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A Framework for Selection of High-Yielding and Drought-tolerant Genotypes of Barley: Applying Yield-Based Indices and Multi-index Selection Models
Podatność odmian owsa (Avena sativa L.) na porażenie przez Drechslera avenae (helmintosporioza owsa) i jej wpływ na plon
Leaf spot of oat caused by the fungus Pyrenophora chaetomioides Speg. (Drechslera avenae anamorph) (Eidam) (Scharif) is one of the most harmful and widespread diseases of oat. Field experiments were carried out in 2012–2016 in breeding fields in Kopaszewo. The aim of the study was to assess the susceptibility of oat cultivars to the infestation of D. avenae and to determine its influence on the yield. The incidence of the disease was dependent on the variety and varied between the study years, indicating the effect of a variation × year interaction. However, no statistical differences were found between the varieties of a given form. The cultivar least infested by the fungus D. avenae was the naked cultivar Nagus. In the group of hulled varieties Bingo and Zuch showed the highest resistant. The highest yield value was obtained in cultivation of the Arden hulled variety.
Effect of multispecies swards on ruminal fermentation, methane emission and potential for climate care cattle farming − an in vitro study
Green Leaf Volatile Function in Both the Natural Defense System of Rumex confertus and Associated Insects’ Behavior
Rumex confertus is a rhizomatous, invasive, and difficult to control plant. Nevertheless, for sustainable agriculture, studies to biologically control R. confertus continue. Towards this, considerable attention has been devoted to investigating the emission of a wide array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from herbivore-damaged plants, which are known to induce protection measures in neighboring, undamaged plants. The goals of this study are to (1) determine if the profile of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), which are organic compounds naturally produced by undamaged plants, is similar to that provoked by the chemical stimulants Z-jasmone (ZJA) and dihydrojasmone (DJA), (2) establish if the Apion miniatum beetle’s reproductive choices are influenced by their sex and mating status, and (3) assess if chemically stimulated GLV emissions can be used as signals to attract pests to R. confertus for biological control purposes. Synthetic forms of naturally produced Z-jasmone (ZJA) and dihydrojasmone (DJA), which can act as either an attractant or a repellent of various species of insects, were used to treat R. confertus. In olfactory analysis, the behavioral responses of individual insects to mated and unmated insects and to two GLV blends were evaluated. It was found that unmated male insects were fairly equally divided between going for food (Y-tube olfactometer arm with a GLV blend) and opportunities for reproduction (Y-tube olfactometer arm with unmated females). However, an increase in the GLV blend concentration attracted the insects. Meanwhile, unmated females were definitely indifferent to food and, independent of the GLV blend dose, were more interested in reproduction. Mated males, even with weak feed stimuli, increased their reproduction activity, in opposition to mated females. We provide evidence that synthetic GLV blends can be used to attract predators, making their use an effective means to biologically control R. confertus. The idea of applying synthetic GLVs as a biological control is based on the insects’ mutual relationships, which work as follows: (i) mated males fully invade the weed, (ii) reproduction-driven females follow the mated males to R. confertus, and (iii) the unmated males follow the females with the purpose to reproduce. Therefore, all insect groups (mated and unmated males and females) can be induced to invade the weed. Upon feeding, the insects will damage the generative organs of R. confertus. We propose that the use of chemical stimulants to increase GLV emissions can be effectively used for weed (here R. confertus) control by attracting a plant pest (here A. miniatum).
Effect of Soil Drought Stress on Selected Biochemical Parameters and Yield of Oat × Maize Addition (OMA) Lines
Plant growth and the process of yield formation in crops are moderated by surrounding conditions, as well as the interaction of the genetic background of plants and the environment. In the last two decades, significant climatic changes have been observed, generating unfavorable and harmful impacts on plant development. Drought stress can be considered one of the most dangerous environmental factors affecting the life cycle of plants, reducing biomass production and, finally, the yield. Plants can respond to water deficit in a wide range, which depends on the species, genetic variability within the species, the plant’s ontogenesis stage, the intensity of the stress, and other potential stress factors. In plants, it is possible to observe hybrids between different taxa that certain traits adopted to tolerate stress conditions better than the parent plants. Oat × maize addition (OMA) plants are good examples of hybrids generated via wide crossing. They can exhibit morphological, physiological, and biochemical variations implemented by the occurrence of extra chromosomes of maize, as well as the interaction of maize and oat chromatin. The initial goal of the study was to identify OMA lines among plants produced by wide crossing with maize. The main goal was to investigate differences in OMA lines according to the Excised Leaf Water Loss (ELWL) test and to identify specific biochemical changes and agronomic traits under optimal water conditions and soil drought. Additionally, detection of any potential alterations that are stable in F2 and F3 generations. The aforementioned outcomes were the basis for the selection of OMA lines that tolerate growth in an environment with limited water availability. The molecular analysis indicated 12.5% OMA lines among all tested descendants of wide oat-maize crossing. The OMA lines significantly differ according to ELWL test results, which implies some anatomical and physiological adaptation to water loss from tissues. On the first day of drought, plants possessed 34% more soluble sugars compared to control plants. On the fourteen day of drought, the amount of soluble sugars was reduced by 41.2%. A significant increase of phenolic compounds was observed in the fourteen day of drought, an average of 6%, even up to 57% in line 9. Soil drought substantially reduced stem biomass, grains number, and mass per plant. Lower water loss revealed by results of the ELWL test correlated with the high yield of OMA lines. Phenolic compound content might be used as a biochemical indicator of plant drought tolerance since there was a significant correlation with the high yield of plants subjected to soil drought.
The interaction of different abiotic conditions on the value of the component traits of the technological yield of sugar beet
AbstractThe aim of this study was to analyse the effects of different date of insecticidal treatment against Noctuinae caterpillars on the technological yield from sugar beet using the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model. The AMMI model is one of the most widely used statistical tools in the analysis of multiple-environment trials. The results of the analysis of the dependence of the components of the sugar beet yield, carried out separately in individual years (2011–2018) of the experiment, indicate a significant and directly proportional impact of the root mass on the technological yield of sugar in all years. The average sugar content per years also varied from 16.22% (2014) to 19.68% (2015). Potassium molasses from the base of the tested protective treatments varied from 27.27 to 61.43 mmol kg−1. The average sodium molasses per years also varied from 1.196 mmol kg−1 (2015) to 6.692 mmol kg−1 (2018). α-amine-nitrogen of the tested protective treatments varied from 6.03 (for phenological criterion in 2011) to 37.95 mmol kg−1 (for intervention criterion in 2018). Technological yield of sugar beet tested protective treatments varied from 171.4 (for phenological criterion in 2015) to 360.0 t ha−1 (for soil spraying of plants—in 2012) throughout the 8 years, with an average of 280.47 t ha−1. The use of the AMMI model to estimate the interaction of conducted insecticidal treatments based on environmental conditions showed the additivity of the effects of the applied treatments on the effectiveness of the obtained quality features of the technological yield of sugar beet.
Expression Profiling and Interaction Effects of Three R-Genes Conferring Resistance to Blackleg Disease in Brassica napus
Brassica napus L. is one of the world’s most important oilseed crops. Blackleg disease is a serious, yield-limiting factor in the cultivation of oilseed rape. Genetic resistance is primarily conferred by major resistance (R) genes. In this study, we analyzed the expression of the blackleg resistance genes Rlm3, Rlm4, and Rlm7 following inoculation with the Leptosphaeria maculans isolate using the RT-qPCR method. Additionally, we demonstrated and assessed their interactions. The results showed that, while Rlm3 was weakly induced, Rlm4 and Rlm7 displayed variable expression post-inoculation. The correlation between phenotypic and genotypic similarity was low. This suggests that transcriptional responses do not fully explain resistance patterns. Furthermore, significant main effects of the analyzed genes, as well as two- and three-way interactions, were indicated. These results support current knowledge of gene-mediated resistance to blackleg in oilseed rape.
Comparison of Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients for selected traits of Pinus sylvestris L.
Abstract The Spearman rank correlation coefficient is a non-parametric (distribution-free) rank statistic proposed by Charles Spearman as a measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables. It is a measure of a monotonic relationship that is used when the distribution of the data makes Pearson’s correlation coefficient undesirable or misleading. The Spearman coefficient is not a measure of the linear relationship between two variables. It assesses how well an arbitrary monotonic function can describe the relationship between two variables, without making any assumptions about the frequency distribution of the variables. Unlike Pearson’s product-moment (linear) correlation coefficient, it does not require the assumption that the relationship between variables is linear, nor does it require that the variables be measured on interval scales; it can be applied to variables measured at the ordinal level. The purpose of this study is to compare the values of Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and their statistical significance for six morpho-anatomical traits of Pinus sylvestris L. (original – for Pearson’s coefficient, and ranked – for Spearman’s coefficient) estimated from all observations, object means (for trees), and medians. The results show that the linear and rank correlation coefficients are consistent (as to direction and strength). In cases of divergence in the direction of correlation, the correlation coefficients were not statistically significant, which does not imply consistency in decision-making. Estimation of correlation coefficients based on medians is robust to outlier observations and factors that linear correlation is then very similar to rank correlation.
Przydatność pszenżyta ozimego w różnych warunkach gospodarowania w świetle wymogów integrowanej ochrony oraz Europejskiego Zielonego Ładu
The introduction of the European Green Deal by the European Commission poses new challenges in breeding work on varieties that will demonstrate natural resistance or tolerance to diseases and abiotic factors. Based on the results of research conducted by the Central Research Centre for Cultivar Testing, obtained within the framework of Post-registration Variety Testing and Ecological Variety Testing, an assessment was made of the impact of limiting the use of plant protection products and mineral fertilization on the resistance of the Belcanto variety to selected pathogens, yield and selected morphological features. The suitability of the variety for cultivation in a system limiting the use of pesticides and mineral fertilization was also assessed. Giving up fungicide protection and nitrogen fertilization led to a decrease in yield and 1000-grain weight and reduced the height of the plants. The Belcanto variety showed the greatest resistance to powdery mildew and a higher 1000-grain weight in 3 out of 5 growing seasons in the organic cultivation system.
Cross-talk between stability parameters and selection models: a new procedure for improving the identification of the superior genotypes in multi-environment trials
Biochemistry of microwave controlled Heracleum sosnowskyi (Manden.) roots with an ecotoxicological aspect
AbstractSosnowski hogweed is an invasive weed in eastern-middle Europe that is dangerous to human health and the environment. The efficacy of its control using chemical and mechanical methods is limited. Electromagnetic radiation (microwaves) could be an environmentally friendly alternative for controlling this species. This study aims to: (1) Determine the effect of varying microwave treatment (MWT) durations on the control of S. hogweed using a device emitting microwaves at 2.45 GHz, 32.8 kW/m2; (2) Evaluate the impact of MWT on soil by an ecotoxicological bioassays; (3) Analyze biochemical changes occurring in the roots during the process. A field study was performed to assess the efficacy of S. hogweed control using MWT in times from 2.5 to 15 min. The MWT-treated soil was collected immediately after treatment (AT) and tested using bioassays (Phytotoxkit, Ostracodtoxkit, and Microtox). Fourteen days AT, the MWT hogweed roots were dug out, air-dried, and analyzed for the content and composition of essential oil, sugars, and fatty acids. According to the ecotoxicological biotests, the MWT soils were classified as non-toxic or low-toxic. The regeneration of hogweed was observed only in non-treated plants (control). Hogweed MWT for 2.5–15 min did not regenerate up to 14 days AT. The average weight of roots in hogweed MWT for 15.0 min was ca. two times smaller than the control plants. Those roots contained significantly higher amounts of sugars and saturated fatty acids than the control. We did not find a correlation between S. hogweed root essential oil content and composition and MWT time. The main compounds of essential oil were p‑cymene and myristicin. No highly photosensitizing compounds were identified in the tested root oil. We conclude that MWT of S. hogweed could be an environmentally safe and prospective control method, but more studies are needed.
Physiological and molecular responses of wild relatives of wheat possessing the D genome to salinity stress
Effect of Paulownia Leaves Extract Levels on In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation, Microbial Population, Methane Production, and Fatty Acid Biohydrogenation
Paulownia is a fast-growing tree that produces a huge mass of leaves as waste that can be used as a feed source for ruminants. The previous study showed that phenolic compounds were the most active biological substances in Paulownia leaves, which affected the ruminal parameters and methane concentration. However, there are no scientific reports on the Paulownia leaves extract (PLE) containing phenolic compounds for their mode of action in the rumen. Phenolics constituted the main group of bioactive compounds in PLE (84.4 mg/g dry matter). PLE lowered the concentration of ammonia, modulated the VFA profile in the ruminal fluid, and decreased methane production. The PLE caused a significant reduction of in vitro dry matter degradability, reduced the number of methanogens and protozoa, and affected selected bacteria populations. PLE had a promising effect on the fatty acid profile in the ruminal fluid. Paulownia as a new dietary component or its extract as a feed additive may be used to mitigate ruminal methanogenesis, resulting in environmental protection and reducing ruminal biohydrogenation, improving milk and meat quality.
Correction: Genetic diversity and genetic structure of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) genotypes as revealed by Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) markers
Maltodextrin-Coated Peppermint and Caraway Essential Oils Effects on Soil Microbiota
Essential oils exhibit strong antimicrobial effects that can serve as a substitute for synthetic pesticides. However, many reports mention the use of essential oils in protecting above-ground plant organs and storing raw materials and seeds, but only a few address the effects of treatments on soil microbiota. Regarding this, it is necessary to find a solution that will prevent the rapid degradation of oils in soil and extend the period of their action on the soil microbiota. The solution to this problem can be microencapsulation, where the choice of carrier plays a key role. In our experiment, maltodextrin was studied, often used in the microencapsulation of essential oils. It was examined independently in two doses (M1 and M2, with 50 and 200 g kg−1, respectively) and a combination with two essential oils known for their antimicrobial activity. We hypothesized that the selected microbial communities would react differently to the stress caused by maltodextrin-encapsulated essential oils. The serial dilution method assessed the number of colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes. As the goal of microencapsulation was to prolong the effect of essential oils, their reaction was observed over a longer period. The soil microbial populations were examined in sandy and loamy soil at 1, 7, 14, and 78 days after encapsulated essential oils were mixed with the soil samples. In both types of soil, a significant increase in bacteria and actinomycetes was observed with maltodextrin in both doses. Encapsulated peppermint and caraway oils had different effects on microbes, both inhibitory and stimulatory. It is also important to note that peppermint with a smaller dose of maltodextrin significantly inhibited the growth of fungi in sandy soil in all measurements, as well as that caraway oil with a higher dose of maltodextrin significantly stimulated the growth of bacteria and actinomycetes in sandy soil. The higher dose of maltodextrin could explain this stimulation. Further research is recommended to test different doses of essential oils and maltodextrin, which would lead to the optimal dose of both wall and core materials.
Selection of High-Yielding and Stable Genotypes of Barley for the Cold Climate in Iran
The interaction between genotypes and environments plays an important role in selecting superior genotypes for target locations. The main objectives of the present study were to analyze the effect of the genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) and identify superior, newly developed, and promising barley genotypes for cold regions in Iran. For these purposes, a set of genotypes obtained from breeding programs for cold climates in Iran, along with two reference genotypes, were investigated at eight research stations (Tabriz, Ardabil, Arak, Miandoab, Mashhad, Jolge Rokh, Karaj, and Hamadan) during two consecutive growing seasons (2019–2020 and 2020–2021). The results of the freezing test (LT50) showed that most of the tested genotypes had significant cold tolerance at the seedling stage. Based on the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis, environment (E) and GEI effects explained 49.44% and 16.55% of the total variation in grain yield, respectively. Using AMMI1 and AMMI2 models, G2 and G20 were found to be superior genotypes in terms of grain yield and stability. Moreover, AMMI-based stability parameters considered the G20 genotype to be the ideal genotype. A two-plot analysis of the genotype-by-environment interaction (GGE) biplot showed that the 16 experimental environments were grouped into 2 mega-environments. Of the test environments, ARK1 and KAJ2 had the highest discriminating power and representativeness ability, and these were identified as ideal environments for testing advanced genotypes for yield and stability performance during early barley breeding practices in cold areas in Iran. In conclusion, both AMMI and GGE biplot models identified several superior genotypes, among which G20, with a high average yield relative to the overall average yield and the lowest IPC1 score, was found to have high yield stability and is recommended for inclusion in breeding programs for cold climates in Iran.
The Response of the Mycobiome to the Biofumigation of Replanted Soil in a Fruit Tree Nursery
In a long-term monoculture with fruit trees and tree nurseries, it is necessary to regenerate the soil due to the risk of apple replant disease (ARD). The occurrence of ARD is manifested in the structure of the mycobiome. The assumption of our experiment was that the use of oil radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleifera), white mustard (Sinapis alba), and marigold (Tagetes patula L.) as phytosanitary plants for biofumigation would provide crops with nutrients, improve soil physicochemical properties, and influence the diversity of microbiota, including fungal networks, towards a beneficial mycobiome. Metagenomic analysis of fungal populations based on the hypervariable ITS1 region was used for assessing changes in the soil mycobiome. It showed that biofumigation, mainly with a forecrop of marigold (Tagetes patula L.) (R3), caused an improvement in soil physicochemical properties (bulk density and humus) and the highest increase in the abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the Fungi kingdom, which was similar to that of agriculturally undegraded soils, and amounted to 54.37%. In this variant of the experiment, the most OTUs were identified at the phylum level, for Ascomycota (39.82%) and Mortierellomycota beneficial fungi (7.73%). There were no such dependencies in the soils replanted with forecrops of oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleifera) and white mustard (Sinapis alba). Biofumigation with marigold and oil radish contributed to a reduction in the genus Fusarium, which contains several significant plant-pathogenic species. The percentages of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of Fusarium spp. decreased from 1.57% to 0.17% and 0.47%, respectively.
Impact of Soil Drought on Yield and Leaf Sugar Content in Wheat: Genotypic and Phenotypic Relationships Compared Using a Doubled Haploid Population
Improving yield stability under water-limited conditions is a key objective of wheat breeding programmes. One trait of particular interest is carbohydrate accumulation and remobilisation. This study assessed the genetic basis of aspects of yield and flag leaf sugar contents under drought and well-watered conditions using QTL mapping in a population of 90 doubled haploid lines derived from the cross Chinese Spring × SQ1. As well as soluble sugar content, glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose, the traits grain yield (Yld), biomass (Bio), and thousand grain weight (TGW) were also analysed. Analysis of variance showed that genotype, environment and their interactions significantly influenced all the traits studied, with environmental effects explaining up to 74.4% of the total variation. QTL analysis identified 40 QTLs for Yld, TGW, and Bio as well as 53 QTLs for soluble carbohydrates, accounting for up to 40% of phenotypic variation. QTLs coincident for more than one trait were identified on 21 chromosome regions, associated with carbohydrate metabolism and yield performance under drought, particularly on chromosomes 2D, 4A, 4B, 5B, 5D, 6B, and 7A. Candidate genes for several yield-related QTLs were identified. These results provide useful genetic markers for the development of more drought-resistant wheat cultivars.
