Euphytica

Kong, Xinying; Ji, Shuwen; Liu, Yubo; Zhang, Xuecai; Liu, Meiling; Yue, Chen; Yang, Ruichen; Li, Cong; Dong, Xiaomei; Zhang, Ao; Ruan, Yanye

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03425-zpmid: N/A

Genomic selection (GS) is a cutting-edge breeding technology that enables the prediction and early selection of individuals based on genomic estimated breeding values by constructing predictive models. Double haploid (DH) technology has become an efficient method for producing inbred lines in maize, and when combined with GS, it offers significant cost reductions through advanced data and information management. Recent studies have demonstrated the great potential and high expectations of GS in plant breeding, particularly in maize, where the combination of GS and DH has been successfully applied. In this study, 2029 hybrids resulting from crosses were grown in three representative locations, and phenotypic values for three agronomic traits—ear height (EH), plant height (PH), and grain yield (GY)—were measured. Parental genotypes were used alongside genomic predictions to estimate hybrid breeding values, with GY being the primary trait of interest. A combination of traits was then employed as a criterion for advancing hybrids to the primary stage of testing in maize. Predicted breeding estimates showed that the accuracy for EH and PH was approximately 0.75, while for GY, it was 0.43; GY was field validated by including 80% of the top 243 hybrids, measured at about 55%, with moderately high predictive ability. In summary, the study demonstrates a significant reduction in the number of crosses required in the field based on breeding estimates, a decrease in the need for costly multi-site primary field tests, and an increase in breeding efficiency.

Kaur, Harneet; Tyagi, Vikrant; Kumar, Jitendra; Roy, Joy K; Chugh, Vishal; Ahmed, Naseer; Dhaliwal, Harcharan Singh; Sheikh, Imran

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03418-ypmid: N/A

Biofortification of grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in cereals is a cost-effective method to address micronutrient deficiencies. Six metal homeostasis genes (YSL15, NAS2, FRO7, IREG, ZIP2 and VIT1) were pyramided in the wheat cultivar ‘PBW343 LrYr’ to enhance the content of Fe and Zn in the grain. The crosses of twenty pre-bred wheat-Aegilops genotypes with varying combinations of these genes resulted in the production of 1245 F1 seeds, out of which 680 were germinated. The selection of 103 F1 plants was achieved through the use of ITAP markers and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) to screen for metal homeostasis genes and grain Fe and Zn content respectively. The 151 plants were selected from 103 F2 progeny and these plants were further whittled down to 83 in F3 and 76 in F4, with a final selection of 12 progeny that exhibited a variety of combinations of the six alleles. It is important to note that derivatives such as ‘EU19144-500-477’ and ‘EU19144-506-503’ exhibited high grain Fe and Zn contents without a yield penalty. The genes FRO7, IREG and ZIP2 exhibited the significant increase in grain Fe (140.61%) and Zn (122.75%) in the derivative ‘EU19144-506-502’. The number of tillers, grain Fe, grain Zn and flag leaf Zn content were negatively correlated with thousand grain weight, while seeds per spike and plant height were positively correlated.

Vahramians Khosravizad, Beyayna; Ruud, Anja Karine; Belova, Tatiana; Windju, Susanne S.; Dieseth, Jon Arne; Yang, Ennian; Lillemo, Morten

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03430-2pmid: N/A

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a serious threat to wheat quality and occurs when maturing seeds on plants encounter substantial rain before harvest. In the present study, the genetics of PHS resistance were studied using a population of 131 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cross between Soru#1 and Naxos. The population was genotyped with the Illumina 90 K and Axiom 35 K wheat SNP arrays and tested in field trials across two locations in Norway and one in China. Seed dormancy as a measure of sprouting damage was evaluated using germination index (GI) and falling number (FN). Days to heading, days to maturity, and plant height were also recorded to evaluate their potential impact on PHS. Thirteen PHS-related quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected. The most consistent QTL for FN, contributed by Soru#1, on the long arm of chromosome 4B explained 10.0–19.2% of the phenotypic variation across trials. Other important PHS resistance QTL from Soru#1 detected on chromosome arms 2AL, 2BL, and 4BS, affected both GI and FN. Naxos carried favorable QTL alleles for PHS resistance on chromosome arm 4AS and the Phs1 allele on 4AL. The reduced height Rht-D1 and vernalization Vrn-A1 alleles were the major determinants of plant height and earliness; however, these traits had minimal impact on the genetic control of PHS resistance in this population. Thus, both parents contributed valuable alleles for improving PHS resistance in breeding programs.

Torres, Guilherme Almussa Leite; Mistro, Júlio César; de Almeida, Julieta Andrea Silva

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03413-3pmid: N/A

The worldwide demand for the development of drought-tolerant coffee plants is increasing due to the impacts global climate changes have caused in large and small coffee plantations throughout the world. Thus, the genetic improvement of the coffee plant has become indispensable for the continuity and rentability of this agricultural culture. For this, the coffee genetic improvement programs require morphological and physiological information concerning the plants in their germplasm banks to serve as subsidies for the development of cultivars. The current study aims to emphasize the importance of characterizing the genetic material of the coffee plants in the germplasm banks. By way of a literature review, it considered the impact of drought on some aspects of coffee plant physiology and morphology, and the need for genetic improvement programs to understand their germplasm to use it as a starting point in the development of cultivars that mitigate the production losses caused by drought.

Devi, Suman; Singh, Vikram; Kumar, Mukesh; Yashveer, Shikha; Kumar, Rakesh; Sharma, Sudhir; Chawla, Rukoo; Sapna, ; Rani, Kavita; Redhu, Mandeep

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03424-0pmid: N/A

As a crucial staple for millions, climate-resilient wheat genotypes are vital for safeguarding livelihoods and ensuring food security. The study encompassed 80 genotypes and was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of various stress indices to determine their effectiveness in predicting wheat genotypes performance under diverse environmental conditions. Based on strong positive correlation of indices with grain yield per plot along with insights from principal component analysis, our findings showed that the Stress Tolerance Index (STI), Mean Productivity (MP), Geometric Mean Productivity (GMP), Harmonic Mean (HM), and Yield Index (YI) are the most reliable indicators of yield performance under drought, heat, and combined stress conditions. This confirms their effectiveness in selecting resilient genotypes. Additionally, while these indices are robust in predicting performance, it is important to consider their trade-offs with yield stability under stress conditions to ensure a balanced approach in genotype selection. A negative correlation between yield stability index (YSI) and grain yield in favorable conditions suggests that genotypes with high yield stability prioritize consistency over maximum yield potential. The genotypes C-306, HD-2888, GW-477, RW-5, WH-1142, PBW-773 and HD-30 are identified as the best performers under these environmental conditions. The findings highlight the consistent and significant relevance of stress tolerance, stress susceptibility indices, reduction and relative stress index in both PC1 and PC2 explaining the majority of variance within all stress contexts. These revelations offer valuable insights for devising crop enhancement strategies aimed at elevating yield and productivity under diverse stress conditions. Moreover, this knowledge can guide the selection of parental lines for crafting new cultivars with heightened stress tolerance.

Lombardi, Gabrielle M. R.; Fagundes, Talieisse G.; Parrella, Rafael A. da C.; Nunes, José Airton R.

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03423-1pmid: N/A

This study aimed to identify and select superior biomass sorghum genotypes for second-generation ethanol production through multi-environment trials and multiple traits. The efficiency of different selection strategies using the FAI-BLUP index in multi-environment trials (MET) was assessed. Twenty-five biomass sorghum genotypes were evaluated in triple square lattice experiments in three locations in the 2018/2019 agricultural year. Evaluated traits included flowering time (FLOW), plant height (PH), fresh biomass yield (FBY), dry matter content (DM), moisture content (M), dry biomass yield (DBY), as well as the contents of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (LIG), hemicellulose (HEM), and cellulose (CC). Each location and MET performed single-trait analyses. Five strategies were performed for selecting superior genotypes using the FAI-BLUP index. Strategy E1 considered BLUPs of genotypes within location, while Strategy E2 used BLUPs of genotype's main effects from MET analyses. Strategy E3 used BLUPs of genotypes within locations (genotype main effects plus genotype by environment interaction—G + GE) from MET analyses. Strategies E4 and E5 used BLUPs from E1 and E3, respectively, assuming traits evaluated at different locations as different traits. Regardless of the strategy, the FAI-BLUP index aimed to enhance the phenotypic expression of FLOW, PH, FBY, DM, DBY, NDF, ADF, HEM, and CC while reducing M and LIG traits to achieve the desired ideotype. Genotypes 4, 13, 17, and 18 exhibited superior performance, predictability, and genotypic adaptability, indicating their potential for second-generation ethanol production. Strategies E2 and E3 emerged as the most effective for selecting superior genotypes using the FAI-BLUP index.

Kang, Ling; Qin, Jinyan; Yu, Tianhui; Gebrewahid, Takele Weldu; Liu, Jialong; Chu, Zhiying; Xi, Jiaxin; Li, Zaifeng; Yan, Xiaocui; Yao, Zhanjun

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03436-wpmid: N/A

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaf rust [Puccinia triticina (Pt)] causes devastating yield losses globally. Conceivably, breeding and development of cultivars harboring adult plant resistance (APR) to leaf rust (LR) can be an effective way to manage wheat leaf rust. Particularly, mapping of major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) facilitate breeding of LR resistant cultivars. Here, we have mapped QTLs for APR to LR in wheat using wheat population including 215 F2:3 lines from a Zhoumai 22/Chinese Spring. Bulked segregation analyse (BSA) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) detection of wheat lines digged out the QTLs for APR to LR. Using Manager QTXb20 and Icimapping 3.2 software, some APR QTLs were mapped in Zhoumai 22/Chinese Spring wheat population. Three QTLs of APR to LR detected and designated QLr.zh-2BS, QLr.zh-4BL and QLr.zh-7DS) explained 12.58–13.58%, 7.02–20.22% and 6.73–21.30% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. QLr.zh-4BL and QLr.zh-7DS were derived from Chinese Spring wheat, whereas QLr.zh-2BS emanated from Zhoumai 22. QLr.zh-4BL and QLr.zh-7DS were mapped close to Lr12 and Lr34, respectively, revealling their close link to these loci, correspondingly. Overall, the QTLs related APR to LR, their flanking markers and associated APR genes identified in this study could be useful to genomic resources and marker-assisted select breeding of LR resistance in wheat.

Zeroual, Abdelmonim; Baidani, Aziz; Abderemane, Bacar Abdallah; Mitache, Mohammed; Idrissi, Omar

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03420-4pmid: N/A

Hand harvesting of lentils is laborious, time-consuming, and costly. Hence, there is a need to develop a mechanical harvesting system to improve the profitability of lentil crop. Lodging resistance is an important trait to be considered in developing lentil varieties suitable for mechanical harvesting. In the present study, genetic variability for lodging resistance and other agro-morphological and phenological traits was assessed in 50 lentil genotypes in three environments under Moroccan semi-arid conditions. Genotype and genotype-by-environment interaction had significant effects on lodging and other traits. High heritability values obtained for lodging indicate that expected genetic gain for lodging resistance can be achieved through breeding. The linear correlation and path analysis showed the importance of stem diameter, pods per peduncle, seedling vigour, and hundred-seed weight in the selection for lodging resistance; however, no trait showed a strong and consistent direct effect on lodging. Among all assessed genotypes, G11, G18, G27, G17, G44, and G41 were identified as promising. These genotypes could be exploited to develop lentil varieties with improved standing ability for mechanical harvesting. The mechanical harvesting was successfully achieved for the genotype G18 during two growing seasons with low seed losses. This advanced line successfully passed the DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability) and VCU (Value for Cultivation and Use: Agronomic and Technological Value) registration tests and has been registered in Morocco as new variety. The release of lentil varieties suitable for mechanical harvesting can help increase the production and profitability of lentil in Morocco and other regions, thereby contributing to food security and agricultural sustainability.

Shchukina, L. V.; Klykov, A. G.; Murugova, G. A.; Shamanin, V. P.; Pozherukova, V. E.; Lepekhov, S. B.; Chebatareva, M. V.; Petin, V. A.; Börner, A.; Pshenichnikova, T. A.

doi: 10.1007/s10681-024-03429-9pmid: N/A

Numerous accessions with introgressions in bread wheat result from distant hybridization. However, only a small number of them were used in modern cultivars to improve important traits such as grain protein and gluten content. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic impact of introgressions transferred to bread wheat chromosome 5B from T. durum and Ae. speltoides on these grain quality traits. For this purpose, two lines that carried introgressions of different size in chromosome 5B were developed in the genetic background of cv. Saratovskaya 29 (S29). One line had an introgression from Aegilops speltoides in the distal region of the long arm of the chromosome, whereas the other line had an introgression from Triticum durum in the centromeric region. Transfer of introgressions from donors to the recipient was confirmed using microsatellite markers. The lines were studied in remote geographical areas and in the greenhouse. They showed a significant increase in protein and gluten content across all environments by 1% and 4%, respectively, with the greatest effect under normal moisture conditions. The lines retained high rheological and mixing dough properties characteristic of S29. The studies verified the loci QGlc.ipk-5B and QDsa.ipk-5B associated with gluten content and dough resistance to mixing previously identified in the ITMI mapping population. We also confirmed the association of the 5B introgressions with decreased thousand kernel weight.