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 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.

The field study was commenced during the winter of 2020–2021 to study the effects of planting times and licorice extract foliar application on the growth, yield, and quality traits of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), conducted at the city of Karma, Anbar Governorate, Iraq. The experiment layout had randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a split-plot arrangement, with two factors. The planting dates November 1 and 20 and December 10, 2020 were the first consideration; the second was the licorice extract with three concentrations 0, 20, and 40 g L^-1. The results revealed early planting (first of November) of cumin led to a significant increase in all the studied traits compared with the medium- and late-planting dates. Licorice extract concentration (40 g L^-1) effectively improved growth and production characters and enhanced the oil and protein content in cumin fruits (2.62% and 18.52%, respectively). In the interaction of early planting date (November 1) and licorice extract (40 g L^-1), the highest yield (1.95 g plant^-1) appeared compared with the late planting with the control treatment, which revealed the lowest yield (0.98 g plant^-1). The results concluded increasing cumin fruit yield with improved proportions of oil and protein can result from the early planting and foliar application of licorice extract (40 g L^-1).

Keywords: Cumin (C. cyminum L.), planting times, licorice extract concentrations, photoperiods, fruits’ oil and protein content

Key findings: Results revealed by adopting early planting with licorice concentration (40 g L^-1), the cumin (C. cyminum L.) growth and yield traits and fruits’ oil and protein content can be considerably improved.