Genetic analysis of harvest index in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) via diallel crosses

The F1 and F2 progenies of the eight-parent diallel crosses were used to investigatethe mode of inheritance of harvest index (HI) (%) in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)seeds. The results indicated significant differences among the parents for general (GCA)in two evaluated generations. Specific combining ability (SCA) was significant in F1generation. Furthermore, the estimates of genetic variance components and predictabilityfactor (PF) proposed the more importance of additive genetic effects that contribute togenetic variation in harvest index. The overall results indicated that C4110 was the bestparental genotype for increasing HI (%). Also, superior crosses of K21× 22-191 (F1generation) and 22-191×C4110 (F2 generation) could be employed for the production ofhigh seed yielding safflower lines in breeding programs

Genetic Analysis of Agronomic Traits in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.)

Genetics of agronomic traits in safflower was determined using 6×6 full diallel population. Data were recorded on days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, primary branches per plant, head diameter, number of heads per plant, number of seeds per head, 1000-seed weight and seed yield per plant. Variance components showed that days to maturity and heads per plant were largely controlled by dominance gene effects, whereas 1000-seed weight, plant height and seeds per head were governed by additive type of gene action. The results also revealed both additive and non-additive types of gene actions for remaining traits. The significant mean squares of reciprocal crosses for days to flowering, head diameter, number of seeds per head, 1000-seed weight and seed yield per plant suggested that maternal inheritance also played an important role in the inheritance of these traits. Significant general combining ability for yield revealed that genetic improvement through accumulation of desirable alleles from parents in the target genotype using appropriate selection methods would be desirable in safflower

Combining ability × environment interaction and genetic analysis for agronomic traits in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.): biplot as a tool for diallel data

Combining ability × environment interaction is considerable to identify the effect of environment on the combining ability and gene action of the traits to select appropriate parents for safflower hybrid production. The 36 genotype (28 F2 progenies of eight-parent half-diallel crosses across 8 parental genotypes) of safflower were studied to investigate the mentioned parameters across different geographical regions of Iran. The results indicated significant differences among parents for general and specific combining ability, except for seeds per capitulum across three environments. The overall results indicated that K21 and Mex.22-191 were excellent parents with greater general combining ability for the improvement of seed yield in safflower. The K21 × Mex.22-191 hybrid could be, therefore, employed for the production of high seed yield in safflower breeding. The estimates of genetic variance components recommended the importance of additive- dominance genetic effects that contributed to variation in yield per plant. Such gene action expression for seed yield needs auxiliary methods based on hybridization and selection for seed yield advancement in safflower

The effects of salt stress on physio-biochemical traits, total phenolic and mucilage content of <i>Plantago ovata</i> Forsk under <i>in vitro</i> conditions

Plantago ovata Forsk (psyllium) is an important source of mucilage which is an ingredient in certain drugs and foodstuffs. The calli of 14 genotypes of psyllium were cultured on MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) medium containing 0, 100, and 200 mM NaCl, for four weeks, and the effects of salt stress on the following callus traits were evaluated: growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), relative water content (RWC), Na+ concentration, K+ concentration, K+/Na+ ratio, proline content, total phenolic compounds (TPC), and mucilage content. A reducing trend was observed in GR, RGR, RWC and K+/ Na+ of the callus cultured in the medium with 100 mM NaCl, comparing to NaCl-free medium, while an increasing trend was observed in Na+ content, proline content, and TPC under the same conditions. Mucilage content of callus was found to increase in the medium containing 100 mM NaCl (0.13 g g-1 DW) but decreased afterwards at 200 mM NaCl (0.117 g g-1 DW), albeit with significant variations among genotypes. The results showed that among evaluated genotypes, Isfahan-1 was the most salt tolerant genotype at cellular level. In addition, the highest mucilage content was obtained in Khor-Biabanak genotype when the calli grown at 100 mM NaCl. It was postulated that mucilage content likely to be associated with salt tolerance and could be exploited to counteract the negative osmotic potential in callus affected by salt stress in P. ovata

EVALUATION OF DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN DIFFERENT GENOTYPES OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L.)

ABSTRACT In order to study the effect of drought stress on sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) genotypes, a split plot experiment was carried out based on a Randomized Completely Block Design with two replications. The irrigation regimes compromised of Full irrigation (I 1 ), Moderate drought stress (I 2 ) and severe drought stress (I 3 ). The subplots were allocated to ten different genotypes of sesame. In this experiment different characteristics including plant height, number of the primary branches, number of capsules, 1000-seed weight, number of seeds per capsule, seed yield, biological yield and harvest index were measured. Analysis of variance showed that there was significant difference between genotypes for all of the studied traits, except for harvest index (%). Irrigation intervals had significant effects on number of primary branches per plant, seeds per capsule, 1000-seed weight, biological yield and seed yield. Interaction effect of irrigation ×genotype was significant for plant height, number of capsules per plant, seed yield and biological yield. Different tolerance indices including MP, TOL, SSI, STI and HM were calculated the highest value for seed yield was observed in in Darab14 (2079.1) (Kg/m 2 ). So, this superior genotype could be proposed for cultivation in arid regions

Genetic Variation in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) for Seed Quality-Related Traits and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) Markers

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) is an oilseed crop that is valued as a source of high quality vegetable oil. The genetic diversity of 16 safflower genotypes originated from different geographical regions of Iran and some with exotic origin were evaluated. Eight different seed quality-related traits including fatty acid composition of seed oil (stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid), the contents of, oil, protein, fiber and ash in its seeds, as well as 20 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) polymorphic primers were used in this study. Analysis of variance showed significant variation in genotypes for the seed quality-related traits. Based on ISSR markers, a total of 204 bands were amplified and 149 bands (about 70%) of these were polymorphic. Cluster analysis based on either biochemical or molecular markers classified the genotypes into four groups, showing some similarities between molecular and biochemical markers for evaluated genotypes. A logical similarity between the genotype clusters based on molecular data with their geographical origins was observed

Preliminary phytochemical screening, evaluation of the phenolic compositions and antioxidant activities of four Iranian Alyssum species

Background: Alyssum L. is a genus of herbaceous perennial or annual plants belonging to the Brassicaceae family. Little is known about biochemical properties of Alyssum species, specially endemics to Iran. In particular, the species were A. homolocarpum (Fisch. &amp; C.A.Mey.) Boiss., A. lepidotum Boiss., A. maritimum (L.) Lam. (now syn. of Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.) and A. simplex Rudolph. and eight accessions were studied. These diverse species accessions were collected in six different areas. Materials and Methods: In this work, the Total Phenolic Content (TPC), the Total Flavonoid Content (TFD), the Total Flavonol Content (TFL), the Carotenoid content (Car) and the Anthocyanin content (Ant) of the leaf methanolic extracts of four Alyssum L. species collected in Iran, were assessed. The antioxidant activity assay for every extract obtained from the eight accessions was also carried out according to three distinct methodologies including three different methods including: DPPH, Beta carotene/ linoleic acid and phosphomolibdate assays. Results: The highest TPC, TFD and TFL values were separately observed in two different accessions of A. lepidotum whereas the highest carotenoid content was observed in one accession of A. homolocarpum and the highest anthocyanin content was observed in A. maritimum. Different results were observed for different methodolies for antioxidant evaluations methods and some of them were found to have values, expressed in mg/mL, much lower with respect to the control. The least DPPH activity and the highest total antioxidant activity with phosphomolybdate assay was found in A. lepidotum. Conclusion: The preliminary phytochemical screening and the evaluation of their antioxidant activities were reported here for the first time for Iranian Alyssum species. The findings eventually recommends, the use of those accessions in the ethnopharmacological and nutraceutical fields

Genetic analysis of agro-morphological traits in promising hybrids of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT; mso-fareast-language: SL;" lang="DE-AT">The main objective underlying sunflower breeding programs is to develop high-yielding productive F₁ hybrid cultivars. This study was conducted to investigate the genetic control of some agro-morphological traits of new sunflower F₁ hybrids. For this purpose, fourteen inbred lines of sunflower were crossed with three male sterile inbred lines. Their hybrids (14 hybrids) were then evaluated against three control cultivars. The data thus obtained were analyzed using the nested model (North Carolina Design І) as a completely randomized block design (CRBD) with four replications. Analysis of variance showed that the hybrids were significantly different in all the traits studied, except for head and stem diameters. From among the hybrids evaluated, Cms19 × Rn1-81 was found to have the highest seed yield and oil content. Cluster analysis classified the hybrids into four different groups. Genetic analysis showed that days to maturity, seed weight, and oil content (%) were under the additive gene action. Breeding strategies based on selection could be suggested for the improvement of these traits. Head angle, head diameter, seed yield, and oil yield were under the dominance gene action; breeding based on hybridization methods is, therefore, proposed for these traits. Finally, both additive and dominance gene actions were observed to play important roles in the genetic control of plant height and stem diameter.</span></p

Physiological and biochemical mechanisms of grain yield loss in fumitory (Fumaria parviflora Lam.) exposed to copper and drought stress

Abstract Soil contamination with heavy metals adversely affects plants growth, development and metabolism in many parts of the world including arid and semi-arid regions. The aim of this study was to investigate the single and combined effects of drought and copper (Cu) stresses on seed yield, and biochemical traits of Fumaria parviflora in a split – factorial experiment at Research Field of Payam-E-Noor university of Kerman during 2019. The collected seeds from two Cu contaminated regions were evaluated under drought and Cu (0, 50, 150, 300, and 400 mg/kg) stresses. Drought stress levels were depletion of 50% (D1), 70% (D2) and 85% (D3) soil available water. The individual effects of drought and copper stresses were similar to each other as both reduced seed yield. The highest seed yield was observed at Cu concentration of 50 mg/kg under non-drought stress conditions. The maximum values of malondialdehyde (0.47 µmol/g), proline (2.45 µmol/g FW), total phenolics (188.99 mg GAE/g DW) and total flavonoids (22.1 mg QE/g DW) were observed at 400 mg/kg Cu treatment. However, the strongest antioxidant activity (83.95%) through DPPH assay, and the highest total soluble carbohydrate (115.23 mg/g DW) content were observed at 300 and 150 mg/kg Cu concentration under severe drought stress, respectively. The highest amount of anthocyanin (2.18 µmol/g FW) was observed at 300 mg/kg Cu and moderate drought stress. The findings of this study showed a high tolerance of F. parviflora plant to moderate drought stress and Cu exposure up to 150 mg/kg by modulating defense mechanisms, where grain yield was slightly lower than that of control. The results could also provide a criterion for the selection of tolerance species like F. parviflora for better acclimatization under Cu mines and/or agricultural contaminated soils subjected to drought stress