Citation: Nadeem T, Khalil IH, Jadoon SA (2023). Combining ability analysis for maturity and yield attributes in sweet corn across environments. SABRAO J. Breed. Genet. 55(2): 319-328. http://doi.org/10.54910/sabrao2023.55.2.5.
Summary
Early maturity and genotype by environment interaction (GEI) have always been challenging concerns for breeders in selecting appropriate parents for breeding programs. The presented study aimed to investigate early maturity and the dimension of gene action, as well as, assess the performance of half-diallel populations using eight advanced sweet corn inbred lines and their 28 F1 hybrids with two commercial checks for maturity and yield-related traits in the spring of 2018 at the Nowshera (plain) and Swat (hilly) areas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Analysis revealed significant differences among the genotypes for the studied traits over both locations. General combining ability (GCA) effects were significant for all the traits at both the agro-climatic conditions, except 100-kernel weight, with the specific combining ability (SCA) effects relevant for grain yield at both locations. The GCA-SCA ratio for studied traits indicated dominance gene action, which also gained support by higher values of SCA than GCA variances. Based on the results, the identified inbred lines SWTS-1-8 and SODS-1 serve as good general combiners for traits like earliness and grain yield attributes, making them better parents to improve the stated characteristics in sweet corn. However, the F1 hybrids, i.e., NARCCCRI-19 × CCRI-34 at Nowshera and CCRI-34 × SODS-1 at Swat, showed the best specific combiners for maturity. Likewise, F1 hybrids, i.e., SWTS-1-4 × SWTS-1-8 and SWTS-1-8 × CCRIS-34, emerged as desirable for grain yield at Nowshera and Swat, respectively. The inbred lines for the mentioned hybrids can be a source of germplasm improvement, breaking through undesirable linkages in future sweet corn breeding programs.
Sweet corn, combining ability, specific combining ability, general combining ability, Hayman’s half diallel approach, gene action
Combining ability analysis revealed that variations in the genetic magnitude over the two test locations indicated a significant role of environment on gene expression and would likely concentrate favorable alleles for the target corn yield attributes. Most of the traits showed nonadditive gene linkage, which indicates that inter matting of selected progeny in the upcoming early segregating generation obtained by crossing these parents will release hidden genetic variability through the breakage of undesirable linkages. Over-dominance gene action revealed that delayed selection could be more effective in developing early maturing sweet corn hybrids with modified plant architectures.
Citation: Amas ANK, Musa Y, Farid M, Anshori MF (2023). Genetic characteristics of F2 populations obtained through double and three-way crosses in cayenne peppers. SABRAO J. Breed. Genet. 55(2): 309-318. http://doi.org/10.54910/sabrao2023.55.2.4.
Summary
The enhancement in cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) productivity is intently needed due to the ever-increasing demand, considered a vital vegetable commodity with complete nutrition and high economic value in Indonesia. Conventional plant breeding is one of the strategies to produce superior cultivars with increased yield. Thus, the latest research aimed to identify genetic diversity and gene inheritance patterns for selecting high-yielding F2 populations of cayenne pepper made through double and three-way crosses. The said research employed an augmented design combined with a randomized complete block design as an environmental design. The research factors consisted of non-repeating cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) lines with a limited number of seeds originating from 10 parental populations. The resulting 100 and 52 F22 individual populations, obtained from double and three-way crosses, respectively, were evaluated in comparison with four control cultivars, i.e., Bara, Dewata, Ungara, and Katokkon. The non-repeated rows, divided into five blocks, included the control cultivars planted repeatedly in each block. The results indicated that almost all traits have high genetic diversity and heritability and have potential use as selection criteria. The traits plant habitus (0.135), stem diameter (0.202), number of productive branches (0.359), and fruit weight (0.171) have a direct utmost influence on yield compared with other traits; thus, these promising traits can serve as selection criteria along with yield.
Lines selection in F2 populations is most important in developing cultivars in crop plants, including cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.). The results revealed that the genetic traits of plant habitus, stem diameter, number of productive branches, and fruit weight directly impact yield compared with other traits; thus, these distinct traits can be effective selection criteria, along with yield.
J. AHMAD, A. REHMAN, N. AHMAD, J. ANWAR, M. NADEEM, M. OWAIS, M. ABDULLAH, S. GULNAZ, Y. RAMZAN, H. SHAIR, M. SALEEM, and R. SHAHZAD
Citation: Ahmad J, Rehman A, Ahmad N, Anwar J, Nadeem M, Owais M, Abdullah M, Gulnaz S, Ramzan Y, Shair H, Saleem M, Shahzad R (2023). Dilkash-20: A newly approved wheat variety recommended for Punjab, Pakistan, with supreme yielding potential and disease resistance. SABRAO J. Breed. Genet. 55(2): 298-308. http://doi.org/10.54910/sabrao2023.55.2.3.
Summary
Wheat Research Institute (WRI), Faisalabad, Pakistan, a premier foundational birthplace of the Green revolution in Pakistan, has played a vital role in attaining food self-sufficiency. Latest grown varieties have succumbed to ever-changing pathogens, unable to stand in the fields. Hence, the initiative to develop an indigenous type to withstand high disease pressure producing better grain yield transpired during 2008–2009, with the hybridization of Dilkash-20 (WBLL*2/4/SNI/TRAP#1/3/KAUZ*2/TRAP//KAUZ/5/ PB.96//LU26/HD2179). It proceeded with segregating generations from F2 to F7 from 2009 to 2016. During 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, its testing followed at station yield trials, including Preliminary (A) and Regular (B), under code V-16005. It produced a significantly higher yield (10.86% and 10.40%) than the check varieties (Faisalabad-08 [FSD-08] and Punjab-11 [PB-11]). In provincial trials, it out-yielded a check variety by 4.06%. Testing in national yield trials, line V-16005 produced 17.40% and 12.03% higher grain yield than check cultivars during 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, respectively. It yielded better when planted on the first 10 days of November with a 100 kg ha-1 seed rate and 120:90:60 NPK (kg ha-1) fertilizer rate. The Dilkash-20 variety is a medium-height (105–115 cm), semi-erect producing 425 tillers per m2, with 119 days to heading and 145–150 days to maturity. It is of excellent quality, with protein (15.1%), starch (52.7%), gluten (28.7%), and test weight (72.1 kg hl-1), highly suitable for chapatti making. It has an effectual, durable resistance against brown and yellow rusts based on adult plant resistance genes. Therefore, the Punjab Seed Council approved Dilkash-20 for general cultivation throughout the irrigated areas of Punjab.
Dilkash-20 is a novel wheat genotype with higher yield potential and disease resistance, having better quality attributes and has approval for commercial cultivation in the irrigated areas of Punjab, Pakistan.
S.P. MAKHMADJANOV, L.A. TOKHETOVA, N.M. DAURENBEK, A.M. TAGAEV, and A.K. KOSTAKOV
Citation: Makhmadjanov SP, Tokhetova LA, Daurenbek NM, Tagaev AM, Kostakov AK (2023). Cotton advanced lines assessment in the Southern Region of Kazakhstan. SABRAO J. Breed. Genet. 55(2): 279-290. http://doi.org/10.54910/sabrao2023.55.2.1.
Summary
The Turkestan region is a cotton-growing zone in South Kazakhstan, but also the northernmost cotton-growing area in the world. Annually, medium-staple cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivation occurs on 115,000–125,000 ha, with 80,000–85,000 ha grown in the Districts of Maktaaral and Zhetysay, Kazakhstan. This region is highly susceptible to salinity, drought, invasion of dangerous pests (cotton budworm, beet borer, spider mites, and aphids), and diseases (fusarium blight [wilt] and gummosis). An extremely high salt content and aridity in the arable soil are the main limiting factors of that region, hence, genotype selection through genetic principles is the most effective and economical way to reduce their negative impacts on vegetation. Therefore, the research on developing resistant cotton cultivars suitable for such soil and climatic conditions is most relevant. Considering the above situation, assessment of newly developed high-yielding cotton cultivars with fiber quality of types III–IV for tolerance to heat and drought, salinization, and pests and diseases ensued during 2019, 2020, and 2021 at the Agricultural Experimental Station of Cotton and Melon Growing, Atakent, Kazakhstan. Their promising cotton genotypes resulted from strains developed through intraspecific and interspecific diallel hybridization. The newly developed eight cotton cultivars, grown on more than 92% of the hectarage in the Southern region of Kazakhstan, are PA-3031, PA-3044, M-4005, M-4007, M-4011, Bereke-07, Myrzashol-80, and M-4017.
Long-time and extensive breeding work developed highly productive cotton cultivars of medium-staple size, grown only for 118–122 days, with a high rate of boll retention and opening, fiber yield (38.0%–39.4%), and fiber quality of type IV-IV that meets the requirements of the textile industry. In the cultivars’ testing program, promising cotton cultivars, i.e., Maktaaral-4003, Maktaaral- 4006, Maktaaral-4015, and Maktaaral-4017, excelled the standard cultivar in almost all the parameters. These cotton genotypes are sources of economically valuable traits widely used in longterm hybridization programs.
The existent research aimed to study the effects of irrigation with liquefied water, saline-well water, and foliar application of aspartic and ascorbic acids on the chemical properties of grafted orange seedlings in the years 2020–2021 at the Horticulture and Forestry Division, Najaf Agriculture Directorate, Iraq. The main plot was the irrigation water (liquefied and saline-well water). Meanwhile, foliar application of aspartic acid (0, 100, and 150 mg.L-1) and ascorbic acid (0, 4000 mg.L-1) served as the second and third factors in subplots. Compared with the saline-well water, regular liquefied water had a significant positive impact on the improvement of chemical traits, i.e., the liquefied water attained the highest rate of nitrogen content in leaves (2.600%) compared with the saline-well water (2.239%). Ascorbic acid (4000 mg.L-1) also had a significant effect on the leaf’s contents, providing the highest percentage of phosphorus (0.4060%) and reduced sodium (0.5277%) compared with the control in the leaves of orange seedlings. The saline-well water with no addition of ascorbic acid (control) provided the highest average content of the amino acid proline (132.2 μg.g-1 fresh weight) in the sweet orange leaves compared with the other treatments and their interactions. Sweet orange seedlings with foliar application of aspartic and ascorbic acids authenticated that the peroxidase activity rate appeared more effective than all other treatments and the control.
Key findings: Salinity impacts agriculture, thus the need to induce crop plants with salt tolerance to sustain their economic output. Antioxidants, such as, aspartic and ascorbic acids, have auxinic action and a synergistic effect on salinity tolerance and plant growth.
Philippine traditional maize has long existed for hundreds of years, facing and coping with continuous threats of different pests and diseases, with Asian corn borer and fall armyworm as the most damaging insect pests. Developing resistant varieties can employ rich genetic resources, as these varieties may have likely adapted to these biotic stresses. The development of ACB-resistant varieties proved successful with the Bt corn introduction; however, the attempt to breed for resistance to FAW is still underway. The two insect pests belong under the same Order, and cross-resistance between these pests may be possible. In this study, several traditional maize varieties underwent screening for resistance to ACB and FAW through larval survival on leaf-feeding assay. Among the accessions observed, three variants of APN 0120 (Silangan) and three other traditional maize (APN 0397, APN 0913, APN 0938) showed intermediate to high resistance toward FAW leaf damage. Few of these resistant varieties showed negative to Bt introgression. The most notable is the variant SI of APN 0120, with high resistance to ACB and FAW and low larval weight, without the presence of Bt. A previous report stated the original collection of this accession have potential ACB resistance, although Bt-introgressed. On the other hand, APN 0397 (Lagkitan), introgressed with Bt Cry1Ab, expressed dual resistance to ACB and FAW, too. It elucidates the reaction and potential of previously screened ACB-resistant varieties against FAW and the efficiency of Cry1Ab against FAW. It also demonstrates the potential of the traditional maize as source of germplasm to be explored to promote the utilization of open-pollinated varieties with inherent insect resistance. Moreover, this paper establishes massrearing procedures and laboratory techniques for effective fall armyworm-resistance screening using excised leaf method.
Keywords: Asian corn borer, bioassay technique, fall armyworm, host plant resistance, insect resistance, Philippine traditional maize
Key findings: Eight variants of Philippine traditional maize APN 0120 and two other conventional varieties showed potential resistance to ACB leaf feeding. In addition, three APN 120 variants and three more traditional maize exhibited possible fall armyworm leaf-feeding resistance. Dual resistance to both insect pests took notice on a few entries.
This current research proceeded during the growing season of 2021 at the Al-Nakhil Station, Al-Najaf Governorate, Iraq, to evaluate the response of hybrid tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) ‘OULA F1’ to foliar application of organic fertilizers NP and calcium. The first factor included spraying phosphorous and nitrogen with three concentrations (0, 1, and 2 ml.L-1), while the second consisted of calcium spray with three different concentrations (0, 1.25, and 2.5 ml.L-1). The experiment was setup according to the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in a factorial arrangement. The results showed that the organic fertilizer rich in phosphorus at a concentration of 2 ml.L-1 significantly improved the traits, i.e., plant height (49.98 cm), leaf number (34.80 leaves.plant1), leaf area (3775.90 cm2.plant-1), shoot dry weight (156.70 g.plant-1), and leaf content of total chlorophyll (183.19 mg.l00g-1 FW) in comparison with the control treatment. Also, the same concentration of phosphorus revealed superiority in the percentage of N, P, K, and Ca in tomato leaves and fruit yield per plant (1.79%, 0.71%, 2.23%, 1.69%, and 2.89% kg.plant-1, respectively), compared with the control treatment. Moreover, the results further revealed that the organic calcium fertilizer at a concentration of 2.5 ml L-1 realized the highest averages for plant height, leaf number, leaf area, shoot dry weight, leaf N percent, leaf P percent, leaf K percent, and fruit yield per plant by 52.39 cm, 35.27 leaves.plant-1, 3850.20 cm2.plant-1, 175.73 g.plant-1, 1.74%, 0.70%, 2.17%, and 3.12 kg.plant-1, respectively. The foliar application of calcium at a concentration of 1.25 ml.L-1 provided the maximum total chlorophyll (175.03 mg.l00g-1 FW) and Ca (1.74%) in the leaves.
Keywords: Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), organic fertilizer, phosphorus and nitrogen, calcium, total chlorophyll, growth and yield traits
Key findings: Results showed that the foliar application of organic fertilizers rich in phosphorus and nitrogen (2 ml.L-1) and calcium (2.5 ml.L-1), individually or in combination, have significantly improved most of the growth and yield traits in the hybrid tomato.
The latest study aimed to assess the response of the broad bean to the magnetically-treated irrigation water and foliar application of nano-seaweed extract for growth and productivity traits. This experiment took place during the growing season of 2020–2021 under field conditions at Al-Najaf Governorate, Iraq. Turkish broad bean cultivar ‘Luz-de-otono’ was grown in a split-plot design by two factors with three replicates. The main plots received magnetized irrigation water with three diverse intensities (zero, 1000, and 2000 Gauss), while the nano-seaweed extract with three concentrations (0, 1, and 2 ml.L-1) in the subplots. On average, the magnetization treatment at 2000 Gauss attained significant improvement in the growth and morphological traits (plant height, branch number per plant, leaf number, leaf area, and total leaf chlorophyll content) and yield traits (pod number, pod weight, plant yield, and total yield), compared with the control that gave the lowest values. Nanoseaweed foliar application at 2 ml.L-1 also revealed a significant increase and improvement in the same growth, morphological, and yield-related traits aforementioned, compared with the control treatment that gave the minimum values. Correspondingly, the interaction between both factors (magnetization intensity 2000 Gauss + Seaweed at 2 ml.L-1) also showed significant effects and provided the highest averages of plant height (36.05 cm), branch number per plant (7.04 branch.plant-1), leaf number (72.19 leaves.plant-1), leaf area (3775.88 cm2.plant-1), and total leaf chlorophyll content (45.47 mg.100 g-1 FW) and yield traits: pod number (19.11 pods.plant-1), pod weight (26.87 g), plant yield (513.49 g), and total yield (11.61 t.ha-1), compared with the control treatment.
Key findings: Irrigation water at magnetization intensity (2000 Gauss) and the exogenous application of nano-seaweed extract at 2 ml.L-1 individually and in combination have significantly enhanced the growth and yield traits in broad beans (Vicia faba L.).
F.R. HAMED, H.E.M. ISMAIL, M.F. ABO EL-MAATI, and E.M. DESOKY
SUMMARY
The vermicompost and exogenous plant extracts as a foliar application can provide as an alternative means to enhance the growth and yield of leafy vegetable crops under low-fertility soil conditions. The objectives of the recent study sought to characterize the effect of vermicompost tea in combining some natural plant extracts to enhance the growth and yield of the lettuce plant. A study on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) took place during two successive seasons, in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, using foliar spray— vermicompost-tea rates in combination with rosemary leaf extract (RLE) and eucalyptus buds extract (EBE). It sought to determine the effects on growth, yield, and some physiological and biochemical traits of lettuce (cv. ‘Dark Green’) grown on sandy soil with drip irrigation. The experiment employed the split-plot design, with four rates of vermicompost tea (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) as main plots and three plant extract levels (without, RLE, and EBE) as subplots. The vermicompost tea and plant extracts increased the growth characteristics, photochemical activity, photosynthetic pigments, relative water content, membrane stability index, excised leaf water retention, vitamins C and E, and total soluble solids in lettuce plants compared with the untreated control plots. The interaction and combined application of vermicompost tea (20%) and RLE proved most effective in enhancing the growth and yield traits and physio-biochemical properties in lettuce. Therefore, the integrative application of vermicompost tea (20%) with RLE comes highly recommended for growing lettuce in sandy soil conditions.
Keywords: Vermicompost tea, rosemary leaf extract, eucalyptus buds extract, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, vitamins C and E, total soluble solids
Key findings: The combined application of vermicompost tea (20%) and rosemary leaf extract proved the most effective treatment to enhance growth and yield traits and physio-biochemical properties in lettuce under sandy soil conditions.
A field experiment on a local peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivar transpired in the spring season of 2021 at the Al-Hussainiya region, Holy Kerbala, Iraq (Latitude: 32.6160; Longitude: 44.0249). The completed study aimed to determine peanut response to weed control, foliar application of nano-zinc, and their interaction in growth, yield, and quality traits. The experiment laid out in a split-plot design with two factors (weed control and nano-zinc foliar application) had three replications. The nano-zinc concentrations (0, 50, and 100 mg L-1) occupied the main plots, with the weed control treatments kept in sub-plots. Weed control included the control (T0 – no weed control), manual hoeing (T1), and weed control with pre-emergence (pre-em) herbicides, i.e., Trifluralin (T2) and Pendimethalin (T3), and post-emergence (post-em) herbicides, viz., Oxyfluorfen (T4) and Clethodim (T5). The results showed that post-em herbicide Oxyfluorfen gave superior enhancement on the vegetative dry weight, pods per plant, seeds per plant, total pod yield, protein, and zinc in the seeds with increased values of 52.0%, 265.1%, 254.5%, 211.9%, 13.2%, and 25.5%, respectively, compared with the control treatment. Nano-zinc (100 mg L-1) foliar application led to a significant increase in the above traits with increased rates of 2.5%, 21.2%, 40.6%, 7.4%, 8.2%, and 89.2%, respectively, compared with the control. The interaction between both factors showed significant superiority compared with no weeding and separate application of weed control combined with chemical herbicides and nano-zinc application. The interaction between the post-em weed management (Oxyfluorfen) and nano-zinc (100 mg L-1) application showed highly superior compared with other treatments in the studied traits.
Keywords:Arachis hypogaea L., nano-zinc foliar, manual and chemical weed control, herbicides, trifluralin, pendimethalin, oxyfluorfen, clethodim, protein and zinc content, growth and yield traits
Key findings: Peanut traits gained a significant and sustainable improvement in growth, yield, and quality from the post-em (Oxyfluorfen) weed management and nano-zinc (100 mg L-1) foliar application.