Spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivation mainly is for food, technical, and fodder crop. Drought is the major limiting factor in gross grain harvest, and the development of drought-resistant cultivars is the primary solution. The presented research aimed to assess the barley genotypes for abiotic stress caused by lack of moisture under laboratory and field conditions. The 100 genotypes of spring barley, belonging to various ecological groups, incurred evaluation under both conditions. In the laboratory setup, the drought resistance assessment of barley seedlings was in an osmotic solution of polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG-6000). Six drought resistance indices related to germination and growth rates received calculations. In the field experiment, probing drought resistance ensued through the obtained grain yield. It is necessary to add indicators for measuring the drought resistance indices of seedlings and correlation (%). The barley genotypes with various parameters showed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) varied response under the influence of moisture stress conditions. The Eastern European barley group with osmotic solution had a significantly higher root length than the control treatment. The correlation analysis proceeded between the drought resistance of barley seedlings in situ and their yield reduction intensity under field conditions. The positive and direct relationship was notable between the drought resistance indices and yield reduction in barley genotypes. The results showed the correspondence between the diagnosis of drought resistance of spring barley cultivars under laboratory and field conditions.

Keywords: Spring barley (H. vulgare L.), abiotic stress, drought resistance, polyethylene glycol 6000, drought resistance indices, grain yield

Key findings: The study comprised evaluation of spring barley (H. vulgare L.) genotypes for drought resistance under field and laboratory conditions. A positive correlation emerged between the crop drought tolerance index and root mass drought tolerance index.

The banana cultivar ‘Haji’ (Musa x paradisiaca)’ is indigenous to the Lombok Island, Indonesia. The cultivar ‘Haji’ has superior characteristics like a long shelf life, which has a great potential and contribution in the breeding enhancement. A genome group classification needs conducting to further support its breeding program. The identification of 10 accessions of cultivar ‘Haji’ found in Lombok Island progressed based on morphology and the genome group classification. The banana cultivar ‘Haji’ accessions have four defining morphological characters, i.e., a predominant underlying color of the pseudostem being pink until red, a waxy appearance of the leaf’s lower surface, a yellow-greenpink midrib ventral surface, and a horizontal bunch position. Among all accessions, the cultivar ‘Haji’ showed similarities in nine vegetative and 33 generative attributes, while the variations appeared in 14 vegetative and 15 generative traits. The genome group classification showed the banana cultivar ‘Haji’ had the ABB genome, and all the accessions had the defining characteristics of the ABB genome.

Keywords: Banana, indigenous cultivar, ‘Haji’ (Musa x paradisiaca), genome, cluster analysis, shelf life, morphological characters, leaf shape, bunch position

Key findings: Banana cultivar ‘Haji’ (Musa x paradisiaca) has autapomorphic characteristics that distinguish it from other cultivars in the ABB genome group. These include the predominant underlying color of the pseudostem being pink until red, a waxy appearance of the leaf’s lower surface, a yellowgreen- pink midrib ventral surface, and a horizontal bunch position.

A comparative study based on the genotoxicity of 9-aminoacridine (9-AA) and 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) transpired using a lux biosensor E. coli MG1655 (pColD-lux), having a recombinant plasmid with a lux operon under a gene promoter colD. The colD (cda) gene is part of the E. coli SOS regulon that also ensures DNA repair and cell resistance to DNA damage. The Gen colD (cda) includes SOS-regulon E. coli. The lux operon performs a reporter function characterizing the SOS response to DNA damage. The considered genotoxicity of 9-AA and activated UVA (λ = 365 nm) 8-MOP came from manipulating the luminescence intensity of the biosensor. The 8-MOP induction in bacteria of the SOS response depended on concentrations of UVA and 8-MOP. With higher doses of UVA, a 25-fold decrease emerged in the survival of bacterial cells (from 2х10⁸ to 8х10⁶ КОЕ), while an increase in the intensity of the SOS response by 675 times for 10⁶ cells was evident in viable cells. The DNA-damaging and lethal effect of 8-MOP in bacteria relied on the concentrations of UVA and 8-MOP.

Keywords: 9-aminoacridine, 8-methoxypsoralen, lux-biosensor, E. coli, gene promoter ColD, SOS response, UV irradiation, monoadducts, diadducts

Key findings: A comparative study of the genotoxicity of 9-aminoacridine (9-AA) and UVA-activated 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) using a lux biosensor in E. coli MG1655 (pColD-lux) showed a considerable enhancement in the SOS response. Exposure to the highest concentrations of UVA and 8-MOP resulted in a 25-fold decrease in bacterial survival and a 675-fold increase in SOS response intensity in viable cells, with DNA damaging based on their concentrations.

The Bengkulu Province in Indonesia is a natural habitat for various orchid species; however, its biodiversity currently faces threats from human activities and natural disasters. Precise identification and classification of these orchid species are essential for their future conservation. Hence, the presented study sought to characterize the 35 wild orchid accessions from Bengkulu’s forests and construct a phylogenetic tree based on morphological data. The accessions’ collection ensued through germplasm exploration conducted in Bengkulu Province. Then, growing the collected accessions ex situ pursued evaluating their morphological characteristics. Evidently, the 597 sub-characters observed were polymorphic (99.66%) and monomorphic (0.34%) in nature. Using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) at a 40% similarity coefficient, the existing accessions could result into 11 groups, with the highest similarity coefficient (72%) observed in Flickingeria trilamellata and Flickingeria sp. The relevant findings can serve as the reference for mitigating wild orchids in Bengkulu Province from extinction.

Keywords: Wild orchid, landraces, morphological traits, phylogenetic tree, similarity matrix, cluster analysis

Key findings: The wild orchids need preservation to save them from extinction. Natural orchids are an important genetic source to benefit the development of commercial orchids.

Fusarium disease presents a formidable challenge to shallot (Allium cepa L.) production globally, necessitating a profound understanding of the plant’s defense mechanisms. Secondary metabolites play a pivotal part in plant-pathogen dynamics, yet their roles against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae (FOC) in shallots remain underexplored. In the presented study, the use of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) helped profile the secondary metabolites in six shallot genotypes, i.e., Bima Brebes, Sumenep, Tajuk, Katumi, Biru Lancor, and Maja Cipanas. The analysis revealed substantial variations in the quantity and diversity of compounds between the Fusarium disease infected and non-infected shallot treatments. However, the infected shallots exhibited a more pronounced metabolite profile (168 vs. 95). Notably, the susceptible shallot cultivar Katumi enunciated the highest metabolite production across both conditions. Clustering analysis identified four distinct metabolite clusters for infected and non-infected shallots. Heatmap analysis highlighted elevated levels of cholesterol derivatives, sterol, and linoleic acid in the shallot resistant cultivar Sumenep, positioning these compounds as promising biomarkers and crucial elements in the defense strategy of shallots against Fusarium disease.

Keywords: Shallot (A. cepa L.), biomarkers, clustering analysis, Fusarium disease, GC-MS, resistance mechanism, secondary metabolites

Key findings: The study unveiled significant variations in secondary metabolites between the Fusarium disease infected and non-infected shallot (Allium cepa L.). However, the infected treatments showed greater diversity and expression (168 compared with 95). Notably, in the shallot resistant cultivar Sumenep, the cholesterol derivatives, sterol, and linoleic acid were considerably higher, indicating their potential as biomarkers for resistance against Fusarium disease.

The innovative research employed rbcL (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase) primers in detecting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region on the chloroplast cpDNA of five species of the genus Rosa L., using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and phylogenetic relationship. The species are R. gallica, R. hemisphaerica, R. foetida, Rosa x damascene, and R. centifolia. The results revealed the presence of a major band (1700 bp) in all studied species. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of the rbcL gene sequence data, two major clusters were evident in the dendrogram. The species R. gallica and R. hemisphaerica have a good bootstrap value of 99%. The rest of the three species (R. centifolia, R. foetida, and Rosa x damascene) has a bootstrap value ranging between 55%–57%. The study also authenticated the species R. hemisphaerica and R. foetida were newly recorded species in the international GenBank NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information).

Keywords: Rosa L. species, chloroplast DNA, identification, ITS, phylogenetic analysis, rbcL gene

Key findings: Using the rbcL gene of chloroplast (DNA), the study identified five different species belonging to the genus Rosa L. (Rosaceae) grown in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

Molecular information has been available about the genome of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), which include about 18 nucleus’ chromosomes, one chloroplast chromosome, and more than 100 main genes with a total sequence length of proso millet 854,793,052 nucleotides. All chromosomes also differed in total length, ungapped length, Scaffold N50, and spanned gaps, however, did not differ in scaffold count and unspanned gaps. All genes in the genomic classification resulted into 17 groups according functions. Therefore, some genes encode functional enzymes with links to organelles in the cytoplasm and inside the nucleus to perform a specific function or structural proteins involved in plant biosynthesis. The 17 groups observed had main functions of the protein (ribosomal RNA protein, ATP synthase enzyme, NADH-plastoquinone oxidoreductase enzyme, cytochrome protein, photosystem, ribosomal Protein L, ribosomal Protein S, RNA polymerase, tRNA protein, Hypothetical chloroplast RF, and single proteins). The genes also differed in size, and the smaller gene included 65 nucleotides, while the bigger gene included 2883 nucleotides. The local variety of millet grown in Iraq possesses most genes registered among the international millet varieties of the Gene Bank, according to the National Center for Biotechnology. This study validated such results of gene detection.

Keywords: Proso millet (P. miliaceum L.), molecular studies, gene map, chromosomes, gene functions, nucleotides, proteins

Key findings: The presented molecular study detected 17 functional gene groups in the local cultivar of Proso millet (P. miliaceum L.).

The heat shock protein (HSP) plays an essential role in adaptation mechanisms under heat stress conditions. This work aimed to explore the response of HSP across seven diverse bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars. The utilized dual approach combined biochemical assessment via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) with molecular analysis through a quantitative RT-PCR. Seedlings of seven wheat commercial cultivars sustained exposure to thermal shock conditions of 45 °C for 4 h compared with a control temperature of 25 °C to elicit HSP production in significant quantities. Among the tested cultivars, Sids.1, Misr.2, and Giza.168 exhibited the highest levels of heat shock proteins, with distinct bands observed at 83, 71, 37, 36, and 31 kDa. Conversely, Gemmeiza.11 displayed the least heat shock proteins, characterized by a single band at 32 kDa. Furthermore, the thermal shock treatment affected the quantity and diversity of proteins produced by Gemmeiza.10 and Gemmeiza.7 by reducing observed bands under treated conditions. Real-time qPCR analysis proceeded to evaluate the expression of HSP genes utilizing RNA extracts from Sids.1 and Gemmeiza.10. The Sids.1 exhibited robust gene expression while Gemmeiza.10 displayed a low gene expression. The detected expression of HSP22 suggests a plausible involvement in conferring heat tolerance in bread wheat.

Keywords: read wheat (T. aestivum L.), differential heat shock response, heat shock proteins, gene expression analysis, environmental stress adaptation

Key findings: Bread wheat (T. aestivum L.) cultivar Sids.1 exhibited resilience to heat stress, contrasting with the other genotype Gemmeiza.10, which showed higher susceptibility. Tolerant genotypes to heat stress displayed increased HSP gene expression compared with sensitive varieties.

Dendrobium contains alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and triterpenoids, which served as medicines, including antioxidants and skin brighteners. The presented research sought to determine the conservation through morphological and phytochemical characterization and the potential of native orchids of Dendrobium in Lampung, Indonesia. This research transpired on the entire native collection of Dendrobium at the Liwa Botanical Garden, West Lampung, Indonesia, particularly, 13 samples with four Dendrobium species (D. nobile, D. purpureum, D. minutigibbum, and D. montanum) as comparative controls. Morphological characterization relied on 13 leaf and nine phytochemical characters using the spot test method. The results showed six of the 13 traits, i.e., leaf shape, width, length, shape, tip shape, and cross-section, could be beneficial in identifying orchid species. Cluster analysis on morphological traits based on the phenetic and PCA analyses enunciated positive correlation in the native Dendrobium species identification. The phytochemical characterization revealed Dendrobium contained alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and triterpenoids with potential as herbal medicines. The results indicated leaf morphology and phytochemical characterization can be applicable for identifying plant types and their potential.

Keywords: herbal medicines, leaf traits, phytochemicals, morphological characterization, native Dendrobium

Key findings: In morphological characterization, 13 leaf traits emerged as key characters in identifying the Dendrobium species. Phytochemical characterization of Dendrobium exhibited contents of the alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and triterpenoids, with the potential as herbal medicines.

Snake fruit (Salacca spp.), also called Salak, is a unique tropical fruit. The salak wild germplasm is distinct in Aceh, Indonesia, and with its larger variation, it has the potential for further development through breeding. Therefore, in Aceh, the identification and relationship of various salak accessions are necessary in producing superior genotypes; however, complete information is still unavailable. The presented study aimed to construct the relationship about the salak found in Aceh using the trnL-F intergenic spacer sequence. The salak different accessions collected from several areas in Aceh included the Seulawah Valley, Montasik, Sabang, Kutacane, and Leuser Ecosystem. In the phylogenetic tree construction, using the maximum parsimony (MP) and neighbor-joining (NJ) methods helped in the Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (PAUP). The results showed there are 206 parsimony informative characters to construct a phylogenetic tree. The MP cladogram separated the 18 salak wild and cultivated accessions into two groups. Based on the NJ analysis, evolutionarily wild type salak is assumedly the most primitive accession and could have genes for the various traits that may disappear in cultivated types due to domestication pressure. The same was also valid from the neighbor-joining cladogram with the shortest clade branch.

Keywords: Salak, cultivated types, wild type, maximum parsimony method, neighbor-joining method, PAUP, trnL-F intergenic spacer

Key findings: Relationship information of the salak (Salacca spp.) is crucial in developing future superior genotypes. Based on molecular data, the cladogram was able to separate the salak wild and cultivated types. Evolutionarily, the wild type could be the most primitive accession and seemed to have viable genes for the various traits.