Identification of efficient inbred testers to strengthen established heterotic groups in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br)

Pearl millet has two major heterotic groups, HGB (Heterotic Group B) and HGR (Heterotic Group R), each with unique genetic backgrounds and traits. Leveraging appropriate genetic resources is crucial for enhancing the potential of these heterotic groups in hybrid breeding programmes. Testers are essential in this context, determining the combining ability of new breeding lines and accurately assessing the performance and potential of parental lines in hybrid combinations. Two sets of test crosses were produced using line x tester mating design: Set 1 with six HGB testers crossed with new restorer lines and Set 2 with six HGR testers crossed with new seed parental lines, evaluated at multiple locations in India. Testers were evaluated for their effectiveness using multiple criteria, such as rank correlation analysis for line performance in hybrid combinations, discrimination ability, general combining ability, per se performance and Biplot analysis. These assessments determined their relative ranking, with HGB1-T3, HGB2-T3, HGR1-T1 and HGR2-T1 identified as efficient testers. The genetic analysis helps identify efficient testers for selecting superior genotypes, thereby enhancing heterotic group performance by incorporating appropriate new breeding material

New insights into QTNs and potential candidate genes governing rice yield via a multi-model genome-wide association study

Background Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the globally important staple food crops, and yield-related traits are prerequisites for improved breeding efficiency in rice. Here, we used six different genome-wide association study (GWAS) models for 198 accessions, with 553,229 single nucleotide markers (SNPs) to identify the quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) and candidate genes (CGs) governing rice yield. Results Amongst the 73 different QTNs in total, 24 were co-localized with already reported QTLs or loci in previous mapping studies. We obtained fifteen significant QTNs, pathway analysis revealed 10 potential candidates within 100kb of these QTNs that are predicted to govern plant height, days to flowering, and plot yield in rice. Based on their superior allelic information in 20 elite and 6 inferior genotypes, we found a higher percentage of superior alleles in the elite genotypes in comparison to inferior genotypes. Further, we implemented expression analysis and enrichment analysis enabling the identification of 73 candidate genes and 25 homologues of Arabidopsis, 19 of which might regulate rice yield traits. Of these candidate genes, 40 CGs were found to be enriched in 60 GO terms of the studied traits for instance, positive regulator metabolic process (GO:0010929), intracellular part (GO:0031090), and nucleic acid binding (GO:0090079). Haplotype and phenotypic variation analysis confirmed that LOC_OS09G15770, LOC_OS02G36710 and LOC_OS02G17520 are key candidates associated with rice yield. Conclusions Overall, we foresee that the QTNs, putative candidates elucidated in the study could summarize the polygenic regulatory networks controlling rice yield and be useful for breeding high-yielding varieties

Applying Spatial Analysis to Assess Crop Damage: A Case Study of the Pakistan 2022 Floods

Pakistan is highly flood-prone and faces a growing risk of water-related disasters due to predicted impacts of climate change. From 1950 to 2021, each of the major floods claimed more than 400 lives in Pakistan, except the 1950 flood that claimed at least 2,000 lives. The latest flood in 2022 resulted in 1,678 deaths, which included 555 children. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 55,000 square kilometers of land were flooded. This report presents how spatial analysis could be used to assess flood damage to agricultural production by applying the analysis to the 2022 Pakistan floods. It recommends that spatial analysis capacity should be established within government agencies to ensure better preparedness for mitigating damages of future water-related disasters. Using spatial analysis and a spectral mapping technique, the 2022 flood damage was assessed for four periods during June–September 2022 in Pakistan. The assessment conducted during the first half of September 2022 indicated that about 15% of crop areas were modestly or severely damaged. The accuracy of the technique was verified by cross-checking with data gathered at the actual locations on the ground. Subsequently, a monthly damage assessment system has been established and is circulating monthly reports to government agencies to help them prepare for future floods and other crop damage. Spatial mapping can also be used to assess the impact of crop disease, pest infestations, drought, and others, and to inform policy makers and decision makers about situations pertinent to the national food supply, export earnings, and crop insurance. Spatial mapping can provide estimations of crop health for a wider area and do so faster than ground estimations, which require large amounts of resources, such as labor and transport, and are difficult to implement after floods or other natural hazards. Key recommendations to facilitate the use of technology to enhance crop monitoring are as follows: (i) increase the number of geographic information system and remote sensing specialists in relevant government agencies such as crop reporting services and statistics offices; (ii) integrate the use of spatial analysis into statistical reporting systems to improve their accuracy and timeliness. The spatial analysis can provide preliminary results that can be verified by field observations; (iii) familiarize policy makers with and enable them to interpret spatial analysis results to help them make more effective decisions. Circulate periodic spatial analysis reports among policy makers to earn their trust in the analysis; and (iv) plan policy actions for early detection of crop damage, rapid field verifications, mobilization of adequate financial and material resources, and effective communications with affected populations. Images from spatial analysis can be released through media or posted on government websites

Production and cultivation dynamics of millets in India

Millets gained a great attention at the global level in 2023 which is celebrated as the “International Year of Millets” to create awareness to eventually promote consumption and production. An attempt is made here to understand the cultivation and production dynamics of millets as influenced by their demand and supply. We also assess challenges and emerging opportunities to make millets more productive, competitive, and relevant to future farming. Millets registered a 60% decline in area and a 200% rise in productivity, but production has remained the same during the last seven decades. The demand of millets decreased as food due to greater incentives (purchasing grain at a pre-determined price) and policies (distribution of grains to the public at a subsidized rate) in favor of wheat and rice. Millets would play a greater role in future agriculture due to challenges posed by climate change, limited water supply, and reduced agro-biodiversity. This would need a much greater intensity of investment in millet research and adequate support as extended to wheat and rice. Increased emphasis on their genetic improvement and agronomic management is required to develop cultivars, using new tools and technologies, with high production potential and adequate environmental adaptation to make millets competitive with other crops. Mainstreaming the nutritional traits in millet breeding is also critically important to develop high-yielding cultivars with improved grain quality traits. Promoting millet consumption would remain the key issue for increasing their demand as food, feed, and industrial raw materials through policies and awareness programs. Strengthening of value chain will help in diversifying agri-food production system and creating an ecosystem for millet promotion

Agricultural Produce Supply Chain Network of Capsicum: Empirical Evidence from India

Vegetables are important for both nutritional and economic stability and contribute significantly to the agricultural landscape of India. The demand for vegetables is rising, driven by population growth and increased awareness of their benefits. This empirical study highlights the dynamics of agricultural production supply chain networks of capsicum crops in the northwestern Himalayan region, specifically Himachal Pradesh, India. The study employs the Acharya approach to analyse the various marketing channels utilized by farmers in the capsicum supply chain. This methodology sheds light on the economic nuances at each stage and examines marketing channels, costs, margins, price spread and marketing efficiency. Simultaneously, the Garrett ranking method is applied to discern and prioritize constraints faced by farmers. This comprehensive approach ensures a nuanced understanding of the economic and logistical intricacies of capsicum marketing. The analysis of marketing channels reveals five distinct pathways employed by farmers, with Channel-C (Producer–Commission Agent–Retailer–Consumer) standing out as the most dominant, representing 47.25% of the total quantity. Moreover, Channel-A (Producer–Consumer) proves to be the most cost-effective for producers and boasts the highest producer price, while Channel-C, involving commission agents, incurs higher costs. This suggests a preference for intermediaries, emphasizing factors like market access and negotiation skills, whereas Channel-D (Producer–Local Trader–Wholesaler–Retailer–Consumer) has the highest gross marketing margin, emphasizing the trade-offs between efficiency and transaction volume. The results indicate that while Channel-A is the most efficient, it is not the preferred choice due to the lower transaction quantity. Further, the absence of market consultation services, inadequate road infrastructure, high commission charges, nonremunerative prices and untimely availability of vehicles are the major constraints in marketing. The findings of the study call for targeted interventions to create a more robust and farmer-friendly marketing environment for capsicum crops in the region. The study proposes targeted recommendations, emphasizing collaborative efforts between stakeholders, government bodies and farmers. This research contributes to the academic discourse and also offers actionable insights for researchers and policymakers, fostering sustainability, profitability and equity within the capsicum supply chain

Pearl Millet Breeding for Enhancing Yield and Stability: Strategies, Achievements, and Perspectives

Pearl millet is cultivated under the most adverse agro-climatic conditions challenged by low and erratic rainfall, high mean temperature, high potential evaporation, and infertile and shallow soils with poor water holding capacity resulting in the huge temporal and spatial variation in its productivity and unstable production. The objective of this chapter is to review the strategies for achieving higher productivity and greater stability in India and Africa and to suggest future approaches and necessary interventions in pearl millet breeding meet the forthcoming challenges to provide higher and stable yields. The major strategies for enhancing yield included strategic use of germplasm resources and cultivar development (mostly hybrids) with targeted traits as per the requirement of production ecologies. On the other hand, the approach to augmenting stability has been improving genetic resistance to diseases, increasing tolerance to abiotic stresses, and addressing regional adaptation. Following the adoption of high-yielding, disease-resistant and drought-tolerant cultivars and crop production technology, pearl millet productivity has been consistently increasing in India. In view of increasing demand of pearl millet grain and stover in future, the higher yields are to be targeted. Pearl millet cultivation is likely to become more challenging because of predicted intense drought stress, rise in temperature, and greater disease incidences in sub-Sahara Africa and South Asia; yields must be increased at a much faster rate with greater stability in challenging agro-ecologies. Speed breeding and molecular-marker assisted breeding are going to play a very important role to enhance genetic gains in future. Heterotic grouping of hybrid parental lines would be an important strategy to increase the magnitude of heterosis on a long-term basis. Mainstreaming the bio-fortification is essentially needed to amalgamate higher productivity with nutritional traits to address both energy and micronutrient malnutrition issues

Phenotypic profiling of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) accessions enabled identification of promising lines for use in breeding for high yield, early flowering and desirable traits

In the face of climate change, developing resilient crops is crucial for global food security in the 21st century to feed a growing population. Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) plays a vital role in ensuring global food and nutritional security. Traits like early flowering enable the crop to mature faster, thereby shortening the growing window and reducing yield losses caused by moisture and heat stresses during the reproductive phase. However, issues like limited genetic diversity in this trait remain unaddressed. To address this gap, our study aims to comprehensively assess genetic variability and trait associations in 158 lentil accessions. In the present study, we observed significant variations for days to 50% flowering (67–90 days), days to maturity (109–122 days) and 100 seed weight (1.69–2.68 g) throughout a period of two consecutive years (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). The observed variability in these traits offers a valuable avenue for the improvement of lentil yield through targeted selection and hybridization. Additionally, correlation analysis showed negative correlation between days to 50% flowering and grain yield per plant, while plant height had a significant (P < 0.01) positive correlation with all traits except yield per plant. Furthermore, we identified specific germplasm with exceptional traits that hold significant potential for future breeding programmes. The genotypes EC 223197-A and EC 267696 were identified for early flowering with high yield, and other genotypes that were identified for various traits would serve as breeding material for the introgression of these traits into elite cultivars

Advances in Pearl Millet Hybrid Breeding and Development of Parental Lines`

Significant heterosis, stable male sterility systems, effective fertility restoration, and ease in selfing and crossing enabled breeders to enhance genetic gains in pearl millet through hybrid breeding. More than 50 years of breeding efforts in India and elsewhere utilizing germplasm from Asian and African regions have led to the development of a diverse array of trait- and adaptation-specific seed and restorer parental lines in productive backgrounds. Clarity on product profiles in breeding programs, maintaining significant genetic diversity among breeding lines, keeping seed and restorer parents in two separate heterotic pools, strong screening protocols for biotic and abiotic stresses, using molecular markers to select traits of interest, and utilization of tools to predict heterosis will be the key factors to move further in enhancing the hybrid potential of this crop in different regions of the world

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Strigolactone (SL) Pathway and Associated Genes in Sorghum

Strigolactones (SLs) are a novel class of plant hormones that play critical roles in reg-ulating developmental processes and stress tolerance. Even though the SL-related genes have been identified and characterized in model plants such as Arabidopsis and rice, characteri-zation of SL-related genes in crop plants, partic-ularly dry land crops like sorghum (Sorghum bi-color), have yet to be fully explored. In this study, the SL-pathway and associated genes and their expression patterns under abiotic stress were systematically identified and characterized in the sorghum. This study identified the SL path-way and associated genes, including biosyn-thesis (D27, CCD7, CCD8, MAX1 and LBO) and signaling (D14, MAX2, D53). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all SL-related genes are highly conserved among plant species. Further-more, the expression analysis showed that most SL-related genes are involved in cold, drought and simulated drought/ABA stress response. These findings provide valuable information for further investigation and functional characteri-zation of SL-biosynthetic and signaling genes in response to abiotic stresses in sorghum

Dynamics of soil quality in a conserved landscape in the highland sub humid ecosystem, Northwestern Ethiopia

Several studies have assessed the dynamics of soil quality induced by soil and water conservation (SWC), but many showed disagreement over the efficacy of SWC interventions in the Ethiopian highlands. This study used a before and after soil and water conservation practices (SWCP) comparison approach to evaluate the effect of SWCP on soil quality dynamics. Fifty-four composite and 10 undisturbed soil samples were collected in 2012 (before SWCP) and 2022 (after SWCP). Statistical mean, analysis of variance, and principal component analysis were applied to test the significant differences among treatments. The findings demonstrated that SWCP has significantly improved most of the soil quality indicators such as soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, pH, total porosity, field capacity, and available water, and reduced the value of bulk density and coarse fragments. The interaction effect of landscape position and types of structures provided statistically significant results for soil organic matter, total nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, and base saturation. Soil and stone-faced soil bunds treated at lower landscapes were superior in improving soil quality attributes. The soil quality indexing showed, the overall soil quality improvement as a result of SWCP was about 32.15%. The level of improvement for different SWCPs was 32% for stone faced soil bunds and 33% for soil bunds. The findings revealed that SWCP implementation can improve soil quality. Soil organic matter is a key biological quality component that contributed 25% to the soil quality index and highly impacted soil physicochemical properties. We suggest additional assessment of best and integrated land management practices to ensure further improvement in soil quality, crop productivity, and ecosystem services in the subhumid ecosystems