The grain of modern wheat cultivars has a significantly lower mineral content, including the content of copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, selenium and zinc. For this reason cereal breeders, are constantly searching for new genetic sources of minerals that are essential in human nutrition. Triticum polonicum, which is grown on a small scale in Spain, southern Italy, Algeria, Ethiopia and warm regions of Asia, deserves special attention in this context. The micronutrient and macronutrient content of T. polonicum versus T. durum and T. aestivum was compared in this study. Polish wheat grain was characterized by the significantly highest content of phosphorus (4.55 g/kg), sulphur (1.82 g/kg), magnesium (1.42 g/kg), zinc (49.5 mg/kg), iron (39.1 mg/kg) and boron (0.56 mg/kg) as well as a low content of aluminium (only 1.04 mg/kg). The macronutrient profile of most T. polonicum lines differed completely from that of common wheat and durum wheat. The principal component analysis supported discrimination of seven Polish wheat lines with a particularly beneficial micronutrient profile (P2, P3, P5, P7, P9, P22 and P25). These lines were characterized by the highest content of copper, iron and zinc, as well as the lowest concentrations of strontium, aluminium and barium which are undesirable in food products. The above lines can be potentially applied as source materials for breeding new wheat varieties. The results of this study indicate that Polish wheat could be used in genetic biofortification of durum wheat and common wheat.

Trait-specific characterization of rice landraces has significant potential for germplasm management, varietal identification and mining of novel gene/allele for various traits. In the current study, we have characterized 98 unique rice landraces collected from coastal regions of India, affected by submergence and salinity, based on Sub1 and Saltol quantitative trait loci (QTL) linked microsatellite markers. Among these genotypes, four genotypes (IC536558, IC536559, IC536604 and IC536604-1) collected from Kerala and two genotypes (AC34902 and IC324589) collected from West Bengal were identified with tolerance to submergence and salinity stress. A high level of genetic diversity of He = 0.349 and 0.529 at Sub1 and Saltol QTL region was detected by QTL-linked microsatellite markers, respectively. At Sub1 region one genotype, AC34902, was detected with maximum allelic similarity with FR13A, a known submergence tolerant variety. Besides, five genotypes (IC211188-1, IC536604-1, IC536604, IC536558 and IC536559) showed comparatively close genetic relationship with the salt tolerant variety FL478 for Saltol QTL and were clustered together in the neighbour joining dendrogram. Considering the haplotype structure, five genotypes (IC203801, IC203778, IC324584, IC413608 and IC413638) were identified which did not contain any common allele similar to FR13A but were still tolerant to submergence. These individuals need further characterization for identification of new alleles responsible for their tolerance.

Landraces (including heritage varieties) are an important agrobiodiversity resource offering considerable value as a buffer against crop failures, as a crop for niche markets, and as a source of diversity for crop genetic improvement activities underpinning future food security. Home gardens are reservoirs of landrace diversity, but some of the accessions held in them are vulnerable or threatened with extinction. Those associated with seed saving networks have added security, for example, ca. 800 varieties are stored in the Heritage Seed Library (HSL) of Garden Organic, UK. In this study, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms-based genetic analysis of accessions held in the HSL was used to (a) demonstrate the range of diversity in the collection, (b) characterize accessions to aid collection management and (c) promote broader use of the collection. In total, 171 accessions were included from six crops: Vicia faba L., Pisum sativum L., Daucus carota L., Cucumis sativus L., Lactuca sativa L. and Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala (DC.) Metzq. Average expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.18 to 0.28 in D. carota; 0.02–0.18 in P. sativum; 0.05–0.18 in L. sativa; 0.15–0.26 in B. oleracea var. acephala; 0.15–0.37 in C. sativus and 0.07–0.36 in V. faba. Genetic diversity and Fst values generally reflected the breeding system and cultivation history of the different crops. Comparisons of the diversity found in heritage varieties with that found in commercial varieties did not show a consistent pattern. Principal coordinates analysis and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean cluster analysis were used to identify four potential duplicate accession pairs.

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of three Amaranthus species (Amaranthus hypochondriacus, A. cruentus and A. caudatus) were determined by next-generation sequencing. The cp genome sequences of A. hypochondriacus, A. cruentus and A. caudatus were 150,523, 150,757 and 150,523 bp in length, respectively, each containing 84 genes with identical contents and orders. Expansion or contraction of the inverted repeat region was not observed among the three Amaranthus species. The coding regions were highly conserved with 99.3% homology in nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Five genes – matK, accD, ndhJ, ccsA and ndhF – showed relatively high non-synonymous/synonymous values (Ka/Ks > 0.1). Sequence comparison identified two insertion/deletion (InDels) greater than 40 bp in length, and polymerase chain reaction markers that could amplify these InDel regions were applied to diverse Korean Genbank accessions, which could discriminate the three Amaranthus species. Phylogenetic analyses based on 62 protein-coding genes showed that the core Caryophyllales were monophyletic and Amaranthoideae formed a sister group with the Betoideae and Chenopodioideae clade. Comparing each homologous locus among the three Amaranthus species, identified eight regions with high Pi values (>0.03). Seven of these loci, except for rps19-trnH (GUG), were considered to be useful molecular markers for further phylogenetic studies.

Drought stress restricts the production of agricultural crops through morphological, physiological and biochemical changes in plants. This study explored the genetic control of physiological traits related to drought in coriander. In a diallel analysis, all six parents, their 15 F1 hybrids and 15 F2 populations were subjected to different irrigation regimes including well-watered, mild and severe water deficit stress. Drought stress decreased the relative chlorophyll content (RCC), the relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll a (Chla), chlorophyll b (Chlb), total chlorophyll (TChl) content, carotenoids (Car) and essential oil yield (EOY) in F1 and F2 generations. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability effects were highly significant for all traits in F1 and F2 generations. Additive gene action was predominant for Chla, Chlb, TChl and Car under well-watered condition while non-additive gene effects were more important under mild and severe water deficit stresses in F1 and F2 generations for the above traits. Additive gene effects were more important for RCC, RWC and electrolyte leakage (EL) traits in both F1 and F2 generations under mild and severe water deficit stresses. In conclusion, the high narrow-sense heritability and significant genetic correlations between EOY and RCC, RWC and EL suggest that these traits can be used as surrogates to identify superior genotypes for arid and semi-arid regions. Also, the parental lines, P4 and P6 had the best GCA for RCC, RWC, Chla, Chlb, TChl, Car, essential oil content and EOY.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the most important legume crops in the world. However, soybean grain yield is extensively affected by environmental stresses such as soil salinity. In this study, we evaluated the germplasm of 51 Indonesian soybean accessions for salt tolerance to identify salt-tolerant germplasms for possible use in breeding for soybean salt tolerance. Based on experiments under hydroponic conditions, adding 100 mM of NaCl to a 1/2 concentration of Hoagland and Arnon solution, several Indonesian soybean germplasms, such as Java 7, Seputih Raman, Tambora, Ringgit (JP 30217), Sinyonya (early) and Sinyonya (late) were identified as salt-tolerant in terms of salt tolerance rate (STR) and leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD value) taken with the Konica Minolta SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter. The selected salt-tolerant germplasms were further evaluated under soil medium cultivation in pots irrigated with 100 mM NaCl for around 5 weeks. The six selected soybean germplasms again showed higher salt tolerance in terms of SPAD, STR and shoot dry weight. Expression analysis of the salt tolerance gene Ncl revealed a significant positive correlation between Ncl expression and salt tolerance, suggesting that Ncl is essential for salt tolerance in the Indonesian soybean germplasms we tested. The salt-tolerant Indonesian soybean germplasms identified in this study could be used in local soybean breeding practices for the improvement of salt tolerance.

For more than four decades after the introduction of cv. Italia (Vitis vinifera L.) in Brazil, several somatic mutations in the genome of cv. Italia and its somatic mutants gave rise to phenotypes which generated at least five new cultivars of fine table grapes. Since no molecular marker proved to be effective in discriminating cv. Italia (V. vinifera L.) and its coloured mutants (Rubi, Benitaka, Brasil, Black Star), primers for the long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences were developed to analyse Inter Retrotransposon Amplified Polymorphism (IRAP) and Retrotransposon-Microsatellite Amplified Polymorphism (REMAP), and investigate how the coloured cultivars derived from clonal propagations of somatic mutations are genetically structured. Primers for LTR sequences of IRAP and REMAP markers were edited from grape sequence databases available at a GenBank. Twenty-four primers, denominated DKS001–DKS024, were edited. Three hundred and forty-nine DNA segments were amplified by individual DKS primers and DKS/ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) primer combinations, at an average of 13.96 amplicons per primer pair. High genetic divergence between the five cultivars was inferred from polymorphism in retrotransposons IRAP and REMAP. The analysis of polymorphism of IRAP and REMAP retrotransposons was crucial to show that clonal propagation of somatic mutations may lead towards the formation of genetically divergent cultivars by the formation of genetically structured vineyards and show the mixture of genomes within each cultivar.

Digitaria exilis is an important indigenous cereal in West Africa. The first fonio reference transcriptome was released and became a key tool for developing new molecular markers contributing to a better understanding of its genetic diversity. A total of 126 new putative primer pairs were successfully designed in 37,327 unigenes from the D. exilis transcriptome. Thirty-seven primer pairs were randomly selected and tested for their ability to cross-amplify to related species. Clear amplification patterns were observed on 24 primer pairs. Of these, 71, 74 and 35% showed polymorphism in three species: D. exilis, D. longiflora and D. iburua. The transferability from D. exilis was 96% to D. longiflora and 71% to D. iburua. The new SSR markers confirmed the close genetic proximity of D. exilis with D. longiflora and its stronger genetic difference of D. exilis from D. iburua. These markers will be valuable for completing future knowledge on Digitaria evolutionary history, and for testing gene flows between related species.

The genus Narcissus L. (Amaryllidaceae) provides a model system to study the evolution and maintenance of sexual polymorphisms. In this study, we characterized microsatellite markers for N. dubius, N. cuatrecasasii, N. assoanus and N. rupicola for studies of genetic diversity and paternity analyses to investigate the stability of stylar dimorphism. We proved 40 new primer pairs from a genomic library of N. papyraceus and 12 microsatellite markers characterized also for N. papyraceus in a previous study (52 primer pairs overall). Twenty markers amplified, but their transferability and variability were different among species. Polymorphism was tested at least on 74 individuals and one population per species. The number of polymorphic loci per species ranged from four to eight. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 19 and the observed heterozygosity and gene diversity, from 0.107 to 0.729 and 0.103 to 0.894, respectively. These markers can be used for studies of genetic diversity and paternity analyses among individuals of N. dubius, N. cuatrecasasii, N. assoanus and N. rupicola to study the stability of stylar dimorphism.

Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is prevalent in south-east Asian countries including India. Breeding and introduction of grain protein-rich varieties of legumes such as dolichos bean is considered as cost-effective approach to combat PEM. Exploitation of genetic variability within germplasm accessions (GAs) and/or breeding populations is the short-term strategy for identification and delivery of protein-rich dolichos bean cultivars to cater to the immediate needs of the farmers and target population. A set of 118 dolichos bean genotypes consisting of 96 GAs and 20 advanced breeding lines (ABLs) and two released varieties (RVs) was field evaluated in augmented deign for dry grain yield per plant and their grain protein contents were estimated. The grain protein content among the genotypes ranged from 18.82 to 24.5% with a mean of 21.73%. The magnitude of estimates of absolute range, standardized range, and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for grain protein content was higher among GAs than those among ABLs + RVs. However, average grain protein contents of GAs were comparable to those of ABLs + RVs. Nearly 50% of the genotypes (mostly GAs) had significantly higher grain protein content than those of RVs, HA 3 and HA 4. The grain protein contents of the genotypes were poorly correlated with grain yield per plant. These results are discussed in relation to strategies to breed grain protein-rich dolichos bean cultivars.

The range-wide genetic structure of the highly productive and valuable timber species Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. is still insufficiently studied, although published data based on different genetic markers (nuclear and chloroplast microsatellites, AFLP, RFLP and isozymes) demonstrated relatively low population structure. However, more genetic markers are needed to increase the efficiency of population genetic studies in coast redwood. Therefore, we developed seven nuclear and five chloroplast microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers based on expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and the complete chloroplast genome sequence, respectively. All selected markers were tested in a range-wide sample representing trees from 16 locations. They are highly polymorphic microsatellite loci with the number of alleles ranging from 3 to 17, and the number of effective alleles from 1.1 to 2.48. Coast redwood is a hexaploid species, and its chloroplasts are paternally inherited. Therefore, the chloroplast SSR markers are especially useful for this species, because their genotyping is not affected by nuclear genome ploidy. Moreover, they showed high gene diversity for each locus within and across all populations and can be used to study range-wide population genetic structure, pollen-based gene flow and long-distance gene transfer. Coast redwood can propagate clonally, and nuclear polymorphic EST-SSRs can be used for clonal identification. They are linked with expressed genes and their variation can reflect variation in genes under selection, including those that could be potentially important for local adaptation of coast redwood considering the threat of climate change.

Among grain legumes, faba bean is reputed to be relatively sensitive to drought stress. Epicuticular wax (ECW) quantity is considered as an important drought adaptation strategy in plant species. This study aimed to define variation in leaf ECW concentration as a drought-adaptive trait in 197 faba bean accessions under well-watered conditions. The relationship between ECW and stomatal characteristics was also investigated. Highly significant differences were found in the ECW concentration, which ranged from 0.680 to 2.104 mg/dm2. No relationships were found between ECW and any measure of stomatal morphology and function. This study provides evidence of the wide variation in ECW in faba bean germplasm, which is independent of stomatal characteristics and leaf water content. This variation may allow the genetic improvement of ECW as a drought-adaptive character in faba bean breeding programs aiming at the economical use of water.

South American tomato moth, Tuta absoluta, a serious pest of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in tropics and subtropics, is rapidly spreading world over. Twenty one wild/cultivated/advanced breeding lines of tomato were screened for resistance to T. absoluta under greenhouse conditions (choice bioassay) and promising genotypes were evaluated further for their antibiosis activity through no choice bioassay under in-vitro conditions. From 21 genotypes screened, six wild accessions viz., S. pennellii (LA 1940); S. chilense (LA 1963); S. arcanum (LA 2157); S. lycopersicum (LA1257) and S. corneliomulleri (LA 1292, LA1274) were relatively resistant to T. absoluta based on mean percent damage and were further studied under in-vitro conditions. These genotypes recorded relatively more larval mortality, prolonged larval and pupal duration with reduced adult emergence of T. absoluta. Among these six genotypes, S. pennellii (LA-1940) showed resistance both under choice and no choice bioassays with higher number of type IV trichomes, highest total flavonoids and phenols. In general, glandular trichomes (GTs) (type I, IV, VII) showed negative correlation in different genotypes of tomato with reference to larval number/plant, percent damage and adult activity, whereas type V (non-GTs) showed negative correlation with number of larvae/plant.

Genebanks explore new partnerships with farmers and other user groups to provide smallholder farmers in Africa better access to crop diversity for improved nutrition, climate change adaptation and agricultural diversification. This paper shows how the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) genebank of traditional African vegetables and its partners distributed over 42,000 seed kits containing over 183,000 vegetable seed samples from 2013 to 2017 to smallholder farmers in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. The seed kits contained seed samples of promising accessions and open-pollinated breeding lines of traditional African vegetables, and to a lower degree of tomato, Capsicum pepper and soybean, usually enough to plant in a home garden. We identified four research questions to better understand the role of vegetable seed kits in strengthening local seed systems, impact on local vegetable diversity, improving human nutrition and supporting climate-resilient agriculture. As formal seed systems expand their reach, the genebank's role to supply vegetable diversity to public and private breeding programmes becomes more important. To optimize supply of vegetable diversity, the WorldVeg genebank of traditional African vegetables continues working with partners in both formal and local seed systems.