The impact of PEG-induced drought stress on seed germination and seedling growth of different bread wheat genotypes

Wheat is an important crop, used as staple food in numerous countries around the world. However, wheat productivity is low in the developing world due to several biotic and abiotic stresses, particularly drought stress. Non-availability of drought-tolerant wheat genotypes at different growth stages is the major constraint in improving wheat productivity in the developing world. Therefore, screening/developing drought-tolerant genotypes at different growth stages could improve the productivity of wheat. This study assessed seed germination and seedling growth of eight wheat genotypes under polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced stress. Two PEG-induced osmotic potentials (i.e., -0.6 and -1.2 MPa) were included in the study along with control (0 MPa). Wheat genotypes included in the study were ‘KLR-16’, ‘B6’, ‘J10’, ‘716’, ‘A12’, ‘Seher’, ‘KTDH-16’, and ‘J4’. Data relating to seed germination percentage, root and shoot length, fresh and dry weight of roots and shoot, root/shoot length ratio and chlorophyll content were recorded. The studied parameters were significantly altered by individual and interactive effects of genotypes and PEG-induced osmotic potentials. Seed germination and growth parameters were reduced by osmotic potentials; however, huge differences were noted among genotypes. A reduction of 32.83 to 53.50% was recorded in seed germination, 24.611 to 47.75% in root length, 37.83 to 53.72% in shoot length, and 53.35 to 65.16% in root fresh weight. The genotypes, ‘J4’, ‘KLR-16’ and ‘KTDH-16’, particularly ‘J4’ better tolerated increasing osmotic potentials compared to the rest of the genotypes included in the study. Principal component analysis segregated these genotypes from the rest of the genotypes included in the study indicated that these can be used in the future studies to improve the drought tolerance of wheat crop. The genotype ‘J4’ can be used as a breeding material to develop drought resistant wheat genotypes

Assessment of Human Health Risk of Zinc and Lead by Consuming Food Crops Supplied with Excessive Fertilizers

For the study of heavy metals impact on human beings, areas in Sargodha city that were supplied with various types of fertilizers were chosen. The three industrial areas; (Bhalwal, Sillanwali, and Sahiwal) of this city were explored for research reasons. The researchers wanted to know how much heavy metal was in the soil, food crops, and human. Excess fertilizer use contributes to global pollution. Farmyard manure, urea, and potassium chloride were used on Site 1; urea phosphate, manure, and ammonium sulphate were used on Site 2; and super phosphate, ammonium phosphate, and nitrate phosphate were used on Site 3. Samples of commonly used food crops, their respective soils and blood of residents who ingested the food crops of the studied area were collected. The zinc and lead levels in soil (8.30-16.80 and 1.80-12.71 mg/kg) and food crops (0.26-2.02 and 2.26-4.70 mg/kg) were far lower than WHO permitted limits. Blood mean concentration of both Zn (2.30-4.30 mg/L) and Ni (0.24-0.70 mg/L) were found maximum in residents of Site 3. The values of pollution load index, bioconcentration factor, enrichment factor for both zinc and lead were (0.18-0.37 and0.220-0.948), (0.027-0.138 and 0.316-1.705), (0.020-0.144 and 0.515-2.780), respectively. Daily intake of metal (0.004-0.008 and 0.001-0.002 mg/kg/day) and health risk index (0.0001-0.016 and 0.005-0.115) values were observed to be lower in individuals for Zn and Pb, respectively. In present work values of all pollution indices wereSo, there would be no human health hazard

Effects of Fertilizers on Copper and Nickel Accumulation and Human Health Risk Assessment of Vegetables and Food Crops

Despite the fact that fertilizers have been used for millennia for sustainable crop production, this high and considerable dependence on fertilizers heightens environmental concerns with the indirect human exposure due to accumulation of toxins in food chain via soil contamination. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the application of fertilizers to the soil and their effect on the accumulation of copper and nickel in spinach (Spinacia oleracea), garlic (Allium sativum), wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays), and barley (Hordeum vulgare); as well as potential health concerns associated with consuming vegetables cultivated on this contaminated land. Samples of available soil, food crops, and human blood were collected from three different Tehsils: Bhalwal, Sahiwal, and Silanwali and were regarded as site 1, site 2 and site 3 respectively. Urea, farmyard manure, and potassium chloride were delivered to Site 1; urea phosphate, manure, and ammonium sulphate were delivered to Site 2; and superphosphate, ammonium phosphate, and nitrate phosphate were delivered to Site 3. Data was subjected to statistical analysis for computing out ANOVA and correlation. Analysis revealed that minimum copper concentration was found in the soil of T. aestivum grown at Site-1 while the inhabitants of Site 3 had the highest concentration of Cu in their blood. The highest level of HIR was found in the human beings that ate the S. oleracea grown at Site 3. It is strongly advised that fertilizers be used sparingly, as their excessive use can cause human health risks

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF RELATIVE CELL INJURY PERCENTAGE AND SOME YIELD CONTRIBUTING TRAITS IN WHEAT UNDER NORMAL AND HEAT STRESS CONDITIONS

Several wheat genotypes were screened against heat stress. Seven wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars obtained after screening against heat classified as tolerant, moderately tolerant, and susceptible to heat stress, were mated in a complete diallel mating system to study the inheritance pattern of relative cell injury percentage (cell injury %) and some yield contributing parameters under normal and heat stress conditions. Significant genotypic differences were found (P < 0.01) for all the studied traits under both regimes. The scaling test disclosed partial adequacy for traits such as days to heading and days to maturity, but for flag leaf area and relative cell injury %, it showed full sufficiency under both environments. The model for grain yield per plant and biomass per plant were fully adequate under normal conditions, but partially adequate under stress. The harvest index showed partial adequacy under normal conditions, but was fully adequate under stress. The additive component of genotypic variation (D) was significant for all studied traits and more significant than the H1 and H2 dominance components. Values of the gene proportion with positive and negative effects in the parents (H2/4H1) demonstrated an unequal distribution of dominant genes in the parents for almost all the traits except for flag leaf area, grain yield per plant, and harvest index which showed an equal distribution of dominant genes under stress conditions. High heritability estimates were found for days to heading, days to maturity, flag leaf area, grain yield, and relative cell injury percentage under both regimes. Moderately high estimates were found for biomass per plant and harvest index

Estudos de vigor híbrido para diferentes produtividades do trigo sob condições normais e de estresse por calor

Terminal heat stress is among one of the major constraints in wheat productivity in many countries of the world including Pakistan. To combat this natural calamity,one hundred spring wheat genotypes were assessed for heat stress tolerance under plastic sheet tunnel resulting in seven parents with varied heat stress tolerance. The seven parents including tolerant, moderately tolerant and susceptible but high yielders were later hybridized in a 7×7 diallel fashion. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for all the studied traits.The heterosis and heterobeltiosis estimates revealed that thereisdesirable hybrid vigor in the current studies for all the traits evaluated.For grain yield maximum heterosis of 28.70% under normal and 27.02% under heat stress conditions were observed. Regarding heterobeltiosis it remained at 15.58% under normal and 13.62% under heat stress conditions. Similarly desirable negative results were obtained for relative cell injury%, days to heading and maturity and positive significant heterosis and heterobeltiosis was obtained for flag leaf area, biomass per plantand harvest index%. The cross combinations like Inqilab-91×Shalimar-88, Shalimar-88 × Maya/Pavon, Chenab-2000 × Punjab-85, Maya/Pavon × Chenab-2000, Shalimar-88 × Uqab-2000 and Uqab-2000 × Maya/Pavonhave shown good hybrid vigor in terms of various traits studied. Suggestively, they may be further exploited following pedigree or bulk method to develop heat tolerant wheat varieties because of their ability to perform well under normal and even diverse environments.Estresse por calor está entre um dos maiores problemas quanto à produtividadede trigo em muitos países do mundo, incluindo o Paquistão. Para combater esta calamidade natural, cem genótipos de trigo de primavera foram avaliados quanto à tolerância ao estresse térmico sob túnel plástico, resultando em sete pares com tolerância variada a esse estresse. Os sete pares incluindo tolerantes, moderadamente tolerantes e suscetíveis, com exceção do mais elevado foramhibridizados em um esquema7 × 7, emformadialélica.A análise de variância reveloudiferenças significativas paratodas as características estudadas. As estimativasde heterosee heterobeltioserevelaram que há desejávelvigor híbrido,nos estudosatuais, paratodas ascaracterísticas avaliadas.Para a produção de grãoshouve heterosemáxima de28,70%sob condiçõesnormais e27,02%sob condições de estresse térmico. Quanto àheterobeltiose,manteve-se em15,58%normais e13,62%sob condições de estressetérmico.Da mesma forma,desejáveis resultados negativosforam obtidos para% em relação à lesão celular, aos dias para crescimento e maturidade e positivaheteroseeheterobeltioseforam obtidaspara a áreada folha, a biomassa por planta eíndice de colheita%. Ascombinações híbridascomoInqilab-91 ×Shalimar-88, Shalimar-88 ×Maya/Pavon, Chenab-2000 ×Punjab-85, Maya /Pavon×Chenab-2000, Shalimar-88 ×Uqab-2000 e Uqab-2000 ×Maya/Pavontêm mostradovigor híbridobom em termos devárias característicasestudadas.Sugestivamente, eles podem ser mais explorados,seguindométodo genealógicoou a granelpara desenvolvervariedades de trigotolerantesao calordadasuahabilidade de desenvolver-se bemem condições normaise até mesmo emdiversos ambientes

Estudos de vigor híbrido para diferentes produtividades do trigo sob condições normais e de estresse por calor

Terminal heat stress is among one of the major constraints in wheat productivity in many countriesof the world including Pakistan. To combat this natural calamity,one hundred spring wheatgenotypes were assessed for heat stress tolerance under plastic sheet tunnel resulting in sevenparents with varied heat stress tolerance. The seven parents including tolerant, moderately tolerantand susceptible but high yielders were later hybridized in a 7×7 diallel fashion. Analysis of variancerevealed significant differences for all the studied traits.The heterosis and heterobeltiosis estimatesrevealed that thereisdesirable hybrid vigor in the current studies for all the traits evaluated.For grainyield maximum heterosis of 28.70% under normal and 27.02% under heat stress conditions wereobserved. Regarding heterobeltiosis it remained at 15.58% under normal and 13.62% under heatstress conditions. Similarly desirable negative results were obtained for relative cell injury%, days toheading and maturity and positive significant heterosis and heterobeltiosis was obtained for flagleaf area, biomass per plantand harvest index%. The cross combinations like Inqilab-91×Shalimar-88,Shalimar-88 × Maya/Pavon, Chenab-2000 × Punjab-85, Maya/Pavon × Chenab-2000, Shalimar-88 ×Uqab-2000 and Uqab-2000 × Maya/Pavonhave shown good hybrid vigor in terms of various traitsstudied. Suggestively, they may be further exploited following pedigree or bulk method to developheat tolerant wheat varieties because of their ability to perform well under normal and even diverseenvironments.Estresse por calor está entre um dos maiores problemas quanto à produtividadede trigo em muitospaíses do mundo, incluindo o Paquistão. Para combater esta calamidade natural, cem genótiposde trigo de primavera foram avaliados quanto à tolerância ao estresse térmico sob túnel plástico,resultando em sete pares com tolerância variada a esse estresse. Os sete pares incluindo tolerantes,moderadamente tolerantes e suscetíveis, com exceção do mais elevado foramhibridizados em umesquema7 × 7, emformadialélica.A análise de variância reveloudiferenças significativas paratodasas características estudadas. As estimativasde heterosee heterobeltioserevelaram que hádesejávelvigor híbrido,nos estudosatuais, paratodas ascaracterísticas avaliadas.Para a produçãode grãoshouve heterosemáxima de28,70%sob condiçõesnormais e27,02%sob condições deestresse térmico. Quanto àheterobeltiose,manteve-se em15,58%normais e13,62%sob condições deestressetérmico.Da mesma forma,desejáveis resultados negativosforam obtidos para% em relaçãoà lesão celular, aos dias para crescimento e maturidade e positivaheteroseeheterobeltioseforamobtidaspara a áreada folha, a biomassa por planta eíndice de colheita%. AscombinaçõeshíbridascomoInqilab-91 ×Shalimar-88, Shalimar-88 ×Maya/Pavon, Chenab-2000 ×Punjab-85, Maya/Pavon×Chenab-2000, Shalimar-88 ×Uqab-2000 e Uqab-2000 ×Maya/Pavontêm mostradovigorhíbridobom em termos devárias característicasestudadas.Sugestivamente, eles podem sermais explorados,seguindométodo genealógicoou a granelpara desenvolvervariedades detrigotolerantesao calordadasuahabilidade de desenvolver-se bemem condições normaise atémesmo emdiversos ambientes. Hybrid vigor studies for different yield contributing traits inwheat under normal and heat stress conditionsAbstractTerminal heat stress is among one of the major constraints in wheat productivity in many countriesof the world including Pakistan. To combat this natural calamity,one hundred spring wheatgenotypes were assessed for heat stress tolerance under plastic sheet tunnel resulting in sevenparents with varied heat stress tolerance. The seven parents including tolerant, moderately tolerantand susceptible but high yielders were later hybridized in a 7×7 diallel fashion. Analysis of variancerevealed significant differences for all the studied traits.The heterosis and heterobeltiosis estimatesrevealed that thereisdesirable hybrid vigor in the current studies for all the traits evaluated.For grainyield maximum heterosis of 28.70% under normal and 27.02% under heat stress conditions wereobserved. Regarding heterobeltiosis it remained at 15.58% under normal and 13.62% under heatstress conditions. Similarly desirable negative results were obtained for relative cell injury%, days toheading and maturity and positive significant heterosis and heterobeltiosis was obtained for flagleaf area, biomass per plantand harvest index%. The cross combinations like Inqilab-91×Shalimar-88,Shalimar-88 × Maya/Pavon, Chenab-2000 × Punjab-85, Maya/Pavon × Chenab-2000, Shalimar-88 ×Uqab-2000 and Uqab-2000 × Maya/Pavonhave shown good hybrid vigor in terms of various traitsstudied. Suggestively, they may be further exploited following pedigree or bulk method to developheat tolerant wheat varieties because of their ability to perform well under normal and even diverseenvironments

The Arabidopsis GPI-Anchored LTPg5 Encoded by At3g22600 Has a Role in Resistance against a Diverse Range of Pathogens

Arabidopsis contains 34 genes for glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored LTPg proteins. A motif analysis has placed these into four groups. With one exception, all are produced with a signal peptide and are most likely attached to the cell membrane via the GPI anchor. Several of the LTPg genes across the four groups are downregulated in syncytia induced by the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. We have here studied At3g22600 encoding LTPg5, which is the most strongly downregulated LTPg gene. It is mainly expressed in roots, and a promoter::GUS line was used to confirm the downregulation in syncytia and also showed downregulation in galls of the root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. In contrast, infection with bacteria (Pseudomonas syringae) and fungi (Botrytis cinerea) led to the induction of the gene in leaves. This diverse regulation of LTPg5 indicated a role in resistance, which we confirmed with overexpression lines and a T-DNA mutant. The overexpression lines were more resistant to both nematode species and to P. syringae and B. cinerea, while a knock-out mutant was more susceptible to H. schachtii and P. syringae. Thus, LTPg5 encoded by At3g22600 is part of the Arabidopsis resistance mechanism against pathogens. LTPg5 has probably no direct antimicrobial activity but could perhaps act by associating with a receptor-like kinase, leading to the induction of defense genes such as PR1

Resistance to Cereal Cyst Nematodes in Wheat and Barley: An Emphasis on Classical and Modern Approaches

Cereal cyst nematodes (CCNs) are among the most important nematode pests that limit production of small grain cereals like wheat and barley. These nematodes alone are estimated to reduce production of crops by 10% globally. This necessitates a huge enhancement of nematode resistance in cereal crops against CCNs. Nematode resistance in wheat and barley in combination with higher grain yields has been a preferential research area for cereal nematologists. This usually involved the targeted genetic exploitations through natural means of classical selection breeding of resistant genotypes and finding quantitative trait luci (QTLs) associated with resistance genes. These improvements were based on available genetic diversity among the crop plants. Recently, genome-wide association studies have widely been exploited to associate nematode resistance or susceptibility with particular regions of the genome. Use of biotechnological tools through the application of various transgenic strategies for enhancement of nematode resistance in various crop plants including wheat and barley had also been an important area of research. These modern approaches primarily include the use of gene silencing, exploitation of nematode effector genes, proteinase inhibitors, chemodisruptive peptides and a combination of one or more of these approaches. Furthermore, the perspective genome editing technologies including CRISPR-Cas9 could also be helpful for improving CCN resistance in wheat and barley. The information provided in this review will be helpful to enhance resistance against CCNs and will attract the attention of the scientific community towards this neglected area

Evaluation of nickel toxicity and potential health implications of agriculturally diversely irrigated wheat crop varieties

Nickel (Ni) is essential for plant metabolism but is dangerous to most plants and other organisms when present in large concentrations. In this study, nickel (Ni) was chosen as an important environmental pollutant and toxic substance due to its widespread availability, and high persistence, causing soil pollution and serious environmental problems. The main aim of the study is to determine the Ni content in various wheat varieties and soil grown in various water regimes (sewage water, groundwater and industrial water) in Punjab, Pakistan. The Ni concentrations were determined via the ecological environment (water, soils) and below (roots) and above-ground plant organs (shoots and wheat grains) and phytostabilization potential assessment using various pollution indices. The results showed that the mean Ni concentration in different wheat varieties varied from 1.35 to 2.45 mg/kg, 1.17 to 2.42 mg/kg, 1.09 to 2.10 mg/kg and 0.99 to 1.54 mg/kg in soil, root, shoot, and grains, respectively. Research findings also revealed that the nickel concentration in soil and grains is within the safe limits and all the indices for Ni are less than 1. As a result, the studied wheat cultivars appear to be safe for consumption. However, it can be said that the continuous use of wastewater for irrigation may pose health risks for living things in the food chain