Correlation and factor analysis of grain yield and some important component characters in spring bread wheat genotypes

In order to evaluate several agro-morphological traits in 21 spring bread wheat genotypes, an experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was carried out in two locations during three years (2008- 2011).The traits including grain yield(GY), biological yield (BY), spike weight (SW), grain weight per spike(GWS), harvest index (HI), spike length (SL), spikelet per spike (SPS), number of grain per spike (NGS), number of spike per square meter (SPM), 1000-grain weight (GW), plant height (PH), stem straw weight (SSW), spike straw weight (SRW) were evaluated. The result of combined analysis of variance revealed that years, genotypes and their interaction effects were significant for all the traits. Location had significant difference for all the traits except SL and SPS. GY was significant correlated with BY (0.72**), SW (0.75**), GWS (0.69**), NGS (0.59**), SSW (0.62**) and SRW (0.66**). Factor analysis was used for understanding the data structure and trait relations. The factor analysis divided the thirteen traits into three factors. The cumulative variation for these factors was 0.76 and also it’s portions for factor one to three were 0.59, 0.16 and 0.06, respectively. In the first factor, the traits including GY, BY, SW, GWS, SPS, NGS and SSW had high factor loadings. The traits compromise HI, SSW and SRW had high factor loadings in second factor and also SPM, GW and PH had high values of factor loadings in third factor. The genotypes including Morvarid, N-80-19 and N-85-14 had high mean values of grain yield. The genotypes had high genetic coefficient variation for SRW, BY, SW and GY, therefore the efficiency of selection of the genotypes for improving these traits will be high

Effects of citrus rootstocks on some plant nutrient elements absorption of grafted cultivars

Citrus rootstocks have prime effects on the size of tree and fruit, quality of fruit and micorhyza dependence, which make difference in their leaf mineral elements concentration in leaf of grafted cultivars on them. A pot factorial experiment with two factors including rootstocks (sour orange, Citrange, Rough Lemon, Citrumelo and Yozo) and grafted cultivars (Thomson Navel, Sanguine, Unshiu Tangerine) was carried out in farm conditions with three replications. The studied traits were concentrations of elements in leaves including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper. The result of analysis of variance revealed significant mean squares of variety, rootstock and their interaction effects for the elements in leaves. Citrumelo rootstock had mainly effect on nutritional elements in leaves. Unshiu mandarin with Citrumelo rootstock had the most amount of nitrogen and sanguine variety with Citrange rootstock made the highest concentration of phosphorus and potassium in leaves of the grafted cultivar. Significant positive correlation of K with Fe and Zn indicating that all rootstocks with high mean value of K in leaf of grafted cultivar will have high amount of Fe and Zn. Significant positive correlation also detected between N and P of leaf of grafted cultivars in combination with different rootstocks; therefore, most of combinations with high mean value of N had also high mean value of P. Unshiu Tangerine had high variation for P, but Thomson Novel had lowest variation for this mineral element. Due to Significant positive correlation of S with Mg and Mn, most of rootstocks with high amount of S in leaf of grafted cultivar had high mean values of Mg and Mn in their leaf of grafted cultivars

Impact of glycine betaine on salinity tolerance of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) under in vitro condition

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), with great potential as a natural sweeteners source, has a high content of sweeteners, which are up to 150 times sweeter than sugar, but virtually with no calories. Stevia also suitable to be cultivated in semiarid climates and coastal areas, which are characterized by the low quality of the irrigation water. Soil salinity occupies a prominent place among the soil problems that threaten the sustainability of agriculture over a vast area in the world. Glycine betaine is an osmoprotectant, that plays an important role and accumulates rapidly in many plants during salinity or drought stress. In order to evaluation of glycine betaine amending effects on salinity stress in stevia under in vitro condition, a factorial experiment was conducted in 2015. Four NaCl levels, including 0, 50, 75 and 100 mM, along with 0, 1, 12.5, 25 and 50 mM of glycine betaine concentrations were used in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The results showed that salinity levels had significant reduction effects on plant height, root length, shoot fresh weight, number of leaf, total chlorophyll, rebaudioside A and stevioside of the stevia genotype. Due to increasing of glycine betaine, levels all the traits were increased. Owing to amending effect of glycine betaine, its high concentrations made less hazarding effects of salinity on the researched traits. The highest mean value of rebaudioside A (10.62rt) and stevioside (23.38rt) determined at 50 mM of glycine betaine with 0 mM of NaCl concentration

Nitrogen deficiency stress indices of seed yield in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) genotypes

Most of investigations showed that nitrogen fertilizers gave substantial rapeseed yield increases even in diverse and contradicting conditions but in a few studies were focused on nitrogen deficiency stress effects. Some of important seed yield stress indices based on application and non application of nitrogen (N+ and N0) was studied using six spring rapeseed varieties and their 15 F2 progenies. Significant mean squares of genotypes effects were observed for potential yield (Yp), stress yield (Ys), mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP), tolerance index (TOL), stress tolerance index (STI) and stress susceptibility index (SSI), indicating significant genetic differences of the genotypes for the stress indices. The genotypes including PF7045/91 and RGS003 had the high mean values of MP and GMP and STI, therefore considered as high potential parents in both nitrogen application conditions. On the basis of low mean value of TOL and SSI indices, PF7045/91 and 19H were considered as tolerant to nitrogen deficiency stress. Most of the crosses with high mean values of MP, GMP and STI had at least one parent with high mean values of these stress indices. Significant positive correlation of Yp and Ys with MP, GMP and STI, indicating selection based on these stress indices will increase the Yp and Ys of the genotypes. Heterozygosity had important role for stability of traits in different conditions, therefore in compare to parents their F2 progenies had low mean values of SSI and TOL indices

Combining Abili'iy and Facidr Analysis in F2 Diallel Crosses of Rapeseed Varieties

Fifteen F 2 progenies derived from a 6x6 half diallel crosses along with their parents of rapeseed (Brassica MpUS L.) varietie5 were evaluated for pods per main axis, pods per plant, length of pod, seeds per pod, 1000- seed weight , grain yield and oil content The Analysis of variance based on Griffing's method two, with mixed-B model on F 2 progenies and their parents revealed significant mean squares for general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) indicating that both additive and non-additive genetic effects were involved in controlling these traits. High narrow-sense heritability estimates and degree of dominance less than one were observed for length of pod and 1000-seed weight indicated the prime importance of additive genetic effects for controlling these two traits. Narrow-sense heritability estimates for pods per main axis, pods per plant, seeds per pod, grain yield and oil content were estimated 0.22, 0.14, 0.30, 0.15 and 0.08, respectively concluded that the importance role of non-additive genetic effects for controlling these traits. Among yield components, pods per main axis and pods per plant had significant positive correlation with grain yield (0.54* and 0.60**), so any changing of these traits would have significant effects on grain yield. Based on the results of factor analysis on GCA effects revealed that pods per main axis, pods per plant and grain yield had high coefficients of factor loading in the factor one, but on SCA effects pods per main axis, pods per plant and 1000- seed weight had high coefficients of factor loading and the same direction of variation

Genetics and hybrid breeding of Pleurotus pulmonarius: heterosis, heritability and combining ability

Pleurotus pulmonarius has gained popularity as an edible mushroom in many parts of the world due to its numerous advantageous properties. However, there have been very few instances of successful breeding of any of the various species of Pleurotus. The current study attempted to generate improved strains of P. pulmonarius by establishing a systematic scheme using genetics and hybrid breeding. After assessments of the sample collections, three principal parents, and in turn 22 single spore isolates, were nominated for crossing. Of the 231 crosses done, 88 were compatible, and 46 hybrids were able to form basidiocarps in the first cycle of cultivation (CC1). The significant genetic variations among the crosses moved the study in the direction of diallel design, to gain a greater insight into the heritability of the targeted traits and the general and specific combining ability (GCA and SCA) of the parents; and at the same time to estimate their genetic variance components. Mean and heterosis analyses were used to score the obtained hybrids, leading to the selection of four hybrids for CC2, and ultimately three superior hybrids for CC3. The GCA indicated that the Thai strain was the best combiner, while the highest values of SCA were observed in combinations between the Thai and PL27 strains. The genetic variance components and heritability analyses indicated that the bulk of the total genetic variations observed for most traits were associated with genes which were dominant in their effects. The newly generated hybrids were identified by both morphological and molecular fingerprinting (PCR–RFLP). This research involved a successful initial attempt to use a broad range of analyses and the systematic integration of genetics and breeding to assist in generating superior hybrids of P. pulmonarius

Evaluation of physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant properties of elite rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical properties such as plant height, length of panicles, number of effective tillers, total number of grains, number of unfilled and filled grains, weight of 1000 grains, biological and economic yield, harvest index, chlorophyll index, growth period, total phenol (TP), and total antioxidant capacity based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in 30 genotypes of elite rice grown in Iran. The highest 1000-grain weight was observed in genotype IR56 (G30) with 27.15 g; the highest biological yield was observed in Neda (G28) genotype (24.92 t/ha) that was at the same statistical level with national genotype (G25) (24.19 t/ha). Keshvari genotype has the highest grain yield (7.64 ton * hec). The highest amount of chlorophyll index was observed in genotype line 101 (G9) with 45.75%. In addition, the range of antioxidant capacity based on DPPH was 9.033–19.067% and genotype 13 (Bijar) had the highest antioxidant capacity. The highest TP content was 1.137 mg gallic acid (GAE) per g. According to the correlation, (0.555) had a positive and significant correlation with the antioxidant capacity based on DPPH. Also based on cluster analysis, the 30 genotypes were located in 5 main clusters. The present research reveals the potential of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes studied for the improvement of nutritional value through germplasm enhancement programs