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.

An increased intensity of agricultural mineral fertilizers’ use to raise crop yields has disrupted the soil’s natural balance. Researchers worldwide continually analyze biological factors in farming systems as a transitional stage to organic farming to increase soil fertility. The presented study pursued evaluating the effect of organic products on the yield and quality indicators of chickpeas in the continental climate of the Kostanay Region, Republic of Kazakhstan. In this study, the chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivar Yubileinyi, sown with four variants, used various biological preparations and a control (pure sowing). The plant samples’ analysis ensued in the laboratory of the State Institution Republican Scientific and Methodological Center of Agrochemical Service, with the field experiments established in the Zarechnoye Agricultural Experimental Station Limited Liability Partnership. The object of the study was the cultivar. During the probe period, the experimental site climate had a continental characteristic, meteorological conditions were arid, and the hydrothermal coefficient was 1.0. Based on various experiment variants and the biological preparations, chickpea grain yield ranged from 8,740 to 13,699 kg ha^-1 compared with the control treatment (7,980 kg ha^-1). The chickpea’s quality indicators also showed improvements, and the grains harvested from one hectare contained 245.6 kg of protein and 62.4 kg of carbohydrates. The significant yield improvement in chickpeas was due to increased organic active substances in the different preparations used during the study.

Keywords: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), biological nitrogen, nodule bacteria, biological preparations, grain yield, biochemical traits, quality traits

Key findings: The biological preparations, viz., Baikal EM-1 and Rizovit AKS, compared with the mineral fertilizer (double superphosphate), significantly enhanced the growth and yield traits of the chickpea crop.

Improving rice (Oryza sativa L.) quality is crucial to obtaining local rice with better genetic potential and superiority. The research aimed to construct a CRISPR/Cas9 module cassette and introduce the construct into rice to develop a new non-transgenic superior Mentik Susu variety with early maturity, short stem, high yield, and resistance to bacterial leaf blight. The annealed oligonucleotides of gRNA spacers of the HD2 gene ligated into pDIRECT-21A vector plasmid used the golden gate reaction to construct a CRISPR/Cas9 module cassette. The recombinant plasmid’s verification by digestion engaged a combination of KpnI-HindIII restriction enzymes and Sanger DNA sequencing. The Agrobacterium-mediated co-transformation procedure introduced the CRISPR/Cas9 cassettes (four module cassettes with different gRNAs of the genes, i.e., GA20ox-2, OsCKX2, OsSWEET11, and HD2) into the rice genome with immature rice embryos as explants. Molecular analysis of the transformed T0 putative lines ensued to identify the insertion of T-DNA fragments (containing the Cas9 and hptII genes) and the occurrence of mutagenesis employing PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. The result showed that the CRISPR/Cas9 cassette vector containing the Cas9 gene and the targeted gRNA construction succeeded. Rice transformations of Mentik Susu have generated 157 T0 putative lines, with several of the lines harboring the Cas9 and hptII genes detected positively. Sanger DNA sequencing analysis demonstrated that eight rice lines had a mutation occurrence in the target genes, i.e., two mutations in the OsGA20ox line, five mutations in the OsSWEET11 lines, and one mutation in the Gn-1a (OsCKX2) line. Based on these results, it is probable that the mutant lines also have a phenotype change that is beneficial to produce promising rice genotypes with early maturing, short stems, high yield, and bacterial leaf blight resistance.

Keywords: Oryza sativa L., Mentik Susu rice cultivar, genome editing, CRISPR/Cas9, mutagenesis, early maturity, high yield

Key findings: The presented research has successfully constructed the CRISPR/Cas9-gRNA-HD2 vector cassette and introduced the construct into rice cv. ‘Mentik Susu’ to edit the HD2 gene for developing an early-maturity rice cultivar. Genome editing of the multiple-gene targets (GA20ox-2, OsCKX2, OsSWEET11, and HD2 gene) in rice cv. ‘Mentik Susu’ has resulted in obtaining several rice lines with the CRISPR mutated genes.

The technology based on CRISPR/Cas9, one of the potential solutions recognized for addressing the worsening situation of fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense ‘Tropical Race 4’ (TR4) plaguing the Philippine banana industry, still lacks information on its use to target host resistance in Philippine bananas. This study reports the elucidation of the gene sequence of chitinase homologs chit6 and chac in the leading Philippine dessert banana varieties, ‘Lakatan’ and ‘Latundan,’ and the design, selection, and pre-validation of sgRNAs using in vitro cleavage assay. Multiple sequence alignment revealed the conserved sites, SNPs, and indels. Evolutionary analysis disclosed that the pattern of nucleotide substitution resulted in an overall bias in favor of adenine and thymine changing to cytosine and guanine. It said transitions outnumber transversions typical of clonally propagated crops. The in silico prediction initially identified a total of 58 sgRNAs for chit6 and 68 sgRNAs for chac, with 58.62% and 58.97% found across ‘Latundan’ and ‘Lakatan’/’Mapilak’ backgrounds, respectively. A design criteria imposition for plants and consideration of the predicted efficiency and localization of sgRNAs along the targets narrowed down the sgRNAs. Four selected efficient sgRNAs were demonstrated to cleave all targets under in vitro assay with Cas9, showing its potential for gene editing by the SDN-1 or SDN-2 mechanism. With unavailable protocols for embryogenic cell suspension and corresponding delivery systems for these varieties, this in vitro approach provides a strategy to identify potential sgRNAs to streamline resources for the gene-editing pipeline and a guide to employing CRISPR/Cas9

Keywords: Banana, chitinase, CRISPR/Cas9, in vitro cleavage assay, Foc TR4, sequence variation

Key findings: This reports the elucidation of the full-length sequence of the chitinase gene homologs chit6 and chac in the leading Philippine dessert banana varieties ‘Lakatan,’ its mutant derivative ‘Mapilak,’ and ‘Latundan,’ revealing conserved sites, point mutations, and their classification. The selection criteria employing in silico prediction resulted in designing and selecting efficient sgRNAs that exhibited cleavage of designated targets in all genomic backgrounds evaluated under in vitro cleavage assay, offering valuable information for prospective research harnessing CRISPR/Cas9 to manipulate chit6 and chac for breeding TR4 resistance or functional studies in ‘Lakatan’/’Mapilak’ and ‘Latundan.’

The high temperature during crop growing seasons is prevalent in the Indo-Gangetic region, causing heat stress to the plants. Heat stress in wheat is a threat to food security and agricultural sustainability. Finding a heat-stress stable wheat genotype is a timely demand. A field study scrutinized 60 genotypes, designed with five different sowing dates, each with 10-day intervals, to identify the stable one. All the growth parameters showed significant responses to terminal heat stress effects. Wheat yield declined by 20%–57% with the successive heat-stress increases with late sowing dates. Most plant growth parameters had a similar or slight variation in genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV). The higher PCV in pollen sterility, chlorophyll content, and the number of filled grains than GCV indicates environmental influence on the expression of the characters studied. These parameters also showed a direct positive effect on crop yield when analyzed in their path coefficients. Genotype performance in yield incurred heat-stress tolerance index tests and revealed that Sourav, Gourav, SA-8, Chyria 3, CB-47, and Sabia genotypes had suitable tolerance, stress-susceptibility, and high-yield stability indexes, indicating higher yields in stress condition. AMMI analysis also showed a significant variation, and the genotypes SA-8, Chyria 3, Pavan, DSN-117, and Sonalika were the most stable. The most unstable genotypes were SA-2, Kheri, and FYN-PVN. The genotypes SA-8, Chyria 3, Pavan, DSN-117, and Sonalika can benefit further breeding as sources of genetic material to develop heat-tolerant, high-yielding wheat varieties.

Keywords: Wheat, heat stress, heat tolerance indices, stability model (AMMI), stable genotypes

Key findings: Heat stress significantly affected all the yield-contributing parameters, causing yield reduction at late sown dates by 20%–57% than the optimum planting date. Yield-contributing parameters which had high heritability also influenced environmentally, among the 60 genotypes of wheat SA-8, Chyria 3, Pavan, DSN-117 and Sonalika showing stable performance under different heat-stress conditions, opposite to the SA-2 genotype. The selected materials can further benefit as source materials to develop heat-tolerant, high-yielding wheat varieties.