Teosinte, the wild progenitor of maize, has immense potential for providing unique traits and is more divergent compared to inbred lines and landraces. One hundred and sixty-nine teosinte-introgressed maize backcross inbred lines were developed to widen the genetic base of maize with predomestication alleles. The population was evaluated phenotypically and genotypic data of 76 SSR markers were used to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) governing the targeted traits. Sixty-six QTLs were detected for eight plant architect-related traits that are spread over 10 different chromosomes with phenotypic variation ranging from 2.29 to 13.97%. Maximum three stable QTLs were recorded for days to anthesis (DA) followed by two for days to silking (DS), plant height (PH) and node bearing first ear (NBE). For rest of three traits namely flag leaf length (FLL), flag leaf width (FLW) and ears per plant (E/P) only one stable QTL was detected. Among the 16 common QTLs, the marker phi328178-linked QTL governed four characters (DA, DS, FLL, FLW) simultaneously, followed by umc1622-linked (ASI, FLW, E/P), umc2341-linked (DA, DS, NBE) and phi075-linked QTLs (ASI, PH, NBE) controlling three traits each. Remaining 12 QTLs controlled two characters. Molecular association between co-localized QTLs for different traits was also validated at the phenotypic level by significant correlation estimates. For eight studied traits, 53 superior lines were identified which along with parents (teosinte and maize inbred DI-103) were grouped into 12 clusters. Therefore, lines clustered independently can be combined to accumulate desirable traits for the improvement of maize.

DNA fingerprinting using microsatellites is a useful aid in cultivar identification, but has rarely been applied to garden plants. Eleven microsatellite markers were developed for the valuable garden plant Hesperantha coccinea (Schizostylis coccinea), and used to determine relatedness of accessions. Several accessions, described as separate cultivars, appeared to have identical genotypes. Among the 53 accessions tested, there were 34 unique multilocus genotypes. The level of polymorphism detected in the cultivars was high, with on average seven alleles per locus and an average expected heterozygosity of 0.72 across loci. It is clear from the genotypes that a large proportion of the cultivars are closely related to each other. The resulting markers can now be used to generate a complete database of all known cultivars of the species and to detect essentially derived cultivars. As an extension of this study, the markers identified here could also inform us about the genetic diversity in wild populations.

The members of the Aegilops genus serve as a vast pool of allele discovery for wheat improvement in abiotic and biotic stress responses. Aegilops mutica Boiss (Amblyopyrym muticum (Boiss) Eig) is an unexplored candidate with significant potential. Even though it has been used in cytogenetics applications within the last century, natural population diversity and allele discovery have been neglected. As an endemic species for Anatolia and the lower Caucasian region, it has an unexplored population structure. Here, seventy-five genotypes from five different newly collected populations from central Anatolia were evaluated with 29 polymorphic SSR loci. Significant diversity within (83%) and between (17%) the populations was obtained. Three of the populations were clearly separated, while two had some level of the mixture. Relatively easy cross-species hybridization and introgressions make Ae. mutica a good candidate for novel allele discovery and pre-breeding. Here, for the first time, representative natural populations of Ae. mutica were compared and population structures were revealed with SSR markers which may clear the misty vision that geneticists might have regarding Ae. mutica. This could be exploited in genetic resource conservation and breeding programs and maybe a point for further studies.

Cattleya walkeriana, one of the most improved Brazilian Cattleyas, is a popular tropical orchid endemic from Brazil and currently endangered. In the present study, for the first time microsatellite markers were developed for C. walkeriana and their transferability was tested for the species C. loddigesii and C. nobilior. The markers were used for genotyping 26 C. walkeriana specimens from different growers and from different levels of improvement. The transferability was successful, with five polymorphic loci transferred to C. loddigesii and six polymorphic loci to C. nobilior. Eight loci were polymorphic, revealing a maximum of two to ten alleles per locus in C. walkeriana and two to four and two to five in C. loddigesii and C. nobilior, respectively. There was no significant linkage disequilibrium in the studied loci. For C. walkeriana, the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 0.963 and from 0.138 to 0.841, respectively. These markers identified polymorphisms and may be used to study the genetic diversity, gene flow or hybridization of these species.

A total of 60 farmers' cacao accessions (Theobroma cacao L.) from Nicaragua were investigated using microsatellite markers to reveal their genetic composition and to identify potentially resistant genotypes against the black pod disease caused by Phytophthora palmivora. These accessions were compared with 21 breeders' accessions maintained locally, two Criollo accessions from Costa Rica and two accessions from Ecuador. The analyses showed a low level of differentiation among groups of farmers' accessions (FST = 0.06) and that six Nicaraguan accessions were genetically closely related to the two Criollo accessions used as a reference. In addition, seven distinct genotypes were found to have allelic composition that may indicate linkage to resistance alleles, thus being potential parental lines in future breeding programmes.

Here we developed the first set of nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSRs) for Stizophyllum riparium (Bignoniaceae), a widespread species of Neotropical liana. Thirty-two sets of primers were isolated from a genomic dataset obtained with an Illumina HiSeq Platform, and characterized for 57 individuals of S. riparium from three populations. Nine nSSRs were polymorphic and the number of alleles ranged from eight to 29. The unbiased expected heterozygosity per locus ranged from 0.724 to 0.952 and the polymorphic information content values ranged from 0.717 to 0.944. All nine primer pairs also amplified for two closely related species (S. inaequilaterum and S. perforatum). The new set of nuclear markers will be useful for population genetics studies of Stizophyllum as a whole.

Distant hybridization of cereals is often impaired by fertilization barriers. Haploid induction through intergeneric crossing is well developed in wheat but has not been successful in rice due to incompatibility issues. The present study was thus undertaken to identify fertilization barriers that hinder the compatibility of the rice cultivar Punjab Rice 121 with maize and pearl millet lines as pollinators. A total of 37,357 spikelets were pollinated, yielding 494 caryopses upon supplementation with auxins. The resultant caryopses, arising from true intergeneric crosses, lacked embryos. Imaging of the pollinated pistils at different intervals indicated that intense callose depositions block the release of generative nuclei to the ovule in these wide crosses. Rice spikelets pollinated with rice pollen (cis-generic crosses) exhibited positive indicators of fertilization reaction at the micropyle. While the cis-generic crosses initiated true caryopsis formation after 24 h, no comparative reaction was observed in the intergeneric crosses. The current survey underlines that the rice female gametophyte presents a strong pre-fertilization barrier to foreign pollen. This barrier may be modulated in the future by altering genotype and auxin combinations.

It is generally accepted that high-oleic crops have at least 70% oleate. As compared to their normal-oleic counterparts, oil and food products made from high-oleic peanut have better keeping quality and are much healthier. Therefore, high-oleic peanut is well recognized by processors and consumers. However, owing to the limited availability of high-oleic donors, most present-day high-oleic peanut varietal releases merely have F435 type FAD2 mutations. Through screening of a mutagenized peanut population of 15L46, a high-yielding peanut line with desirable elliptical oblong large seeds, using near infrared model for predicting oleate content in individual single seeds, high-oleic peanut mutants were identified. Sequencing FAD2A and FAD2B of the mutants along with the wild type revealed that these mutants possessed G448A FAD2A (F435 type FAD2A mutation) and G558A FAD2B (non-F435 type FAD2B mutation). Expression of the wild and mutated type FAD2B in yeast verified that the functional mutation contributed to the high-oleic phenotype in these mutants. The mutants provided additional high-oleic donors to peanut quality improvement.

To characterize five different morphological forms of Russian olive grown in Ladakh, analysis of morphometric data of different variants was performed. Statistically significant differences among these variants were found for all the fruit and seed characters studied. Results of the study indicate presence of infra-specific differentiation within the species. Morphometric data for these variants conform to the system of nomenclature prevalent in the region for these variants. The ringmo (‘long fruited’ variety) type had the longest fruits, while bee (‘small fruited’ variety) had the smallest fruits.

Valtrate is the major active component of iridoids in Valeriana jatamansi plants, and has been widely used for the treatment of various diseases, giving rise to rapidly increasing market demands. The gene VjG10H from V. jatamansi encoding geraniol 10-hydroxylase (G10H) was introduced into V. jatamansi hairy roots and a transgenic hairy root culture system of V. jatamansi with good valtrate production ability was successfully established for the first time. The valtrate content of VjG10H-transformed lines ranged from 8.12 to 10.77 mg/g, with an average valtrate content (9.52 mg/g) of all the four G lines being higher than the non-transgenic hairy root line. Overexpression of VjG10H significantly improved valtrate production, indicating that G10H played an important role in stimulating valtrate accumulation. MeJA treatment stimulated valtrate accumulation in all of the VjG10H overexpression recombinant lines compared to untreated cultures, indicating that methyl jasmonate treatment was another effective regulation target for metabolic engineering of valtrate biosynthesis in V. jatamansi. Thus, transgenic hairy root technology coupled with elicitor treatments may be a promising strategy to increase valtrate yield in V. jatamansi.

Chickpea is a cool season, photothermal-sensitive crop, that is adversely affected by high temperatures (>35°C) and whose flowering is promoted by long-day conditions (>12 h). This prevents horizontal crop spread under a variety of agro-climatic conditions and the development of insensitive genotypes that perform well in all seasons. Therefore, a study was conducted to identify genotypes that are mature early, insensitive to photoperiod, high temperature and tolerant to drought stress. A set of 74 genotypes was evaluated under rainfed conditions in Kharif 2021 (off-season) to select eight promising early-maturing genotypes with high-yielding capacity. Then further investigations were conducted in five different seasons Late Kharif 2021, rabi 2021, summer 2022, early Kharif 2022 and Kharif 2022 to identify the genotypes with photothermo-insensitivity among the selected eight genotypes. With the exception of rabi 2021, each of these seasons were distinct from the chickpea's typical growing season. Among these eight, the stable genotypes which are performed better in all the seasons, especially in summer were considered, such as IPC 06-11, MNK-1, JG-14 and ICE 15654-A as a photothermo-insensitive, were able to flower and set pods with higher seed yield and, resulting in early maturity in a temperature range of 41.4/9.3°C with photoperiods of 13.1/10.9 h to reach in all seasons throughout the year. The heritability was more than 60%. Hence, these genotypes can be used as donor aids in the development of early maturing, drought stress tolerant and photothermo-insensitive chickpea.