Yield Related Components Research Articles

Haricot Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> L.) Varieties Adaptation Trial in Buno Bedele and Ilu Ababor Zones, South West Oromia

Haricot bean is one of the most economically important pulse crops cultivated in Ethiopia. However, its average yield reported at national level remains far below the potential yield to be attained. This is partly due to low soil fertility management, inappropriate agronomic packages and diseases and pest problems and lack of improved varieties. Hence, this experiment was conducted with the objectives of to test the performance of released improved Haricot bean varieties on yield and yield related components and Insect and disease resistant varieties for the study at Western parts of Oromia. The experiment was conducted in Buno Bedele (D/Hana) and Ilu Ababor (Bure) districts during 2020 to 2021 cropping season. Nine (9) improved Haricot bean varieties were used as testing materials. The experimental design was RCBD with three replications. Data were collected on six quantitative morphological traits like days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, number of seed per pod, pod length and grain yields. Analyses of data revealed significant varietal differences (P<0.05) in grain yield, days to 50% flowering, days to 95% maturity, seed per pod and for plant height. However, no significant varietal differences were observed in Number of pods per plant. SER 119 and SER 125 varieties were significantly yielder than the rest and recommended as promising variety under the study area. Therefore, these two varieties are recommended for demonstration and further scaling up.

The Use of Low-Cost Drone and Multi-Trait Analysis to Identify High Nitrogen Use Lines for Wheat Improvement

Breeding for nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is becoming more important as global uncertainty makes the production and application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers more expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Despite this, most cereal breeding programs still use yield-related components as proxies for NUE, likely due to the prohibitive cost and time of collecting and analyzing samples through traditional lab-based methods. Drone-based NUE phenotyping provides a viable and scalable alternative as it is quicker, non-destructive, and consistent. Here, we present a study that utilized financially accessible cost-effective drones mounted with red-green-blue (RGB) image sensors coupled with the open-source AirMeasurer platform and advanced statistical analysis to exclude low-NUE lines in multi-seasonal field experiments. The method helped us to identify high N agronomic use efficiency lines but was less effective with a high N recovery efficiency line. We found that the drone-powered approach was very effective at 180 kg N per hectare (N180, an optimized N-rate) as it completely removed low-NUE wheat lines in the trial, which would facilitate breeders to quickly reduce the number of lines taken through multi-year breeding programs. Hence, this encouraging and scalable approach demonstrates its ability to conduct NUE phenotyping in wheat. With continuous refinements in field experiments, this method would be employable as an openly accessible platform to identify NUE lines at different N-rates for breeding and resource use efficiency studies in wheat.

Phenotypic characterization of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) induced bigger pod (bp) with multiple seed mutant in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Lentils (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a protein- and nutrient-rich crop with limited genetic diversity and climate adaptability, making it ideal for mutation breeding research. Hence, in this study, we aimed to select and characterize distinct mutations in the flower and pod traits of lentil crops for enhanced yield and yield stability. In this study, healthy and viable lentil seeds were mutagenized using different concentrations of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) (0.10%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1.0%). The mutagenized lentil populations were cultivated up to the third generation (M3) to identify stable mutations in the flower and pod structures with increasing plant height. The notably larger 'bigger pod’ (bp) mutant, characterized by its unusually large pods containing 6–7 seeds per pod, was meticulously studied and quantified for its morphological traits in subsequent generations. Morphological observations of the tall bp mutant revealed significant mutations induced by EMS (0.10%) treatment. The quantitative trait means and confidence intervals showed that the mutant and parent cultivar L-4076 exhibited considerable variation. Seed yield (g) and yield-related components, including pods per plant, pod length (cm), and seeds per pod, were significantly higher in the mutant. Seed yield exhibited a significant positive phenotypic correlation with pod length, followed by branches per plant, seeds per pod, plant height, and pods per plant. The novel bp mutant induced in the present study produced increased number of seeds per plant and ensured optimal resource utilization, thus possibly contributing to yield improvement and stability. Further, it also aided in understanding the genetic networks that control legume flower and pod architecture and in genomics-assisted breeding for the development of superior lentil cultivars.

Introgression of OsAP47 by marker-assisted selection enhanced resistance against southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus disease

Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus disease (SRBSDVD) is the most destructive viral disease in rice. In order to breeding resistant cultivars, Insertion-Deletion (InDel) markers were developed linked to OsAP47, the first isolated major resistance gene against SRBSDVD. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) was conducted to introduce this gene into the commercial variety. A rice line carrying homozygous resistance allele of OsAP47 was selected and named Kanghei No. 201 (KH201). Evaluated by artificial inoculation, KH201 showed significantly higher resistance than the recurrent parent Suxiu No.867 (SX867). And no significant differences were detected for KH201 in the yield-related components, including spikelets per panicle (SPP), ripened grains per panicle (RGPP), 1000-grain weight (TGW) and panicles per square meter (PPSM), leading to stable theoretical yield. The results indicated that introgression of OsAP47 improved rice resistance and can avoid yield losses produced by SRBSDVD. KH201 was demonstrated as a resistance material that could be used in rice breeding.

Genetic Variability and Association Studies in Germplasm Accessions and Land Races of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is described as the ‘King of Cereals’ is a leading cereal crop which plays a crucial role in feeding the hungry world and improving global food security. Understanding the contribution of yield components to the variation of grain yield is essential for designing breeding programs and increasing grain production. A diversity panel of 200 genotypes including 145 accessions and 55 landraces of wheat were evaluated in Augmented Design for genetic variability and correlation between grain yield and yield related components. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits except chlorophyll fluorescence. The highest phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were recorded for effective number of tillers metre-1 followed by biological yield row-1, flag leaf length, grain yield row-1. Heritability coupled with genetic advance percent of mean was high for effective number of tillers metre-1, followed by biological yield row-1, flag leaf length, grain yield row-1. Association studies revealed a highly significant and positive association of grain yield row-1 with biological yield row-1 (0.805), 1000-grain weight (0.476), effective number of tillers metre-1 (0.328), flag leaf width (0.137) and harvest index (0.133) whereas, it showed a significant negative association with days to maturity (-0.304) and days to 50% heading, (-0.291). The study revealed that days to maturity, days to heading, 1000-grain weight and effective number of tillers metre-1 could be considered the most appropriate traits for improvement and selection of trait to achieve stable and high yielding early wheat genotypes.

Yield components affected by rice black-streaked dwarf virus disease in rice cultivars with different resistance levels.

Rice black-streaked dwarf virus disease (RBSDVD) is one of the most destructive rice viral diseases, leading to severe yield losses in rice production. However, little is known about the yield-related components associated with the disease and no resistance cultivars have been successfully used in rice breeding. Seven rice cultivars were analyzed in this study, including six commercial rice varieties and a new line Zhongjian No. 201 (ZJ201) containing the resistance gene OsAP47. Resistance levels of these cultivars were evaluated by artificial inoculation and yield components were collected, including panicle length (PL), spikelets per panicle (SPP), ripened grains per panicle (RGPP), as well as panicles per square meter (PPSM) and 1000-grain weight (TGW). Seed setting rate (SSR) were calculated with the data of SPP and RGPP. The results showed that ZJ201 displayed the highest resistance level and most of the commercial rice cultivars exhibited susceptible to RBSDVD. Yields of all the rice cultivars were significantly declined except ZJ201 and yield losses produced by RBSDVD were mainly due to the reduction of PL, SPP, RGPP, and TGW, suggesting that developments of these traits are associated with RBSDV infection. Resistant rice cultivar could reduce yield losses by maintaining normal development of these traits. Significant correlations were identified between resistance levels and the yield components except SSR and PPSM. The results provided useful clues for understanding the mechanisms of RBSDV invasion and its effect on rice production. ZJ201 was demonstrated as a resistance material that could be used in rice breeding.

Determination of Optimum Level of Seeding Rate of Silver Leaf Desmodim Intercropping with Desho Grass for Dry Matter Yield and Yield-Related Components in Western Ethiopia

Compatible production of forage grasses and legumes through intercropping is one of the best options to achieve higher biomass yield and forage quality for animal production in areas where land and other resources are scarce. This study was conducted in 2017 and 2018 with the aim of evaluating the best-match level of seeding rate of silverleaf desmodium (SLD) intercropped with desho grass (Pennisetum pedicellatum) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatment consists of three levels of seeding rate of SLD (2, 4, and 6 kg ha−1) and one pure plot of each species. The result of this study showed that the intercropping of 6 kg ha−1 SLD with 100% of desho’s recommended plant population (50,000 plants ha−1) produced the highest forage dry matter yield and maximum plant height. The total dry matter yield (TDMY) of the intercrops was also significantly varied for the tested treatments. Accordingly, 6 kg ha−1 of SLD intercropped with 100% recommended seed rate of desho ha−1 gave the highest forage TDMY, which surpasses both the grass and legume yields in monoculture. The total land equivalent ratio (LER), which shows system productivity, was also different among the treatments. About 6 kg ha−1 of SLD intercropped with 100% recommended seed rate of desho also produced the highest LER (1.51). Thus, in Bako and similar agro-climatic conditions, where arable land is heavily covered with food crops, desho grass intercropping with SLD can be used as one of the best strategic options for producing feeds of energy and protein sources simultaneously on the same area of land.

SSR Genotyping and Marker-Trait Association with Yield Components in a Kazakh Germplasm Collection of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Genetic diversity and marker-trait association with yield-related components were assessed in 39 chickpea accessions from a germplasm collection with either spring or autumn-sown seeds in South-Eastern Kazakhstan. Chickpea accessions originated from Azerbaijan, Germany, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine, Syria, and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Eleven SSR markers were used for molecular genotyping. Yield and yield components were evaluated in nine traits in experiments with spring and autumn seed sowing. The number of alleles of polymorphic markers varied from 2 to 11. The greatest polymorphism was found in the studied chickpea genotypes using SSR marker TA22 (11 alleles), while NCPGR6 and NCPGR12 markers were monomorphic. In the studied chickpea accessions, unique alleles of the SSR loci TA14, TA46, TA76s, and TA142 were found that were not previously described by other authors. An analysis of correlation relationships between yield-related traits in chickpea revealed the dependence of yield on plant height, branching, and the setting of a large number of beans. These traits showed maximal values in experiments with chickpea plants from autumn seed sowing. An analysis of the relationship between the SSR markers applied and morphological yield-related traits revealed several informative markers associated with important traits, such as plant height, height to first pod, number of branches, number of productive nodes, number of pods per plant, hundred seed weight, seed weight per plant, and seed yield.

Twice-Split Phosphorus Application Alleviates Low Temperature Stress by Improving Root Physiology and Phosphorus Accumulation, Translocation, and Partitioning in Wheat

In the context of global warming, low temperature (LT) disasters in major crops are also becoming more common. LT stress in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, the central wheat region in China, caused a massive reduction in wheat yields. A step towards ensuring wheat yield stability and food security, this study investigated the effects of optimizing phosphorus application on the root physiology, dry matter phosphorus accumulation, translocation, and partitioning of wheat under LT stress, using the representative cultivar Yannong 19 as the test material. The treatments included conventional phosphorus application (R1) and twice-split phosphorus application (R2), followed by −4 °C LT treatment and normal temperature (NT) treatment during the anther interval stage. Analysis of the root physiology (enzymatic activities and acid phosphatase, contents of malondialdehyde, soluble sugar, and soluble protein), phosphorus and dry matter accumulation, translocation, partitioning, and agronomic and yield-related components was carried during this research study. The results showed that the wheat root activity was significantly reduced and the antioxidant enzyme activities were increased to mitigate the damage of LT stress. Moreover, LT treatments damaged root function. The root activity and antioxidant properties were significantly lower than those of the NT treatment at the flowering stage. The dry matter and phosphorus accumulations were reduced by 30.6~33.6% and 15.1~21.3% at the flowering and maturity stages, resulting in final yield losses of 10.3~13.0%. In contrast, root activity increased by 16.1~27.2% in the twice-split phosphorus application treatments, and the root antioxidant characteristics were higher. As a result, dry matter and phosphorus accumulation increased after twice-split phosphorus application and their translocation to the grains was more; the final yield increased by 5.5~7.3%. Overall, the twice-split phosphorus application enhanced the physiological function of the root system and promoted the accumulation of nutrients and their transport to the grain, and alleviated the yield loss of wheat caused by LT stress.

DISCOVERING THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF SELENIUM TO ALLEVIATE DROUGHT STRESS IN BARLEY (HORDEUM VULGARE L.) VIA PHYSIOLOGICAL INTERFERENCES

Drought stress is a significant environmental issue that directly impacts plant growth and development by limiting water availability and affecting the overall health of plants. However, innovative solutions are needed to protect plant health and productivity against this significant environmental issue by using all available techniques. By considering this major issue, the pot study aimed to check the potential of foliar application of selenium @ 10mM on various morphological, physiological, and yield aspects of two barley cultivars viz. Jau-17 and Sultan-17 under three different field capacities, including 100%, 75%, and 50% FC, respectively. The results showed maximum plant growth reduction was noticed at 50% FC in both barley cultivars. Interestingly, selenium helped to boost proline content, relative water content (RWC), SPAD chlorophyll, leaf area index (LAI) while it helped to decrease excised leaf water lose (ELWL), membrane thermostability index (MTSI) under drought stress conditions. In addition, various plant morphological and yield-related components were improved by selenium application under drought conditions. Among cultivars, Jau-17 gave the best results in stress tolerance. Conclusively, it is suggested to check the potential of selenium in field conditions under drought stress, especially in rainfed areas.

Principal component analysis of yield related component of tropical wheat varieties grown under different irrigation regimes in Bauchi State, Nigeria.

Wheat is a globally cereal crop with a lot of utilities and nutritional values. The production of wheat is seriously reduced by water stress. In Nigeria, wheat is produced mostly using irrigation system in the Northern parts of the country, as such there is a need to investigate the optimum irrigation regime of wheat crop and also study the response of the crop to water stress with the goal of determining the main components for yield contributing traits. The study was carried out in Bauchi, Nigeria's savannah zone, during the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 dry farming seasons. Ten tropical wheat varieties were grown in the field using a split plot design with three replications under three irrigation watering regimes. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences in all the thirteen traits observed among the varieties. There were mean differences (p<0.05) between the varieties. The principal component analysis (PCA) results revealed that the first five principal components (PC) explained over 98% of the total variability. The number of grains per spike, spike length, and thousand grain weight were all positively related to grain yield and had a high PC 1 score, indicating high variation. The highest yielders were KAUZ-9, ATTILA-7 and TEVEE'S, while the lowest was SERI-82. It is recommended that when screening wheat lines in tropical areas, thousand grain weight, number of grains per spike, and spike length should be emphasized, as well as the correlation between the thirteen traits.

Phenotypic Characterization of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Germplasm to Develop the High Yielding Breeding Resource in Bangladesh

A study was conducted with 28 tomato germplasm/variety at the Olericulture Division of Horticulture Research Centre, BARI, during the winter season of 2021-22 to evaluate the yield and yield related components. There was significant variability observed among the 28 tomato germplasm varieties. Significant variation was observed in the number of fruits per plant and single fruit weight, while the range was 15-52 and 23-97g, respectively. In this study, eleven germplasms produced more than 70.00 t/ha, with SLA34 producing the highest yield (95.24 t/ha), followed by SLA15-7 (91.24 t/ha), SLA15-1B (86.63 t/ha), SLA36 (85.47t/ha), BARI Tomato-15 (81.35 t/ha), SLA15-6 (79.43t/ha), SLA15-1 (77.22 t/ha). The range of yield was obtained from 26.57-95.24 t/ha. The range of TSS was 2.9% (SLA20) to 6.5% (SLA34), while higher TSS contained germplasm were viz., SLA34 (6.5%), SLA15-5, SLA15-6 (5.2%), SLA15, SLA32 (5.1%). Significant variation was observed for TYLCV infection and leaf-sucking pest infestation, which varied from 0–10% and 0–20%, respectively. Considering yield and yield contributing parameters, the germplasm viz., SLA34, SLA15-7, SLA15-1B, SLA36, SLA15-6, SLA30, SLA15-1, SLA15-4, SLA27, SLA15, SLA32, and SLA11 may be investigated further for developing better tomato varieties.

The Effect of Honeybee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) Pollination on Seed Yield and Yield Components of <i>Brassica carinata A. Braun Shaya</i> Variety in Highland of Bale, South-Eastern Ethiopia

Pollination is the most important ecosystem service provided by insects. The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of honeybee pollination on seed yield and yield related components of Brassica carinata Shaya variety at the highland of Bale (2020 to 2022). The study had three treatments; which includes crops caged with honeybees, crops caged without honeybees, and open pollinated with five replications. The experimental design was arranged in RCBD. All collected data were statistically analyzed using one way ANOVA using Gen-Stat software. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) on flowering periods, number of pod per plant, number of seed per pod, and thousands seed weights. Whereas, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in date flowering, number of primary branches, and secondary branches among treatments. The highest seed yield had observed in crops caged with honeybees (24.01quintal/ha) followed by open pollinated crops (19.91quintal/ha), whereas crops excluded from insect pollinators showed the least (17.08 quintals/ha. The result revealed that crops caged with honeybees and open pollinations had 34.8% and 16.57% seed yield advantage respectively over crops excluded from insect pollinators. Therefore, it is important to keep a sufficient number of honeybee colonies nearby the field of B. carinata during flowering periods to boost seed production and productivity in similar agro-ecologies. Further study could be required to evaluate honey bee colonies carrying capacity of the <i>B. carinata</i>.

Evaluation of sorghum genotypes and influence of weather variables on anthracnose (Colletotrichum sublineolum) disease development under field conditions at Jimma, southwestern Ethiopia

The severity and temporal dynamics of sorghum anthracnose on six and nine sorghum genotypes were evaluated on field plots during 2014 and 2015 cropping years in Southwestern Ethiopia, respectively. Anthracnose severity was assessed as the proportion of leaf area affected by the disease. 12 consecutive time point anthracnose severity assessments and their mean severity, disease progress rate, AUDPC, grain yield and yield related components were used to evaluate the response of the genotypes. In the year 2014 and 2015, the mean anthracnose severity was varying from 65 to 79 PSI and 54–82 PSI among six and nine sorghum genotypes, respectively. AUDPC varied from 5063 to 6113%-day and 4171 to 6383%-day in the year 2014 and 2015, respectively. BRC-378 and BRC-245 genotypes consistently had the lowest disease levels and highest grain yields during the two experimental years. The disease pressure was reduced, whereas grain yield and 1000-seed weight of the genotypes were increased in 2015 cropping year. Anthracnose severity was strongly correlated with weather variables and showed strong negative associations with grain yield of all tested sorghum genotypes.

Mutagenic effect of gamma rays and EMS on agronomical traits of niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.)

This study was conducted to augment genetic variability in niger plant (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) using gamma rays and ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) Niger (G. abyssinica) seeds of cultivar N-71 were exposed to various doses of gamma rays which ranged from 24 to 28 KR and different concentrations of EMS which ranged from 0.2 to 0.4% and in combination. Morphogenic and agronomic traits in the M1 and M2 generations that analyzed included: percentage of germination and survival, plant height, number of branches, capitulum size, number of ray florets per capitulum, number of disc florets per capitulum, head size, number of capitula per plant, number of seeds per capitulum, seed yield per plant and 1000-seed weight. The results of the present study showed that the three gamma irradiation doses used (24, 26 and 28 KR) had decreasing effect in most of the agronomic and morphological traits evaluated in M1. However, combination treatments like 24 KR+0.2% EMS and 26KR+0.4% EMS showed a noteworthy increase of grain yield and yield related components. In general, for the three irradiation doses in M1 population, there were no significant changes observed in morphological traits, however, in progenies of collective mutagenic treated seeds some potential high-yielding mutants were identified.

Impact of Agromorphological Quantitative Traits Towards Divergence of Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Landraces

Background Rice Landraces has a never deniable Importance in agriculture because existing variety improvement and future breeding program depends on the desirable genes present in the landraces only. Landraces can be selected on the basis of various morphological parameters. So, assessment, analysis and documentation are very much essential. Methods In this review, authors searched various different databases to study the morphological diversity and relationship within the landraces. Observational and Interventional studies of Rice landraces and morphological markers are included in this review studies. Results In an efficient breeding technique, selecting important characters on the basis of detailed information and association patterns between the yield and yield related components is very significant for crop up-gradation. To understand the genetic variability between enviable landraces, presence of genetic divergence in the landraces is essential and it guides to successful exploitation of landraces in breeding program. In this study it is revealed that there are significant interrelationships among yield and yield related characters where the yield related traits applied their direct and indirect effect through other traits for improving grain yield/hectare. Conclusions An extensive amount of variation was recorded for maximum characters within the genotypes studied which indicate that the selection on the basis of these characters is imagined to be effectives. Characterization of rice landraces expressed distinctiveness among the rice landraces. It is very much important for utilizing the proper characteristic in breeding programmes and also important in the present time for protecting the landraces of rice.

The potentiality of biostimulant (Lawsonia inermis L.) on some morpho-physiological, biochemical traits, productivity and grain quality of Triticum aestivum L.

BackgroundIn conformity with the international trend to substitute the artificial agro-chemicals by natural products to improve growth and productivity of crops, there is a necessity to focus on the environment sustainable and eco-friendly resources to increase crops productivity per unit area. One of these resources is the use of biostimulants. The aim of this study is to allow the vertical expansion of wheat crop by improving its growth and productivity per unit area as well as enhancing its grain quality using henna leaf extract as a biostimulant.ResultsField study was conducted to evaluate the potentiality of different doses of henna leaf extract (HLE) for improving the performance of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) at three development stages. Results revealed that the response was dose dependent hence both 0.5 and 1.0 g/L doses significantly enhanced the growth of shoot and root systems, biochemical traits, yield and yield related components with being 1.0 g/L the most effective one. Furthermore, 1.0 g/L HLE markedly enhanced the quality of the yielded grains as revealed by increasing the content of soluble sugars (23%), starch (19%), gluten (50%), soluble proteins (37%), amylase activity (27%), total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins (67, 87 and 23%, respectively) as well as some elements including Ca (184%), Na and Fe (10%). Also, HPLC analysis of grains revealed that 1.0 g/L dose significantly increased the level of different phytohormones, soluble sugars and flavonoids (quercetin, resveratrol and catechin).ConclusionApplication of Henna (Lawsonia inermis) leaf extract at 1.0 g/L dose as a combination of seed priming and foliar spray can be recommended as a nonpolluting, inexpensive promising biostimulant, it can effectively enhance wheat growth, biochemical traits and productivity as well as improving the quality of the yielded grains.

Mitigating Ammonia Volatilization without Compromising Yield and Quality of Rice through the Application of Controlled-Release, Phosphorus-Blended Fertilizers

Ammonia (NH3) volatilization from paddy fields is a major issue which leads to poor fertilizer use efficiency and is considered a severe threat to the atmosphere. The previous research studies gave importance to the use of nitrogen fertilizers to mitigate NH3 volatilization, while very little emphasis was given to the role of other fertilizers, such as phosphorus (P), for the alleviation of NH3 volatilization in rice fields. Considering P importance herein, we conducted two consecutive field experiments using an innovative, controlled-release, phosphorus-blended fertilizer (CRPBF, with levels CRP0, CRP1, and CRP2). We compared CP0 (in which no fertilizer was applied), CP1 (112.5 kg P ha−1 P of locally recommended fertilizers), and CP2: (P and K blended fertilizers) to determine the best possible way to reduce NH3 volatilization without affecting the yield and quality of rice. The results of the study suggested that the yield of rice increased significantly with the application of CRP1 (11.11 t ha−1) and CRP2 (11.99 t ha−1). The addition of CRP1 and CRP2 to the rice field also enhanced yield-related components, i.e., panicle weight, total spikelets per unit area, spikelets per panicle, and above-ground biomass. CRP0 showed a lower yield and related components when compared to CP2. The addition of CRP1 and CRP2 demonstrated lower protein contents when compared to other treatments. The CRPBF application improved starch content and taste scores, and reduced the chalkiness of the rice grain during both years. The results showed a decreasing trend in NH3 volatilization from CRPBF amendments by improving the nitrogen use efficiency traits when compared to other treatments: CRP2, CRP1, and CRP0 reduced NH3 volatilization by 45%, 35%, and 15%, respectively. The results of this study indicate that, due to the episodic nature of NH3 volatilization, CRPBFs with 50% P and 100% P can markedly reduce NH3 volatilization from paddy fields without compromising the yield and quality of the crop, and could be a promising alternative to the ordinary commercial fertilizers used in rice fields.

A Trade-Off between the Growing Performance and Sowing Density of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under Fertigation in an Arid Saline Area

Sunflower is one of the pioneer crops cultivated in salt-affected arid areas. The influences of sowing density on the growth performance of this crop under fertigation conditions have not been well studied. This study arranged four sowing density treatments, 41,667, 35,714, 31,250, and 27,778 plants ha−1, marked as D30, D35, D40, and D45, respectively, to reveal the relationships between soil salinity, growth performance, and sowing density under drip fertigation conditions. The results showed that the electrical conductivity of saturated paste extracts (ECe) decreased during the growing seasons but increased on the topsoil during the non-growing seasons in all of the treatments. The sowing densities had remarkable influences on the ECe in the 0–40 cm soil layer (ECe-40). The average ECe-40 during the two seasons for treatments D30–D45 correspondingly decreased by 7.0%, 33.9%, 11.1%, and 15.8% when compared to the original value. The soil pH in the 0–40 cm soil layer during the two seasons for treatments D30–D45 correspondingly decreased by −0.03, 0.20, 0.20, and 0.27 when compared to the original value. Increasing the spacing in the rows could promote the stem diameter, plant biomass, and proportion of biomass allocated underground. The yield and related yield components in this experiment under fertigation were significantly higher than those under surface irrigation. A sowing density between 31,250 and 35,714 plants ha−1 could ensure both the high yield and high morphological quality of the seeds, which could be recommended for sunflower cultivation under drip fertigation conditions.

Yield Performance and Pest Infestation of High-Temperature Tolerant Tomato (Lycopersicon Esculentum) Lines for Year-Round Tomato Production in Bangladesh

The study used 20 tomato lines/varieties at the Olericulture Division of the Horticulture Research Centre, BARI, Gazipur, Bangladesh during the summer season of 2021 to evaluate yield and yield-related components, as well as pest disease infestation. During the summer season, there was significant variation among the 20 tomato lines/varieties. The number of fruits per plant and single fruit weight ranged from 6.0 to 8.0 and 24.4g to 184.9g, respectively, while fruit length and diameter ranged from 2.2-11.6cm and 1.9-7.3cm, respectively. TSS ranged from 3.2 to 7.0 percent, with higher TSS contained lines being SLA-15 (7.0 percent), AVTO 1715 (6.3 percent), AVTO 1911 (6.0 percent), AVTO 1702 (5.6 percent), and SLA-05 (5.6 percent) (5.6 percent ). There was a significant difference in TYLCV infection and leaf sucking pest infestation, which ranged from 3.3–30 percent and 3.3–30 percent, respectively. Fruit yield ranged from 5.56-42.46 t/ha, with higher yielding lines being AVTO 1717, AVTO 1911, AVTO 1409, AVTO 1713, AVTO 1715, and AVTO 1921. Taking into account yield and yield contributing parameters, as well as pest disease infestation, the lines AVTO 1717, AVTO 1911, AVTO 1409, AVTO 1713, AVTO 1715, and AVTO 1921 may be selected further for developing better summer tomato varieties and inbred development.&nbsp;