Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is an unusual crop in Northern Kazakhstan. For its introduction in the region, seven sweet sorghum cultivars and two hybrids with a shorter vegetation period achieved cultivation and evaluation from 2020 to 2022 in the Northern Kazakhstan region. The results identified responsive genotypes to the new climatic conditions during the vegetation period. The biomass fodder values analysis referred to its chemical composition. The cultivar Volzhskoe 51 showed distinction by having a higher crude protein and fat content. Based on the acquired findings, sweet sorghum becomes highly recommendable for introduction as a fodder culture. The water-soluble sugar content determination in the central stem juice employed the refractometric method. Cultivars Kapital and Sevilia showed higher water-soluble sugars contained in the stem juice. The established fractional composition used high-performance liquid chromatography. Likewise, cultivars with a prevalent monoand disaccharide content succeeded in attaining isolation. Depending on the fractional composition, the study proposes a possible direction of sugar-sorghum juice processing for producing bioethanol and dietary food syrup. The results obtained contribute to further work on developing local sweet sorghum cultivars.

Keywords: Sweet sorghum (S. bicolor L.), biomass yield, chemical composition, metabolizable energy, sugars in stem juice, silage, syrup, bioethanol

Key findings: The presented study identifies the sweet sorghum (S. bicolor L.) cultivars capable of producing higher yields in Northern Kazakhstan. Biomass chemical composition and fractional analysis of stem juice show prospective use of the crop for forage, food syrups, and bioethanol.

Increasing maize production by expanding to marginal areas in the tropics faces substantial challenges, such as drought and acidic soil. Acidic soils may have low availability of plant nutrients because of the soil’s low pH and heavy metals. This study aimed to a) elucidate the response of maize genotypes under optimum and acidic soil, b) determine the correlation between several tolerance indices, and c) predict the response to selection performance based on multiple traits. Thirty-six genotypes, including six checks, laid out in an augmented RCBD, had three replications for the checks under optimum and acidic soil conditions in Bogor, Indonesia. Acidic soil induced late flowering and reduced agronomic performance and yield traits. Genotype, environment, and genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) had highly significant (P < 0.01) effects on yield and several traits. G05, G15, and G20 were tolerant and high-yielding genotypes evaluated and ranked using tolerance indices. The mean productivity (MP), harmonic mean (HM), geometric mean productivity (GMP), and stress tolerance index (STI) showed significant correlations with yield under both conditions. The multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index (MGIDI) suggested that genotypes G15 and G20 were better selections in acidic soil, whereas G05’s was better in the tolerance index values. Using tolerance indices can help determine the most tolerant genotypes, whereas the multiple-trait index enables researchers to assess the performance of genotypes and identify the most effective traits. These two parameters require recommendations as tools for describing tolerant genotypes in acidic soils in tropical maize breeding programs.

Keywords: Abiotic stress, maize breeding, MGIDI, tolerance indices

Key findings: The multiple-trait combination index enables researchers to identify desired maize genotypes adapted to optimum and acid soil conditions and elucidate their strengths and weaknesses. Several tolerance indices, i.e., MP, HM, GMP, and STI, revealed correlations with yield in optimum and acid soil conditions.

Lycopene is an essential antioxidant found in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) that can inhibit and prevent cell damage in the body. Thus, enhancing lycopene content is one of the crucial objectives in tomato breeding. Efforts should focus on assembling the tomato with high fruit yield and good quality by conducting transgressive segregant selection through plant breeding programs. The study aimed to select tomato lines with the potential for transgressive segregation based on high fruit yield and lycopene content. The research began in an augmented design combined with factors comprising 54 non-repeated tomato lines, compared with four repeated standard cultivars (Mawar, Chung, Karina, and Tymoti). The tomato lines’ planting into seven blocks had no repeats, while the check cultivars for comparison engaged in repeated planting in each block. The observations underwent the analysis of variance (ANOVA), path analysis, correlation, heritability (narrow sense), and transgressive segregants. Based on transgressive segregation, the high-yielding tomato lines selected bore analysis for lycopene content. Based on the plant height and productive bunches per plant (directly supporting the fruit yield), the 14 promising transgressive segregant families’ selection comprised 10 MC crosses, MC10.10, MC10.4, MC11.4, MC12.3, MC27.12, MC27.7, MC29.4, MC35.7, MC74.12, and MC8.3 and four KM crosses, KM23.2, KM26.1, KM30.5, and KM.5.5. For increased lycopene content, the five F4 families MC10.10, MC27.12, MC35.7, KM23.2, and KM30.5 showed better performance wherein selecting 10 transgressive segregant lines resulted with high lycopene content and fruit yield.

Keywords: Correlation, heritability, lycopene content, transgressive segregant, tomato

Key findings: Selected tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) lines are potentially transgressive segregants based on high fruit yield and lycopene. The results also revealed that the traits of plant height and productive bunches per plant directly influenced the fruit yield in tomatoes and showed 10 transgressive segregant lines with high fruit yield and lycopene content.

In breeding chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.), the prime objective is high-protein genotypes’ development for a balanced diet with plant-origin products. The pertinent research also aimed to develop drought-resistant and highly productive chickpea cultivars with better quality, adapting well to the soil and climatic conditions of Kazakhstan. The article summarized the results of many years of research on chickpea world collection in the dry-steppe and foothill zones of Southeast Kazakhstan. Chickpea genotypes’ characterization has included as essential base material for subsequent breeding programs with specific economically valuable traits, i.e., early maturity, high-seed productivity, seed size, plant height, height of the lower pods, and shape of the bush. In the collection nursery, 223 chickpea cultivars incurred analysis. A structural analysis ensued based upon the following characteristics, i.e., the bush structure, plant height, height of the lower pods, the number of lateral branches, the number of productive nodes, the number of pods per plant, seed weight per plant, and 1000-seed weight. On the flowering and maturity period, 132 chickpea samples were at the standard level, for which the period was 80–88 days, while 62 genotypes matured 5–6 days earlier than the standard. The use of 13 drought-resistant genotypes, i.e., 12216, 12227, 12118, 3046, 12125, 12108, 12119, 31107, 42134, 31105, 31108, 31232, and 42145 was necessary to enhance the chickpea productivity with quality through hybridization program. Overall, the study identified 42 chickpea cultivars based on growth and yield traits for chickpea breeding under the environmental conditions of Southeast Kazakhstan.

Keywords: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), world collection, conventional breeding, hybridization, drought resistance, growth and yield traits, selection, Southeast Kazakhstan

Key findings: Through the chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) breeding program, identifying droughtresistant, highly productive, and better-quality genotypes was successful. Based on the economically valuable and quality properties, the selected genotypes will serve in the parental genotypes‟ selection for crossing through conventional hybridization.

Solanaceae is one of the prominent plant families that provide medicine and food. For the diagnosis of its species (Physalis peruviana and Physalis angulata), the use of molecular markers with reliable and precise nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) ITS sequences has helped in the presumption of molecular evolution and phylogenetic studies of the plants. It precisely measured the variance between two samples of Physalis L. Purified fragments’ sequencing using BLAST to align each sequence, evaluate its relationship with other sequences, and confirm the species of different sequences. The genetic analysis program, MEGA V.11, aided in performing multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. The first sample showed a relation to the species Physalis peruviana voucher Smith 217 (WIS) placed in the GenBank with the serial number DQ314161.1 by 96.91%, which belonged to a strain located in the USA. The researcher registered the species as Physalis peruviana isolate AH-ZE1, with serial number OQ616506.1. However, the second sample, after contrasting it with the global species sequences, indicated a connection to the species Physalis angulata isolate LHR28I deposited in the Genome Bank with the serial number MK412130.1 at a rate of 98.02%, which belonged to a Spanish strain. The species’ registration by the researcher continued as Physalis angulata isolate AHZE1, sequence number OQ616509.1. The current study results revealed the diagnosis of two species of Physalis identified for the first time in Iraq, as they incur registration in the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The recording depended on the molecular characteristics’ differences in the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) region, knowing the evolutionary relationship between the Physalis species and comparing them to the sequences found in the GenBank for previously defined types. The results also showed that the ITS2 region provided success ability. Therefore, using other DNA barcodes as auxiliary factors to distinguish between Physalis species would be beneficial.

Keywords: Ground cherry (Physalis L.), phylogeny, molecular identification, ITS2, phylogenetic relationship

Key findings: The species Physalis peruviana with isolate AH-ZE1 attained registration in the GenBank with serial number OQ616506.1. The second species, Physalis angulate, with isolate AH-ZE1, also incur recording in the GenBank with serial number OQ616509.1.

Fei banana (Musa troglodytarum L.) is the only species found in the Maluku and Papua islands of East Indonesia. Distribution in Maluku is throughout Ambon, Haruku, Saparua, Nusalaut, and Seram islands. This banana is unique because it has an erect bunch, is classified as a cooking banana, and serves as a medicine. Genetic variation determination is the chief parameter for the conservation of genetic resources of Fei banana and its utilization in hybridization programs. However, there exists limited available genetic data on Fei banana in Maluku. Therefore, the study is crucial for gathering such information to help its improvement in the future. This research purposed to analyze the genetic variation of Fei bananas using RAPD markers. The RAPD profiles for eight different populations, generated with 12 random primers, revealed various levels of polymorphism. The results showed these primers generated 128 DNA fragments, where 16 were polymorphic, averaging 90–900 pb. The overall range of similarity among eight banana populations was narrow, ranging from 8.385 to 9.692, indicating a low genetic variation among Fei banana populations under study.

Keywords: Fei banana (Musa troglodytarum L.), genetic variation, genetic resources, hybridization, RAPD markers, polymorphism, Maluku Island

Key findings: The 12 primers used in eight different populations of Fei banana produced 27 monomorphic (21.09%) and 101 polymorphic (78.91%) DNA bands. The Fei banana populations, prevalent in the Maluku Islands, incur clustering in one group, with the Sangga Buana banana as an outgroup from Java, Indonesia.

The presented study sought to phenotype the rice cultivars procured from the Unique Scientific Installation (USI) – Collection of Federal Scientific Rice Centre, Krasnodar, Russian Federation, as sources of valuable grain quality traits, as well as BC₂ populations with the selection of the best genotypes for quality traits in developing the red grain rice cultivars with high nutritional properties. The studied rice plant material, grown in the artificial climate chambers of FSBSI – Federal Scientific Rice Centre, had the following conditions: temperature – 28–30 °C during the day (12 h) and 24 °C at night (12 h); illumination – 30,000 lux, and humidity = 70%. Rice determination and phenotyping for grain quality traits commenced on high-tech certified equipment per GOSTs. The experiment results had the parental genotypes used in the backcrossing program assigned to the group of medium-grain cultivars, except for the long-grain cultivars, i.e., Svetlana and Gagat. The 1000-grain weight ranged from 23.0 to 27.4 g, filminess (17.8% to 19.9%), and total milling yield (65.0% to 70.4%). Low fracturing appeared in rice cultivars, viz., Rubin, Alliance, Kurazh, Gagat, and VNIIR10163, while a high vitreosity emerged in rice cultivars Veles, Svetlana, VNIIR10163, and Khaw-sri-nin. BC₂ plant populations’ evaluation depended on the technological quality traits. The effective heterosis was evident for most grain quality traits. Rice genotypes selected based on lower fracturing and higher grain size will undergo further breeding work to develop the high-yielding rice genotypes with desirable grain quality traits.

Keywords: Rice, cultivars, backcrosses, rice breeding, technological grain quality traits, grain vitreosity, grain fracturing

Key findings: In the accelerated breeding program of rice cultivars, using the BC₂ populations helped identify the promising rice genotypes with lower fractures and a larger grain size than the parental genotypes. The best-isolated rice samples with lower grain fracturing distinctly included BC₂ Gagat/Svetlana//Svetlana, Dig.2327/Veles//Veles, and Dig.2327/Alliance//Alliance. Noting also the heterotic effects based on the grain size occurred in BC₂ populations Mavr/Svetlana//Svetlana and Mavr/Kurazh//Kurazh. These hybrid combinations and their parental genotypes are deployable in an accelerated breeding of rice cultivars.

The adverse effects of climate change and heightened soil salinity on agricultural production are definite. Halophytes serve to remove salts from soil effectively and economically. Consequently, the presented work has evaluated the impact of three halophytic species on salt-affected soil. The study used inter simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers to examine the genetic variations. Field experiments progressed on salt-affected soils around Qarun Lake’s coastal region for two consecutive seasons (2019 and 2020). The soil and plants underwent analysis using established methodologies. The findings indicated that after the fifth cutting for the three halophytic species, there was a drop in salinity indices, implying an improvement in soil quality assessments. On the other hand, six ISSR and 10 SCoT primers amplified 96 and 190 bands with 84.14% and 88.29% polymorphism, respectively. Additionally, they demonstrated numerous positive and negative markers linked to some phenotypic traits. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values were 0.51 (ISSRs) and 0.48 (SCoT), indicating that these markers were moderately informative. Heterozygosity index (He) values were 0.59 (ISSRs) and 0.57 (SCoT), implying a substantial degree of genetic diversity present within the studied species.

Keywords: Halophytic species, forage production, bioethanol, remediation, ISSR, SCoT

Key findings: Leptochloa fusca was more effective in salinity remediation, having the highest productivity and protein content (CP), hence, considered a good source for forage production. Meanwhile, Sporobolus virginicus (Smyrna) produced the utmost lignocellulosic biomass, making it a potential candidate for bioethanol production in the future. Overall, the ISSR and SCoT markers generated reliable banding patterns to evaluate the genetic variation among halophytic species.

From a nutritional and health point of view, Foxtail millet (Setaria italica [L.] P. Beauv.) is one of the valuable millets due to its adaptability to adverse environmental conditions and ideal characteristics for functional genomics studies. Despite the increased number of studies on foxtail millet globally, however, presently in Indonesia, it is an underutilized crop species. Through conventional hybridization, combining superior traits has been conducted to produce high-yielding cultivars with early maturity and medium plant stature in foxtail millet. The pertinent study aimed to elucidate the genetic diversity in F₂ populations derived from the cross of Botok-10 × ICERI-5 and approximate the broad-sense heritability and gene actions controlling various traits in foxtail millet. The study’s genetic material used 352 F₂ populations from the crossing of two potential parental genotypes of the foxtail millet: Botok-10 and ICERI-5. The results enunciated several individual F₂ populations with medium plant stature and earlier heading time compared with the parental genotypes. These potential F₂ segregants were also higher yielders than the male parent (ICERI-5). Non-additive gene action controlled the inheritance of the three targeted traits, i.e., plant height, heading time, and grain weight per plant in the foxtail millet. The heading time and grain weight per plant traits showed the highest genetic coefficient of variation (GCV) and moderate broad-sense heritability, and the plant height showed moderate GCV and low broad-sense heritability in the foxtail millet. All observed traits, except stem diameter, showed a significant positive correlation with grain weight per plant. The selection differential values indicated that the selected individuals have faster heading time and higher grain weight per plant than the overall F₂ populations.

Keywords: Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.), broad-sense heritability, gene action, kurtosis, skewness, underutilized crops

Key findings: The promising F₂ segregants derived from the cross, Botok-10 × ICERI-5, met the breeding objectives like medium plant stature, early heading, and high productivity in foxtail millet. All the vital traits were under the control of a non-additive gene action. The heading time and grain weight per plant showed the highest GCV and moderate heritability, and the plant height showed moderate GCV and low heritability.

Genetic parameters’ estimation using Hayman’s diallel approach commenced in 2023 on chili (Capsicum annuum L.) F₁ hybrid populations developed through the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The prevailing study aimed to acquire information about various genetic parameters and gene action that control the chili seeds’ viability using Hayman’s diallel analysis approach. The results revealed that all observed variables had the additive gene action managing them. The distribution of genes in the parental genotypes for the probed traits was uneven, with all features controlled by 1–2 genes. The heritability values in broad sense (79.05–96.23) and narrow sense (72.99–84.81) were high on most chili traits. The present information is suitable for determining the direction of cultivars for production in subsequent breeding activities. Information about the genetic parameters can benefit a considerable basis in future breeding programs, especially seed viability in chili.

Keywords: Additive and dominance effects, genes, genetic parameters, heritability, seed viability

Key findings: The results revealed that an additive gene action controlled all the variables. The broad sense heritability (h²bs) values were high for all the traits, while the narrow meaning heritability (h²ns) values were elevated only for some.