Polymorphism of traits of flower and fruit of the Tsumi apple tree (Malus zumi (Matsum.) Rehder)

The Tsumi apple tree is a valuable crop due to the presence of a gene for resistance to powdery mildew, abundant annual fruiting and a special decorative effect during flowering and fruiting. Its breeding potential has been little studied; therefore, it is necessary to study the morphometric characteristics of a flower and a fruit and establish connections between them. The collection of flowers and fruits of the Tsumi apple tree was carried out in the laboratory of cultivated plants of the Tsytsin Main Botanical Garden in 2021. The coefficients of variation and correlation according to Spearman were determined. It was found that the polymorphism of flower traits is at a very low level (from 4.4% to 14.2%). The number of flowers per inflorescence varies within 15.9%, which corresponds to the average level of polymorphism, as well as in the weight of the fruit (17.3%) and in the weight of seeds (19.5%). Variations in the length of the peduncle, the number of seeds, the length of the fruit, and the diameter of the fruit are at a very low level (6.9-13.6%). A significant number of reliable inverse (negative) correlations were found between signs of moderate strength (0.5 <r <0.6): a strong relationship between fruit weight and anther length (r = -0.73), fruit length and filament length (r = -0.71). A strong positive relationship was found between the following traits: fruit weight and fruit diameter (r = 0.79), seed weight. Keywords: POLYMORPHISM, FLOWER, CRABAPPLES, SORBOMALUS, MALUS ZUMI, TSUMI APPLE TREE, VARIABILITY, MORPHOLOGY

Heterosis and Combining Ability For Floral and Yield Characters in Rice Using Cytoplasmic Male Sterility System

Developing high-yielding rice genotypes has become more urgent to ensure global food security with continuing population growth and the threat of environmental pressures. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) system provides a valuable approach for commercial exploitation of heterosis and producing high-yielding and quality hybrid rice. Three CMS lines and ten diverse restorers were crossed using line × tester mating design. The obtained thirty F1 hybrids and their thirteen parents were evaluated. Yield traits as well as certain floral traits characters that influence the efficiency of crossing and hybrid seed production as duration of floret opening (min), stigma exsertion (mm), stigma length (mm), opening floret angle, and anther length (mm) were assessed. Highly significant variations were detected among parents, crosses, and parents vs. crosses for all the studied traits. The CMS line L2 and the restorer T5 were identified as good combiners for stigma exsertion, stigma length, opining floret angle, and duration of floret opening. Moreover, the hybrids L1×T1, L1×T3, L2×T2, L2×T5, L3×T4, L3×T5, and L3×T9 had positive SCA effects for most floral traits. Besides, the CMS lines L1 and L3 as well as the restorers T1, T2, T3, T6, and T9 proved to be the best general combiners for grain yield and certain contributing traits. The hybrids L1×T1, L1×T5, L1×T7, L2×T3, L2×T4, L2×T5, L2×T10, L3×T1, L3×T2, and L3×T6 displayed positive SCA effects for grain yield and one or more of its attributes. Both additive and non-additive gene effects are involved in the governing inheritance of all evaluated traits. The biochemical variations among the certain evaluated genotypes were further studied. The esterase and peroxidase isozymes were applied for verifying the genetic diversity at the protein level among the used CMS lines, restorers, and their crosses. All the applied isozymes displayed polymorphism for the parents and their crosses. The banding pattern and intensity differences provided accurate results on the reliable variability among the tested genotypes.

Genome-Wide Association and Prediction of Male and Female Floral Hybrid Potential Traits in Elite Spring Bread Wheat Genotypes

Hybrid wheat breeding is one of the most promising technologies for further sustainable yield increases. However, the cleistogamous nature of wheat displays a major bottleneck for a successful hybrid breeding program. Thus, an optimized breeding strategy by developing appropriate parental lines with favorable floral trait combinations is the best way to enhance the outcrossing ability. This study, therefore, aimed to dissect the genetic basis of various floral traits using genome-wide association study (GWAS) and to assess the potential of genome-wide prediction (GP) for anther extrusion (AE), visual anther extrusion (VAE), pollen mass (PM), pollen shedding (PSH), pollen viability (PV), anther length (AL), openness of the flower (OPF), duration of floret opening (DFO) and stigma length. To this end, we employed 196 ICARDA spring bread wheat lines evaluated for three years and genotyped with 10,477 polymorphic SNP. In total, 70 significant markers were identified associated to the various assessed traits at FDR ≤ 0.05 contributing a minor to large proportion of the phenotypic variance (8–26.9%), affecting the traits either positively or negatively. GWAS revealed multi-marker-based associations among AE, VAE, PM, OPF and DFO, most likely linked markers, suggesting a potential genomic region controlling the genetic association of these complex traits. Of these markers, Kukri_rep_c103359_233 and wsnp_Ex_rep_c107911_91350930 deserve particular attention. The consistently significant markers with large effect could be useful for marker-assisted selection. Genomic selection revealed medium to high prediction accuracy ranging between 52% and 92% for the assessed traits with the least and maximum value observed for stigma length and visual anther extrusion, respectively. This indicates the feasibility to implement genomic selection to predict the performance of hybrid floral traits with high reliability.

Induction of Microspore Embryogenesis of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) ‘Gelatik’

The haploid or double haploid plant of eggplants could be produced from microspore culture (embryogenesis of microspores). In the breeding programs, microspore can be developed into an embryo directly after exposure to stress treatment during cultured. Stress (temperature and starvation medium) is an important factor in the induction of embryogenesis microspore. This study aims to induced embryogenic microspores from eggplant CV. Gelatik. The stage late-uninucleate microspore (Vacuolate Microspore/VM) and early binucleate (Young Bicellular Pollen/YBP) are the suitable stages to induce multinucleate structure. There are 3 methods used in this research; 1) Determination of the stage development of microspore based on flower buds length and anther length. 2) Induction of embryogenic microspore on the pre-treatment and starvation medium. 3) After giving pre-treatment for 4 days, micropores were transferred to culture medium A2 at 28oC in dark conditions to induce the multicellular structures. This study reported that 50-68.51% of the VM+YBP stage obtained in the range of flower bud lengths of 10-17 mm, and 5.0-6.9 mm, the range of anther length containing VM+YBP of 50-77.48%. The pre-treatment heat shock at 33oC in the medium B for 2 days, produced embryogenic microspores with a high percentage, that is about 50.19%, while microspores at 25oC and 4oC respectively 46.17% and 49.28%. Pre-treatment for 4 days at 4 oC, 25 oC, and 33oC with the percentage of embryogenic microspores apiece 32.87%, 27.45%, and 37.34%. The multicellular (starlike) structure begins forming on the fifth day of incubation in culture medium (A2) after pre-treatment in B medium at 33oC.

Comparative floral and pollen morphology of some invasive and native impatiens species

To evaluate the hypothesis of competitive superiority of invasive species, we compared the invasive Impatiens parviflora DC. and I. Glandulifera royle, the naturalized I. Nevskii pobed. and the native I. Noli-tangere L. in the flowers’ morphometric characters at different phases of anthesis. The characters in which alien species have a competitive superiority over closely related I. Noli-tangere are revealed. Morphological variability was studied by morphometric observations of the following characters: bud: length and diameter; spurred sepal: length and width; spur: length and diameter; lateral sepal: length and width; largest petal: length and death; large lobe of lateral petal: length and width; small lobe of lateral petal: length and width; anther: length; stamen’s filament: length; calyptra: length and width; ovary: length and diameter; length of a style, length of a stigma. There is a tendency for alien Impatiens species of the earlier development of androecium and gynoecium: сaliptra is formed at the stage of uncolored bud, the pistil is differentiated in ovary, short style and stigma is formed at the stage of colored bud. No other flowers’ morphometric characters, representing competitive advantage of the invasive I. Glandulifera and I. Parviflora over the native I. Noli-tangere and naturalized I. Nevskii were identified.

A new species of Parahyparrhenia (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) from India

Parahyparrhenia khannae, a new species of Andropogoneae (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) from the grassland of Ratlam and Jhabua districts of Madhya Pradesh, India is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to the Indian endemic species P. bellariensis in having dorsal groove in lower glume of sessile spikelet, but differs in having shorter plant height, lacerate membranous ligule, shorter leaf blade and raceme length, fewer homogamous spikelets, shorter sessile spikelet and anther length.

DNA barcoding and morpho-anatomical characters of two forms of Convolvulus arvensis L. (Convolvulaceae) grown in Asir region, Saudi Arabia

DNA barcoding and morpho-anatomical characters of two forms of Convolvulus arvensis L. growing in Asir region, Saudi Arabia were studied. We applied three molecular markers, ITS, rbcL and matK for phylogenetic reconstruction in combination with 24 morpho-anatomical characters to provide proposal for the recognition of its population under two forms. Plant samples were collected from ten various populations of C. arvensis supposed to be of two different forms, and finally these have been found to be of two new forms (small leaf) and form (large leaf) for the flora of Saudi Arabia. TWINSPAN results showed that there was negative group with twenty one objects including stem length, stem thickness, seed shapes, petiole length, leaf apex, leaf length, petal circumference, leaf width, capsule length, capsule width, stamen length, anther width, anther length, carpel length, venations type, pollen grains shape, T.S of stem, root and leaf, stigma shape and anther base surface and positive group including hairs, stomata and anther shape. Dendrogram upon morpho-anatomical characters resolved two main clusters, one cluster of form (large leaf) and the other of form (small leaf). Amplified gene region for the form (small leaf)-rbcL showed 100% identity with C. lineatus; form (small leaf)-matK and form (large leaf)-matK had 99% identity with Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br. Form of (small leaf)–ITS had 100% identity with that of C. arvensis; form (large leaf)-rbcL had 100% identity with those of C. arvensis and C. lineatus. Form (large leaf)–ITS had 99% identity with that of C. arvensis. The results of molecular phylogenetic analyses based on certain morphological and rbcL data support two main clusters within C. arvensis which is consistent with two forms, form (small leaf) and form (large leaf).

Assessment of Variability for Floral Characteristics and Out-Crossing Rate in CMS Lines of Hybrid Rice

The present investigation was aimed to clarify the interrelationship among various floral traits and out crossing rates. High mean value, range of variability and genotypic variance were observed for all the traits except anther length and breadth, stigma length and breadth. Close differences between genotypic and phenotypic variances and genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variations were observed for all the traits. Considering all genetic parameters, selection based on panicle exertion rate, angle of florate opening, duration of florate opening, anther length, stigma exertion rate and out crossing rate seemed to be effective for the improvement of CMS lines. Out crossing rate had significant positive correlation with panicle exertion rate, angle of florate opening, duration of florate opening, filament length, stigma length, breadth and exertion rate exhibited interesting results, indicating selection with these traits might be possible without compromising seed yield loss. On the basis of direct selection through panicle exertion rate, angle and duration of florate opening, filament length and stigma exertion rate would significantly improve seed yield of CMS lines. Based on mean, range, genetic parameters, correlation coefficient and path coefficient values, direct selection of eight CMS lines IR79156A, BRRI7A, IR75608A, BRRI13A, BRRI35A, BRRI48A, BRRI50A and BRRI53A might be fruitful as good floral characteristics with high out crossing rate of CMS lines. Bangladesh Rice j. 2018, 22(2): 31-39

Identification of Anther Length QTL and Construction of Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines of Oryza longistaminata

Life histories and breeding systems strongly affect the genetic diversity of seed plants, but the genetic architectures that promote outcrossing in Oryza longistaminata, a perennial wild species in Africa, are not understood. We conducted a genetic analysis of the anther length of O. longistaminata accession W1508 using advanced backcross quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and chromosomal segment substitution lines (CSSLs) in the genetic background of O. sativa Taichung 65 (T65), with simple sequence repeat markers. QTL analysis of the BC3F1 population (n = 100) revealed that four main QTL regions on chromosomes 3, 5, and 6 were associated to anther length. We selected a minimum set of BC3F2 plants for the development of CSSLs to cover as much of the W1508 genome as possible. The additional minor QTLs were suggested in the regional QTL analysis, using 21 to 24 plants in each of the selected BC3F2 population. The main QTLs found on chromosomes 3, 5, and 6 were validated and designated qATL3, qATL5, qATL6.1, and qATL6.2, as novel QTLs identified in O. longistaminata in the mapping populations of 94, 88, 70, and 95 BC3F4 plants. qATL3, qATL5, and qATL6.1 likely contributed to anther length by cell elongation, whereas qATL6.2 likely contributed by cell multiplication. The QTLs were confirmed again in an evaluation of the W1508ILs. In several chromosome segment substitution lines without the four validated QTLs, the anthers were also longer than those of T65, suggesting that other QTLs also increase anther length in W1508. The cloning and diversity analyses of genes conferring anther length QTLs promotes utilization of the genetic resources of wild species, and the understanding of haplotype evolution on the differentiation of annuality and perenniality in the genus Oryza.

Evolution of reproductive traits and selfing syndrome in the sub-endemic Mediterranean genus Centaurium Hill (Gentianaceae)

In flowering plants, the shift from outcrossing to selfing is associated with a set of correlated changes in morphological and reproductive features known as the ‘selfing syndrome’. Species of the sub-endemic Mediterranean genus Centaurium Hill (Gentianaceae) exhibit a wide array of flower traits related to pollination biology and different ploidy levels. We explored if the evolutionary transitions of seven flower traits and life cycle, typically associated with the selfing syndrome, are related to polyploidy, diversification patterns, divergence times and the geological and climatic history of the Mediterranean Basin. Using 26 species of Centaurium we reconstructed a phylogenetic tree, inferred the ancestral states of the selected traits, estimated their phylogenetic signal and tested the correlative evolution among them. We found a significant increase in diversification rates during the Quaternary. Anther length, flower size, herkogamy and polyploidy undergo rapid state transitions without phylogenetic signal that could be the result of adaptation for selfing. Changes in character states do not show evidence of correlative evolution among them, as would be predicted during the evolution of selfing syndrome. The evolution of reproductive traits in Centaurium has probably relied on a more diverse array of drivers than just reproductive assurance or polyploidy events.