathogen. Twenty-eight cultivars were heterogeneous, and 110 cultivars showed resistance to at least one isolate. Fifty-nine cultivars, mostly from Northwest Europe, were resistant to all three isolates were more than three times more frequently recorded in spring than in winter cultivars. Results will facilitate a rational and practical approach preferably using the set of cultivars without major resistances for both mentioned methods of breeding wheat cultivars resistant to powdery mildew.

Fatty Acid Composition of Cannabis sativa, Linum usitatissimum and Camelina sativa Seeds Harvested in Lithuania for Food Use.

The objective of this study was to determine species-associated differences in the seed proximate and fatty acid composition of three traditional oil crop species, hemp (Cannabis sativa), flax (Linum usitatissimum), and camelina (Camelina sativa), and the sowing season of camelina harvested under Lithuanian farming conditions for food use. Camelina seeds had the highest (p < 0.001) content of protein, oil, and sugar contents compared to both dehulled hemp and flax seeds. The amounts of protein and oil in camelina seeds were considerably increased by their summer cultivar, which showed higher (p < 0.001) contents of protein and oil than winter cultivars. However, the highest and lowest (p < 0.001) fiber content was found in flax seeds and camelina seeds, respectively. Camelina seeds showed considerably higher and lower (p < 0.001) proportions of total monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids, respectively, compared with hemp and flax. The summer cultivar of camelina had higher (p < 0.001) proportions of saturated (SFA) and MUFA and lower proportions of PUFA compared with winter cultivars. Hemp seeds had the highest and lowest (p < 0.001) proportions of PUFA and MUFA, respectively. The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in hemp seeds is optimal (3.79), whereas the use of flax and camelina seeds with their n-6/n-3 ratios of 0.28 and 0.48, respectively, can significantly improve this ratio in the overall diet. The properties of oil crop seeds showed that whole seeds of hemp, flax, and camelina are potentially highly beneficial to human health.

Efficient CRISPR/Cas-Mediated Targeted Mutagenesis in Spring and Winter Wheat Varieties.

CRISPR/Cas technology has recently become the molecular tool of choice for gene function studies in plants as well as crop improvement. Wheat is a globally important staple crop with a well annotated genome and there is plenty of scope for improving its agriculturally important traits using genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas. As part of this study we targeted three different genes in hexaploid wheat Triticum aestivum: TaBAK1-2 in the spring cultivar Cadenza as well as Ta-eIF4E and Ta-eIF(iso)4E in winter cultivars Cezanne, Goncourt and Prevert. Primary transgenic lines carrying CRISPR/Cas-induced indels were successfully generated for all targeted genes. While BAK1 is an important regulator of plant immunity and development, Ta-eIF4E and Ta-eIF(iso)4E act as susceptibility (S) factors required for plant viruses from the Potyviridae family to complete their life cycle. We anticipate the resultant homozygous tabak1-2 mutant lines will facilitate studies on the involvement of BAK1 in immune responses in wheat, while ta-eif4e and ta-eif(iso)4e mutant lines have the potential to become a source of resistance to wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV) and wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV), both of which are important pathogens of wheat. As winter wheat varieties are generally less amenable to genetic transformation, the successful experimental methodology for transformation and genome editing in winter wheat presented in this study will be of interest to the research community working with this crop.

Kanolada (Brassica napus L.) Farklı Ekim Zamanı, Çeşit ve Tohumluk Miktarının Verim ve Kalite Özelliklerine Etkisi

This study was carried out to determine the effect of different sowing dates and seeding rate on seed yield, oil and protein contents of seed in two rapeseed cultivars in the field of experiment and application of Aydin Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Agriculture during 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. The experiment was the split-split-plot design with 4 replications. The sowing dates, cultivars and seeding rates were arranged to main, sub and sub-sub plots, respectively. This experiment was conducted applying two sowing dates (early and late), two winter type cultivars (NK Petrol and NK Caravel) and five seeding rates (3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 kg ha-1). The early sowing date and 7.0 kg ha-1 seeding rate given the highest seed yield for both cultivars based on two-year results. The interaction between sowing dates and cultivars for crude oil rate was significant, and the highest crude oil rate was recorded in NK Petrol cultivar (43.34 - 43.54%) at the first sowing date in both years. Non-significant protein content for all factors and interactions varied from 19.10% to 23.72%. Finally, it was recommended the earliest possible sowing with 7.0 kg ha-1 seeding rate for seed yield and quality in winter rapeseed growing. Moreover, it was recommended that NK Petrol for early sowing dates and NK Caravel for late sowing dates should be used as a cultivar.

A Preliminary Study on the Use of Bishop’s Formula for the Prediction of Wheat Malt Extract

By using Bishop’s formula to assess calculated extract potential of wheat grains at the stage of wholesale purchase of the material, it could be possible to determine the quality from the viewpoint of the brewing industry. Based on this, buyers could rapidly assess the material before purchase and malt-houses could optimize the technological process. This study examined the feasibility of Bishop’s formula (originally designed to identify calculated extract of malting barley) being applied to measure the calculated extract of wheat. For this purpose, ten winter cultivars of common hexaploid wheats, grown in 2019, were selected for the study. The variables applied included the cultivar and the plumpness of the wheat grains. The grains were sorted into size 2.5-2.8 mm and size > 2.8 mm for the study of nitrogen content and 1,000 grain weight (TGW). The wheat was malted and five-day laboratory malts were obtained. The Congress mashing protocol was carried out and the actual extract of the wheat malts was determined based on the extract produced in that specific process. The actual extract values were compared to the calculated extract according to Bishop (statistical analysis). Small statistical differences were observed between the calculated and the actual extract of the wheat malts, however more research is needed to determine if Bishop’s formula is as useful for wheat as it is for barley malt.

Registration of ‘SB255’ winter barley

Abstract‘SB255’ (Reg. no. CV‐373, PI 693987) is a six‐rowed hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar with winter growth habit. The cultivar was released by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station in May 2019. SB255 is widely adapted, high yielding, high grain volume weight, and medium tall. It has good winterhardiness and good straw strength. The spikes of SB255 are strap and slightly waxy with no overlapping lateral kernels and with long awns. Prior to being named, SB255 was tested under the experimental designation VA11B‐141 (LA). It was derived from the cross Spont03‐44/VA01B‐44 and developed using a modified‐bulk breeding method. It was evaluated from 2013 to 2019 in the Virginia Official Variety Trials at five to six locations. SB255's average grain yield (5,214 kg ha–1) was similar to the check cultivars ‘Secretariat’ and ‘Thoroughbred’ but significantly (P ≤ .05) higher than ‘Atlantic’, ‘Price’, ‘Callao’, ‘Nomini’, and ‘Wysor’. Average grain volume weight of SB255 (60.8 kg hL–1) was similar to Secretariat and Price but exceeded (P ≤ 0.05) those of Thoroughbred, Atlantic, Callao, Nomini, and Wysor. Head emergence of SB255 was similar to Thoroughbred and 2–5 d later than winter feed barley cultivars Secretariat, Atlantic, Price, Callao, and Nomini. SB255 was developed primarily as a feed barley cultivar. It provides barley producers and end users in the eastern United States with a high‐grain‐yielding cultivar having good to moderate resistance to all diseases prevalent in the eastern United States, including Fusarium head blight (FHB), and also lower deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation in the grain.

Assessment of potential winter hardiness in winter bread wheat cultivars and genotypes by analyzing autofluorescence in seedling tissues

Background.Winter crops are the most productive component of agricultural biocenoses. In Russia, winter wheat suffers the greatest losses in winter, so a search for traits marking high or low winter hardiness in autumn-sown genotypes, including improved cultivars, is needed to assess their potential for overwintering. One of such markers of high winter hardiness is an increased lignin content in plant tissues. The terminal enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway of metabolism, wherein lignin components are formed, is cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD, EC 1.1.1.195). In plants, the CAD enzyme is one of the links in the aromatic metabolism, which generates, in addition to lignin, a number of aromatic compounds, such as lignans, aromatic glycosides, etc. Many of these compounds, like lignin, contain chromophore groups and are capable of autofluorescence.Correlations of the genotypes that incorporate CAD1-F with overwintering are studied in this work.Materials and methods.The winter bread wheat cultivars ‘Zitnica’ (Yugoslavia) and ‘Novosibirskaya 9’ (ICG SB RAS, Russia), contrasting in winter hardiness and CAD isozyme spectra, their hybrids, and 28 improved winter cultivars developed in Krasnodar were selected for the study. Fluorescence analysis of 28 winter wheat cultivars was also performed. Correlation coefficients between fluorescence and frost tolerance were calculated using the results of the analysis of 7 most contrasting cultivars.Conclusions. The tested winter bread wheat genotypes demonstrated the interplay between CAD1-F and successful overwintering: a correlation was found in the genotypes carrying the 00 CAD1-F allele with higher percentage of overwintered plants. This dependence was not observed in every season. The analysis of seedling sections for fluorescence can also be used for preliminary assessment of winter tolerance in winter bread wheat under laboratory conditions.

In planta Genome Editing in Commercial Wheat Varieties.

Limitations for the application of genome editing technologies on elite wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties are mainly due to the dependency on in vitro culture and regeneration capabilities. Recently, we developed an in planta particle bombardment (iPB) method which has increased process efficiency since no culture steps are required to create stably genome-edited wheat plants. Here, we report the application of the iPB method to commercially relevant Japanese elite wheat varieties. The biolistic delivery of gold particles coated with plasmids expressing CRISPR/Cas9 components designed to target TaQsd1 were bombarded into the embryos of imbibed seeds with their shoot apical meristem (SAM) exposed. Mutations in the target gene were subsequently analyzed within flag leaf tissue by using cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) analysis. A total of 9/358 (2.51%) of the bombarded plants (cv. “Haruyokoi,” spring type) carried mutant alleles in the tissue. Due to the chimeric nature of the T0 plants, only six of them were inherited to the next (T1) generation. Genotypic analysis of the T2 plants revealed a single triple-recessive homozygous mutant of the TaQsd1 gene. Compared to wild type, the homozygous mutant exhibited a 7 days delay in the time required for 50% seed germination. The iPB method was also applied to two elite winter cultivars, “Yumechikara” and “Kitanokaori,” which resulted in successful genome editing at slightly lower efficiencies as compared to “Haruyokoi.” Taken together, this report demonstrates that the in planta genome editing method through SAM bombardment can be applicable to elite wheat varieties that are otherwise reluctant to callus culture.

Influence of UV Radiation on Physical and Biological Properties of Rapeseed in Pre Sowing Treatment

A The effect of ultraviolet radiation on pre-sowing treatment of seeds of the winter cultivar Lembke and cultivars treated with fungicides DK EXODUS, DK Exquisite and DK Exprit was studied. Experimental studies show a positive effect of UV irradiation in pre-sowing treatment of winter rapeseeds on seed vigour and germination, both when irradiated in region C (200-280 nm) and in region B (280-320 nm). It was found that UV radiation has a positive effect on the sowing qualities of winter rapeseeds varieties Lembke and DK EXODUS (treated with fungicides) when irradiated with a dose of 120 J/m2 : seed vigour increased by 11% in the variety DK EXODUS and 16.9% in the variety Lembke, germination on average by 13% compared to control samples. At doses of 250 and 500 J/m2 , a decrease in the sowing quality of seeds is observed. The main parameters of kinetic values of hydration were determined: moisture content and hydration rate. It was found that the rate of hydration increased sharply in the initial phase and gradually and slowly decreased in the middle and final phases of the hydration procedure, respectively, in order to achieve a saturated moisture content. Irradiated seeds at a dose of 120 J/m2 showed a higher rate of water absorption than the control, both in the early and later stages of the hydration procedure. It is established that UV-C irradiation changes the kinetics of water absorption by B. napus seeds at low doses of irradiation, causing faster penetration of water into the seeds and more efficient hydration of tissues, positively affecting sowing qualities and biometrics. It has been suggested that water uptake by UV-irradiated B. napus seeds causes excessive imbibition damage at higher doses of UV radiation, as the germination potential decreases and improves at low doses. No significant changes in biometric parameters were detected during UV irradiation of rapeseed varieties DK Exquisite and DK Exprit treated with fungicides and dyes.

Biochemicalassessment of winter apple cultivars introduced for replenishing the gene resources collections in the conditions of Southern Dagestan

Biochemicalassessment of winter apple cultivars introduced for replenishing the gene resources collections in the conditions of Southern Dagestan

Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Phloretin and Other Phenolic Compounds from Apple Tree Leaves (Malus domestica Borkh.) and Comparison of Different Cultivars from Estonia

Polyphenolic compounds, plant secondary metabolites essential for plant survival, are known for their high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, several polyphenols, such as phloretin, also have potential antiviral effects, making these compounds potential ingredients of biofunctional foods. A promising source for the extraction of phloretin is a by-product of apple production—apple tree leaves. Focusing on green technologies, the first aim of the present study was to optimize the direct ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions to gain the maximum yield of phloretin from air-dried apple leaves. For the optimization of process parameters, we applied the response surface method with Box–Behnken design. The optimal extraction conditions were extraction time 14.4 min, sonication amplitude 10% and 10 g of sample per 100 mL solvent (70% ethanol, w/w). Using these conditions, we assessed the content of individual and total polyphenolic compounds along with antioxidant activity in the leaves of different autumn and winter apple cultivars grown in Estonia. The analyses were carried out with chromatographic (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) and spectrophotometric methods. The phloretin concentration ranged from 292 to 726 µg/g and antioxidant activity from 6.06 to 11.42 mg GA eq./g, these being the highest in the local winter cultivars ‘Paide taliõun’ and ‘Tellissaare’, respectively.

Comparative proteomics analysis reveals the molecular mechanism of enhanced cold tolerance through ROS scavenging in winter rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Two winter rapeseed cultivars, "NS" (cold tolerant) and "NF" (cold sensitive), were used to reveal the morphological, physiological, and proteomic characteristics in leaves of plants after treatment at -4°C for 12 h(T1) and 24 h(T2), and at room temperature(T0), to understand the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance. Antioxidant activity and osmotic adjustment ability were higher, and plasma membrane injury was less obvious, in NS than in NF under cold stress. We detected different abundant proteins (DAPs) related to cold tolerance in winter rapeseed through data-independent acquisition (DIA). Compared with NF, A total of 1,235 and 1,543 DAPs were identified in the NSs under T1 and T2, respectively. Compared with NF, 911 proteins were more abundant in NS only after cold treatment. Some of these proteins were related to ROS scavenging through four metabolic pathways: lysine degradation; phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan; flavonoid biosynthesis; and ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis. Analysis of these proteins in the four candidate pathways revealed that they were rapidly accumulated to quickly enhance ROS scavenging and improve the cold tolerance of NS. These proteins were noticeably more abundant during the early stage of cold stress, which was critical for avoiding ROS damage.

Correlations Between Yield and Several Traits in a Set of Winter Peas Cultivars

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) has long been an important component of the human diet, providing an excellent source of protein. Twenty four winter peas cultivars of different origins were tested, along with one spring cultivar, under conditions of South-eastern part of Romania, during 2017-2019 period. The objective of the study was to analyze correlations between yield and several plant traits, and to assess possibilities of combining high yield with suitable winter hardiness, earliness, protein content and thousand grains weight (TGW) in lines selected in the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI) Fundulea breeding program from crosses between winter and spring cultivars. Statistical analysis showed that environment (years) was the most important driving factor for the studied agronomic traits. Nevertheless, differences among cultivars were significant when tested against the GxE interaction, for all traits, except winter hardiness, the latest maturing cultivars (originated from USA) yielded less under studied conditions, but the correlation between vegetation period and yield was positive for European cultivars and Fundulea lines. Our results suggested that the most winter hardy cultivars had smaller grains. Yield and TGW had a highly significant negative correlation with protein content when the two American cultivars were included, but the correlation was not significant in the European cultivars and Fundulea lines. Some winter peas lines, derived from winter x spring crosses, combined high yield with good levels of winter hardiness, earliness TGW and protein content.

Winter dawn strawberry cultivar- suitable for commercial cultivation in Assam

Winter dawn strawberry cultivar- suitable for commercial cultivation in Assam

Characterization of Checo/F95-927 pea (Pisum sativum L.) population for winter frost tolerance using molecular markers

Winter pea has several advantages on spring pea: higher yield, more rapid spring growth that helps this crop to compete weeds, wider growing area, etc. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the association of some molecular markers with frost tolerance of pea. Forty-one pea recombinant inbred lines (RILs), from F5 generation, obtained by crossing the winter cultivar Checo with the spring line F95-927 were examined during this work both by in vitro (molecular markers analysis) and in field experiments. The results obtained showed a significant correlation betweeen frost tolerance and molecular markers EST1109 and AD59. Also, it has been found that the molecular marker AD159 is associated with earliness character. These associated markers could play an essential role in marker-assisted breeding for winter-hardy pea cultivars.