Assessing Drought Tolerance of Newly Developed Tissue-Cultured Canola Genotypes under Varying Irrigation Regimes

This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Tolerance under Biotic and Abiotic Stresses[Abstract] Drought is a major abiotic stress that greatly affects canola growth, production, and quality. Moreover, water scarcity is projected to be more severe and frequent as a result of climate change, in particular in arid environments. Thereupon, developing drought-tolerant and high-yielding canola genotypes has become more critical to sustaining its production and ensuring global food security with the continuing population growth. In the present study, ten canola genotypes comprising six developed tissue-cultured canola genotypes, two exotic genotypes, and two commercial cultivars were evaluated under four irrigation regimes. The applied irrigation regimes were well-watered (100% crop evapotranspiration, ETc), mild drought (80% ETc), moderate drought (60% ETc), and severe drought (40% ETc) conditions. Drought-stress treatments (80, 60, and 40% ETc) gradually reduced the chlorophyll content, relative water content, flowering time, days to maturity, plant height, number of pods, number of branches, seed yield, and oil percentage, and increased proline, phenolic, anthocyanin, and glycine betaine contents. The evaluated genotypes exhibited varied responses to drought-stress conditions. The developed tissue-cultured genotypes T2, T3, and T1, as well as exotic genotype Torpe, possessed the highest performance in all evaluated parameters and surpassed the other tested genotypes under water-deficit conditions. Overall, our findings elicited the superiority of certain newly developed tissue-cultured genotypes and exotic ones compared with commercial cultivars, which could be exploited in canola breeding under water-deficit conditions.This research was funded by the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSPD-2023R730), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaKing Saud University (Riad, Arabia Saudí); RSPD-2023R73

Root Trait Diversity in Field Grown Durum Wheat and Comparison with Seedlings

Roots are important for crop adaptation, particularly in dryland environments. We evaluated root development of 37 durum wheat genotypes (modern cultivars and landraces) in the field at the adult plant stage, through a shovelomics approach. Large genotypic variability was found for root traits. Differences between the landraces and modern cultivars were the main driver of this variation, with landraces showing higher plant vigor for roots and shoots. Nonetheless, genotypic variation within groups was also observed, related to different models of root growth, largely independent of total root length. These two models represented root growth were oriented either to occupy more soil volume, or to occupy less soil volume with increased density. The field results were then compared with root data previously collected in seedlings using a filter paper-based method, to assess whether early root anticipated adult root features. Field plants showed a narrower root angle than seedlings. In particular, landraces presented a narrower root angle than cultivars, but only at seedling stage. Potentially useful correlations were found between the two growth stages for root length and number

Durum Wheat Seminal Root Traits within Modern and Landrace Germplasm in Algeria

© 2020 by the authors.Seminal roots are known to play an important role in crop performance, particularly under drought conditions. A set of 37 durum wheat cultivars and local landraces was screened for variation in architecture and size of seminal roots using a laboratory setting, with a filter paper method combined with image processing by SmartRoot software. Significant genetic variability was detected for all root and shoot traits assessed. Four rooting patterns were identified, with landraces showing overall steeper angle and higher root length, in comparison with cultivars, which presented a wider root angle and shorter root length. Some traits revealed trends dependent on the genotypes’ year of release, like increased seminal root angle and reduced root size (length, surface, and volume) over time. We confirm the presence of a remarkable diversity of root traits in durum wheat whose relationship with adult root features and agronomic performance should be explored.This study was funded by University of Alcalá Project CCGP2017-EXP/007. E.I. and A.M.C. acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Project AGL2016–80967-R), and the European Regional Development Fund.Peer reviewe

BARLEYMAP: physical and genetic mapping of nucleotide sequences and annotation of surrounding loci in barley

25 Pags.- 2 Tabls. The definitive version is available at: http://link.springer.com/journal/11032The BARLEYMAP pipeline was designed to map both genomic sequences and transcripts against sequence-enriched genetic/physical frameworks, with plant breeders as the main target users. It reports the most probable genomic locations of queries after merging results from different resources so that diversity obtained from re-sequencing experiments can be exploited. In addition, the application lists surrounding annotated genes and markers, facilitating downstream analyses. Pre-computed marker datasets can also be created and browsed to facilitate searches and cross referencing. Performance is evaluated by mapping two sets of long transcripts and by locating the physical and genetic positions of four marker collections widely used for high-throughput genotyping of barley cultivars. In addition, genome positions retrieved by BARLEYMAP are compared to positions within a conventional genetic map for a population of recombinant inbred lines, yielding a gene-order accuracy of 96 %. These results reveal advantages and drawbacks of current in silico approaches for barley genomics. A web application to make use of barley data is available at http://floresta.eead.csic.es/barleymap. The pipeline can be set up for any species with similar sequence resources, for which a fully functional standalone version is available for download.This work was funded by DGA - Obra Social La Caixa [grant number GA-LC-059-2011] and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [projects AGL2010-21929 and RTA2009-00006-C04-02]. Carlos P. Cantalapiedra is funded by [grant BES-2011-045905 linked to project AGL2010-21929]. Ridha Boudiar was supported by a Master’s fellowship from IAMZ-CIHEAM.Peer reviewe

Effects of Low Water Availability on Root Placement and Shoot Development in Landraces and Modern Barley Cultivars

Early vigor has been proposed as a favorable trait for cereals grown in drought-prone environments. This research aimed at characterizing early stage shoot and root growth of three Spanish barley landraces compared with three modern cultivars. Genotypes were grown in an automated phenotyping platform, GrowScreen-Rhizo, under well-watered and drought conditions. Seminal and lateral root length, root system width and depth were recorded automatically during the experiment. Drought induced greater growth reduction in shoots (43% dry weight reduction) than in roots (23% dry weight). Genotypic differences were larger under no stress, partly due to a more profuse growth of landraces in this treatment. Accession SBCC146 was the most vigorous for shoot growth, whereas SBCC073 diverted more assimilates to root growth. Among cultivars, Cierzo was the most vigorous one and Scarlett had the least root dry weight of all genotypes, under both conditions. Root growth was redirected to lateral roots when seminal roots could not progress further in dry soil. This study reveals the presence of genetic diversity in dynamics of early growth of barley. The different patterns of growth observed for SBCC073 and SBCC146 should be explored further, to test if they affect field performance of barley in drought-prone environment

Barleymap: localización física y genética de secuencias nucleotídicas y anotación de los loci vecinos

El acceso de los mejoradores a la gran cantidad de información de secuencias de ADN ofrece grandes promesas, pero también retos técnicos importantes. El proceso BARLEYMAP fue diseñado para mapear las secuencias de ADN genómico y transcritos contra marcos genéticos/físicos de secuencias, teniendo en cuenta las necesidades de los mejoradores de cultivos como los principales usuarios potenciales. Aunque se ha puesto a punto para la cebada, este recurso está libremente descargable y disponible para su uso con cualquier otra especie con recursos genómicos similares a los de la cebada.Peer Reviewe

BARLEYMAP: Unlocking sequence-enriched resources for breeders.

The BARLEYMAP pipeline was designed to map both genomic sequences and transcripts against sequence-enriched genetic/physical frameworks, with plant breeders and the main target users. It reports the most probable genomic locations of queries after merging results from different resources so that diversity obtained from re-sequencing experiments can be exploited. In addition, the application lists surrounding annotated genes and markers, facilitating downstream analyses.Peer Reviewe

Identification of quantitative trait loci for agronomic traits contributed by a barley (Hordeum vulgare) Mediterranean landrace

33 Pags.- 4 Tabls.- 2 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/40.htmSome Spanish barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) landraces perform better than modern cultivars at low-production sites. The objective of this study was to identify favourable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for interesting agronomic traits contributed by the landrace SBCC073. To achieve this objective, a population of 100 BC1F5 lines was derived from the cross between the elite cultivar Orria, with high productivity, and the Spanish landrace SBCC073, which was the best performer in low-production trials. The population was evaluated in field trials for 3 years (2011, 2013, and 2014) in Zaragoza, Spain. The population was genotyped with a DArTseq genotyping-by-sequencing assay. A genetic linkage map was developed by using markers of four flowering-time genes and 1227 single-nucleotide polymorphisms of good quality. The genetic map resulted in 11 linkage groups, covering a total distance of 871.1 cM. Five QTLs for grain yield were detected on 2H.1, 4H, 5H and 6H.2. Alleles from SBCC073 contributed to increased yield in three of them. A region at the end of chromosome 5H contains favourable alleles for early vigour, higher grain yield and earlier flowering, all derived from SBCC073. Alleles from Orria contributed to increasing grain yield and simultaneously to reducing plant height on the same region of 6H.2, and to increasing 1000-kernel weight on chromosomes 3H and 5H.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects AGL2010‐21929, AGL2013‐48756‐R, RTA2009‐00006‐C04, RTA2012‐00033‐C03‐02, RFP2012‐00015‐00‐00) and cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund. R.B. was supported by a Masters fellowship from IAMZ‐CIHEAM. Peer reviewe

Identification of QTLs for agronomic traits introgressed in an elite cultivar from a promising barley landrace.

Crop landraces are of considerable importance as genetic resources, especially in breeding for biotic and abiotic stress. A group of Spanish barley landraces have shown to yield more than cultivars at low production sites. The best of these lines are being introduced through backcrosses in the national barley breeding program. The objective of this study is to identify favourable QTLs for interesting agronomic traits contributed by landrace line SBCC073, which might be useful when they are introgressed in elite cultivars. A population of 100 BC1F5 lines was derived from the cross between an elite cultivar (Orria) with high productivity and Spanish landrace (SBCC073) with high yielding at low production. A genetic linkage map was developed for this population using 1227 SNPs of good quality ge notyped with a DArTseq® genotyping - by - sequencing assay. The population of 100 BC1F5 lines was evaluated in the field in Zaragoza (Spain) during two years (2011, 2013) for grain yield (2011, 2013), flowering time and plant height (2013). A genetic map was c onstructed with programs Joinmap® and MSTMap. The genetic map resulted in 11 linkage groups, covering a total distance of 983 cM, with 4 complete chromosomes (1H, 3H, 4H and 5H) and three fragmented ones (2H, 6H and 7H). Three QTLs for grain for grain yiel d were detected in 2013, but for only one of them, on 5H, the yield increasing allele was contributed by SBCC073, whereas Orria alleles increased yield at QTL on 3H and 6H. Only one flowering time QTL was found, on chromosome 3H.Peer Reviewe