A current study assessed the leaf anatomical and molecular characteristics of eight species of the genus Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), i.e., E. craspedia Boiss, E. denticulate Lam., E. falcate L., E. hirta L., E. helioscopia L., E. peplus L., E. kansuensis L., and E. macroclada Boiss ,collected from several districts of the Middle and Northern Iraq. The anatomical result refers to a uniseriate epidermis (single layer), except for the species E. kansuensis and E. peplus, wherein the upper epidermis recorded a variable thickness among the species. The highest epidermis thickness (28 μm) was visible in the species E. falcata, while the mean decreased to 17 μm in the species E. helioscopia. Based on the anatomical attributes, further species groupings resulted in two. In the first group, the leaf’s cross-section was unifacial, with the palisade tissues on both sides of the blade. This group included E. hirta, E. peplus, E. macroclada, and E. denticulata. Contrastingly, the second group has a bifacial leaf, with the mesophyll distinguished as palisade and spongy. The said group comprised the E. craspedia and E. helioscopia species. In the genus Euphorbia species, the study of the genetic relationship continued according to the sequencing method of rbcl and matk genes. The results revealed that most species samples showed light bands, characterized by their intensity ranging from 800 to 1000 bp. The highest recorded genetic affinity through the rbcl gene emerged in E. denticulata and E. kansuensis, whereas the lowest was in E. macroclada and E. hirta. Based on matk gene results, the highest genetic affinity observed resulted in the species E. kansuensis and E. denticulata with an average value of 0.0160, with the lowest recorded in the species E. helioscopia and E. peplus with a value of 0.1307.

Keywords: Euphorbia, taxonomy, leaf anatomical traits, rbcl and matk genes sequencing

Key findings: Taxonomic Study, including molecular and anatomy of leaves and anatomical characteristics’ molecular diagnosis, used the rbcl and matk genes to distinguish the eight species of the genus Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae) that grows in the central and northern areas of Iraq. Based on anatomical and genetic similarities and differences, the study results classified the species into various groups.

Banana (Musa acuminata) is a tropical fruit plant vigorously growing in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia. Despite its prevalence in different Musa acuminata cultivars, the LCYB gene expression and morphological and physiological traits remain unexplored. Therefore, the presented study sought to examine the manifestation of the LCYB gene and analyze various morphophysiological features. The promising research focused on probing the five cultivars of banana, specifically M. acuminata var. breviformis, M. acuminata var. tomentosa, M. acuminata var. malaccensis (Ridl.), M. acuminata var. microcarpa (Becc.), and M. acuminata var. rutilifers. The morphological observations revealed these cultivars have no prominent distinctions in stem size, fruit characteristics, banana blossom, and leaf traits. Remarkably, cultivar Rutilifers showed the highest carotenoid and total chlorophyll content levels. Inversely, the banana cultivars Breviformis and Microcarpa exhibited comparatively lower contents of physiological parameters than the other cultivars. Likewise, by analyzing the LCYB gene expression, it was evident that the cultivar Tomentosa displayed the superior level, followed by the cultivar Malaccensis. Conversely, the cultivar Microcarpa exhibited the lowest LCYB gene expression. To summarize the results, the applicable study enunciated a significant relationship between the LCYB gene expression and the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents across the various banana cultivars.

Keywords: Banana (Musa acuminata) cultivars, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, LCYB gene expression, Musa acuminata, Tomentosa

Key findings: LCYB gene expression and morphophysiological traits significantly differed among Musa acuminata Indonesian local cultivars.

Maize incurs many diseases, but stalk rot has badly influenced the crop yield. A pathologist, extension worker, or experienced farmer can only identify susceptible stalks to determine the accurate application of fungicide to the crop. It is rigorous for the farmers of developing countries to hire them in time. Moreover, a variation in the views of professionals leads to incorrect findings. In this manuscript, pathologists’ discoveries have become a standard to compare the farmer’s detections with an intelligent-based model. The Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) employment sought to identify the resistant and susceptible stalk against stalk rot. The Maize and Millet Research Institute Yousafwala, Sahiwal, was the chosen field for experimentation. Gathering resistant and vulnerable images from maize germplasm, having local origins, progressed via a smartphone. The CNN architecture’s exploration classified the images into two resistant and susceptible classes. The P value (0.00001) calculated by the Chi-square method for resistant and predisposed groups showed highly significant results. An 83.88% achieved accuracy came from the CNN, while 49.5% of the accuracy resulted from the farmer. Recording recall ratio and precision of 0.766 and 0.896 occurred for resistant, and 0.911 and 0.796 were the recordings for susceptible classes by deep learning technique, respectively. The proposed approach is an influential source of detection of resistant lines against stalk rot disease by minimizing the need for pathologists, extension workers, or experienced farmers. It will help farmers to identify the quantity of fungicide against stalk rot and explore lines for resistant breeding programs.

Keywords: Extension worker, disease, CNN, deep learning

Key findings: The proposed model identified the resistant lines against stalk rot more accurately, benefiting breeding programs for improving existing high-yielding varieties.

The presented study assessed 27 Indian mustard (Brassica juncea [L.] Czern & Coss) genotypes for 13 quantitative and one biochemical trait by a PCA-dependent multivariate analysis, which split the total divergence into 14 accountable principal components among them. The first five PCs, which showed an Eigenvalue of more than one, contributed significantly to about 76.35% of the total divergence. Interpretation of the PCA-Biplot declared that the genotypes, namely, two and 11, mostly subsidized the overall variance, which is about 20% and 17%, respectively. The study of the bar plot of contribution percentage presented relevance with the PCA-biplot study, which again indicated the significance of genotypes two and 11 in total variance. The biplot analysis revealed that traits, NSB and SYP, contribute appreciably to the variation of the genotypes placed in the second coordinate, showing a detrimental interference with PC 1 and positive interference with PC 2. Likewise, in the third coordinate, traits, such as LMS, influenced the variance of the genotypes of that coordinate. The percentage contribution study for features in the first and second PCs revealed that characteristics, such as, LMS, PH, NSMS, BYP, NSS, and SYP participated prominently to accelerate the total variance. This research work can be a groundwork for further crop improvement featuring the studied materials.

Keywords: Indian mustard, diversity, multivariate analysis PCA, biplot analysis, oil content

Key findings: The study summarized genotypes, BR-23, Parbati mustard, and PDZ-1, as sponsoring maximum to the entire variance presented, and traits, such as, LMS, PH, NSMS, BYP, NSS, and SYP, predominantly attributed to the variation represented by these genotypes.

Chalcone synthase (CHS) is an essential rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin pigments found in plant organs, such as, flowers and fruits. The CHS gene family appears in all flowering plants. Here, we searched and characterized the CHS genes from different flowering plants. Database search resulted in identifying Chalcone synthase genes from 29 diverse plant species. Phylogenetic analysis indicated significantly higher similarity between the various CHS genes, divided into at least six closely related rooted clades. Gene structure analysis identified the relative sizes and positions of UTRs, introns, and exons. Protein sequence alignment specified more than 95% similarity between the CHS genes, with eight highly conserved domains of different lengths. Likewise, in-depth analysis showed the presence of three highly conserved motifs in the protein sequence of all the 29 chalcone synthase genes. Physicochemical properties, such as, molecular weight, instability index, aliphatic index, hydropathicity (GRAVY), length, and isoelectric point (pI) of the CHS genes were significantly similar. Furthermore, the predicted 3D structures of CHS genes from different plant species highly remained and are homologous to each other, indicating that the CHS family genes have significantly conserved sequences and functionality across the plant kingdom.

Keywords: Phylogenetic tree, gene length, motif analysis, protein alignment, 3D protein structure, physicochemical properties

Key findings: The bioinformatics approach used in the study gainfully identified and analyzed Chalcone synthase genes of 29 flowering plants. The various physicochemical attributes, the DNA, and the 3D protein structures of CHS genes from different plant species appeared highly conserved across the plant kingdom.

Matoa (Pometia pinnata), comprising three cultivars, i.e., green matoa (Emme Anokhong), yellow matoa (Emme Khabelaw), and red matoa (Emme Bhanggahe), belongs to the family Sapindaceae. The three cultivars have similar morphological characteristics. However, the analysis of DNA banding patterns can provide information on the genetic diversity of matoa. The presented research sought to examine the genetic diversity of matoa based on the DNA banding pattern of green, yellow, and red matoa using the RAPD technique. DNA isolated from green, yellow, and red matoa leaves’ amplification used the RAPD method with primers OPA 19, OPB 15, OPD 08, OPD 11, and OPD 13. The results showed that green and yellow matoa had a closer genetic similarity, with a coefficient of 0.698. The most distant genetic similarity came from yellow and red matoa, with a coefficient of 0.566. The number and pattern of DNA bands produced from each primer occurred at different loci among the one and other cultivars.

Keywords: DNA amplification, DNA isolation, genetic similarity, matoa (Pometia pinnata), polymorphism, RAPD primers

Key findings: The study described the genetic diversity in matoa based on the DNA banding pattern using the RAPD method. The results can serve as an indicator of genetic diversity from DNA bands and support diversity at the morphological level. The research result can help support agricultural production.

The paper presents the study of bread wheat’s chlorophyll content and grain yield traits under changing environmental conditions — optimal water supply and simulated water-deficit conditions. Selecting 15 wheat cultivars from different regions (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and CIMMYT) based on economically valuable characteristics became the specimens for the presented study that evaluated the SPAD indicators in correlation with the grain yield in bread wheat and determined the vital role of genotypes, environments, and genotype by environment interaction effects. The relationship between chlorophyll content and yield parameters under different growing conditions was also well-defined. The results revealed that ecosystems had more influence on the chlorophyll content than the wheat genotypes. Several wheat cultivars with soil moisture tolerance have gained identification, along with the correlation coefficient between chlorophyll content and grain yield under varied environmental conditions of water supply. The study validated the role of genotypes and environments in the manifestation of responses to stress conditions.

Keywords: Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), optimum water supply, water-deficit condition, chlorophyll content index, grain yield, correlation coefficient

Key findings: Climate variability for two years made it possible to determine the wheat genotypes’ potential for resistance to abiotic stress conditions. In the studied cultivars, under the relatively dry season, the chlorophyll content was about the readings of SPAD 250 at 10 units less than in the crop season with high humidity at the early wheat phase. An external factor strongly influenced the chlorophyll content, while the specificity of the cultivars was only 12.7%. The other factors, such as, the volume and pubescence of the leaf and the soil conditions, showed an impact of 15.3%.

The article presents the results of a study in the agrocenosis of soft winter wheat to determine the effects of pre-sowing and early spring application of various forms and combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash fertilizers when growing it in the leached chernozem of the Western Ciscaucasia. The soil is characteristic of a satisfactory state of the structure, density: 1.26–1.42 g/cm³; active acidity (pH): 6.29– 6.58 pH; exchangeable (pH): 5.11–5.25 units; hydrolytic: 1.94–3.05 meq/100 g; the amount of absorbed bases: 27.5–31.2 meq/100 g; cation exchange capacity: 30.6–33.1 meq. /100 g; the soil saturation degree with bases: 90.2%–94.3%; and humus content: 2.93%. Fertilizers improve the nutrient regime of the soil. The average supply level with mineral nitrogen, high and mobile phosphorus, and very high mobile potassium has been well-defined. It could lead to an increase in grain when applying N120P30K60 – 1.28 t/ha (or 24.1%), N120P90K20 – 1.47 t/ha (or 27.8%), and N120P90K60 – 1.53 t/ha (or 28.8%). The grain yield of soft winter wheat was 6.58, 6.77, and 6.83 t/ha, respectively. The protein content in the grain varied from 13.2% to 14.3%. The collection of protein per hectare was 870.5, 948.5, and 958.3 kg/ha for the treatments N120P30K60, N120P90K20, and N120P90K60, respectively. The protein in the control was equal to 554.9 kg/ha. Dispersion analysis of the study results showed the share of the contribution of the factor “combination of fertilizers” was 75.95%. Similarly, the data analysis of the conditions of the agricultural year and combinations of mineral fertilizers has a smaller share – 19.24%. With the introduction of N120P30K60 and N120P90K20, the payback of mineral fertilizers by increasing the yield of soft winter wheat grain is the largest – 6.10 and 6.39 kg/kg a.i. NPK, respectively.

Keywords: Soft winter wheat, leached chernozem, Western Ciscaucasia, mineral fertilizers, nitrogen, grain yield

Key findings: Mineral fertilizers improved the feeding system by soft winter wheat grown on chernozem soil in Western Ciscaucasia. The payback of mineral fertilizers by winter wheat with an application of N120P30K60 and N120P90K20 was the highest (6.10 and 6.39 kg/kg a.i. NPK), respectively.

Wheat yellow (stripe) rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) is a dominant type of winter wheat disease. Developing new, highly productive varieties with increased immunological indicators helps to minimize the threat of rust spread. The progressive study searched the sources of resistance to the Pst populations and determined the effectiveness of Yr genes in Southeast Kazakhstan. Immunological studies ensued during 2018–2022 at the Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant growing, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Wheat’s 23 isogenic lines and 193 winter wheat genotypes attained evaluation for their reactions against an artificially infectious background of infection mixed with Pst pathotypes. Determining the intensity of virulence, the effectiveness of Yr genes, and the resistance of genotypes to the Pst population transpired in the said region. During the vegetation period, based on weather conditions, the accumulated flow of the source, and the period of infection, wheat genotypes responded differently to the rust disease manifestation. The wheat genotypes found resistant to P. striiformis and promising for selection with immunity reached nomination. Their practical use centered on increasing the immunological potential of the new winter wheat cultivars for creation and further reducing the large-scale use of fungicides and the negative environmental consequences.

Keywords: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes, isogenic lines, P. striiformis, wheat yellow rust, wheat stripe rust, rust resistance, immunity, conventional breeding

Key findings: The winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes resistant to P. striiformis and promising for selection with immunity were notable. Their practical use centered on increasing the immunological potential of new wheat cultivars for development and reducing the large-scale use of fungicides and the negative environmental consequences.

Rock melon (Cucumis melo L. var. Cantalupensis) is a commercial-type melon with a wide distribution worldwide. Rock melons with larger fruit sizes are more in demand in restaurants, the food processing industry, and large families. In breeding for larger fruits, the increased genetic variability through introgression and recombination is the main factor; then, it can continue to purify before becoming a parental line. The presented study sought to recognize the variability of the open-pollinated population and their performance after selfing. The experiment ran from September 2021 to July 2022 at the Field Experimental Station, Politeknik Negeri Lampung, Indonesia. The experiment consisted of two sub-experiments carried out without experimental design. There was wide variability in both quantitative and qualitative variables in the open-pollinated populations, except fruit flesh color, weight, and sugar content. Population after selfing (S1 population) had more uniform qualitative traits. All the fruits sampled were medium elliptic with netted rinds followed by two-color variants (greenish yellow and green). Also, narrow variability occurred for the traits, fruit diameter, weight, and sugar content, followed by low heritability for the quantitative traits.

Keywords: Genetic variability, heritability, introgression and recombination, melon (Cucumis melo L.), open-pollinated population, quantitative and qualitative traits, selfed (S1 population)

Key findings: In F₂ segregating populations, a wide diversity of quantitative and qualitative traits proved that intercross ably maintained variability as per Handy-Weinberg equilibrium theory. Besides, the high heritability was evident for fruit shape and color traits after selfing, particularly for elongated and green color traits. They seemed like simple allelic traits.