Increased yield performance of mutation induced Soybean genotypes at varied agro-ecological conditions / Aumento no desempenho de rendimento de genótipos de soja induzidos por mutação em condições agroecológicas variadas

Abstract In soybean breeding program, continuous selection pressure on traits response to yield created a genetic bottleneck for improvements of soybean through hybridization breeding technique. Therefore an initiative was taken to developed high yielding soybean variety applying mutation breeding techniques at Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Bangladesh. Locally available popular cultivar BARI Soybean-5 was used as a parent material and subjected to five different doses of Gamma ray using Co60. In respect to seed yield and yield attributing characters, twelve true breed mutants were selected from M4 generation. High values of heritability and genetic advance with high genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) for plant height, branch number and pod number were considered as favorable attributes for soybean improvement that ensure expected yield. The mutant SBM-18 obtained from 250Gy provided stable yield performance at diversified environments. It provided maximum seed yield of 3056 kg ha-1 with highest number of pods plant-1 (56). The National Seed Board of Bangladesh (NSB) eventually approved SBM-18 and registered it as a new soybean variety named 'Binasoybean-5' for large-scale planting because of its superior stability in various agro-ecological zones and consistent yield performance.

Resumo No programa de melhoramento da soja, a pressão pela seleção contínua para a resposta das características de rendimento criou um gargalo genético para melhorias da soja por meio da técnica de melhoramento por hibridação. Portanto, foi desenvolvida uma variedade de soja de alto rendimento, aplicando técnicas de reprodução por mutação, na Divisão de Melhoramento de Plantas, no Instituto de Agricultura Nuclear de Bangladesh (BINA), em Bangladesh. A cultivar popular BARI Soybean-5, disponível localmente, foi usada como material original e submetida a cinco doses diferentes de raios gama usando Co60. Em relação ao rendimento de sementes e às características de atribuição de rendimento, 12 mutantes genuínos foram selecionados a partir da geração M4. Altos valores de herdabilidade e avanço genético com alto coeficiente de variância genotípico (GCV) para altura da planta, número de ramos e número de vagens foram considerados atributos favoráveis ​​ao melhoramento da soja, garantindo, assim, a produtividade esperada. O mutante SBM-18, obtido a partir de 250Gy, proporcionou desempenho de rendimento estável em ambientes diversificados e produtividade máxima de sementes de 3.056 kg ha-1 com o maior número de vagens planta-1 (56). O Conselho Nacional de Sementes de Bangladesh (NSB) finalmente aprovou o SBM-18 e o registrou como uma nova variedade de soja, chamada 'Binasoybean-5', para plantio em larga escala por causa de sua estabilidade superior em várias zonas agroecológicas e desempenho de rendimento consistente.

Increased yield performance of mutation induced Soybean genotypes at varied agro-ecological conditions

Abstract In soybean breeding program, continuous selection pressure on traits response to yield created a genetic bottleneck for improvements of soybean through hybridization breeding technique. Therefore an initiative was taken to developed high yielding soybean variety applying mutation breeding techniques at Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Bangladesh. Locally available popular cultivar BARI Soybean-5 was used as a parent material and subjected to five different doses of Gamma ray using Co60. In respect to seed yield and yield attributing characters, twelve true breed mutants were selected from M4 generation. High values of heritability and genetic advance with high genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) for plant height, branch number and pod number were considered as favorable attributes for soybean improvement that ensure expected yield. The mutant SBM-18 obtained from 250Gy provided stable yield performance at diversified environments. It provided maximum seed yield of 3056 kg ha-1 with highest number of pods plant-1 (56). The National Seed Board of Bangladesh (NSB) eventually approved SBM-18 and registered it as a new soybean variety named Binasoybean-5 for large-scale planting because of its superior stability in various agro-ecological zones and consistent yield performance.

Resumo No programa de melhoramento da soja, a pressão pela seleção contínua para a resposta das características de rendimento criou um gargalo genético para melhorias da soja por meio da técnica de melhoramento por hibridação. Portanto, foi desenvolvida uma variedade de soja de alto rendimento, aplicando técnicas de reprodução por mutação, na Divisão de Melhoramento de Plantas, no Instituto de Agricultura Nuclear de Bangladesh (BINA), em Bangladesh. A cultivar popular BARI Soybean-5, disponível localmente, foi usada como material original e submetida a cinco doses diferentes de raios gama usando Co60. Em relação ao rendimento de sementes e às características de atribuição de rendimento, 12 mutantes genuínos foram selecionados a partir da geração M4. Altos valores de herdabilidade e avanço genético com alto coeficiente de variância genotípico (GCV) para altura da planta, número de ramos e número de vagens foram considerados atributos favoráveis ao melhoramento da soja, garantindo, assim, a produtividade esperada. O mutante SBM-18, obtido a partir de 250Gy, proporcionou desempenho de rendimento estável em ambientes diversificados e produtividade máxima de sementes de 3.056 kg ha-1 com o maior número de vagens planta-1 (56). O Conselho Nacional de Sementes de Bangladesh (NSB) finalmente aprovou o SBM-18 e o registrou como uma nova variedade de soja, chamada Binasoybean-5, para plantio em larga escala por causa de sua estabilidade superior em várias zonas agroecológicas e desempenho de rendimento consistente.

Historia y perspectivas del mejoramiento genético del maíz forrajero en la Argentina / History and prospects of fodder corn breeding in Argentina

RESUMEN El maíz se utiliza masivamente para producir alimentos para el hombre y los animales domésticos con granos de varias entidades taxonómicas o razas. Para los rumiantes domésticos también se utiliza la planta entera como forraje. En Argentina se utiliza el grano forrajero y el silaje de planta entera para el ganado vacuno de carne y leche. El objetivo de este trabajo fue desarrollar la historia y las perspectivas del maíz para grano y ensilaje, centrados en la selección y el mejoramiento genético. El maíz forrajero en sus dos variantes (grano forrajero y planta entera como silaje) tuvo distinta importancia a través del tiempo. Remarcamos la importancia del mejoramiento genético específico del maíz para silaje de planta entera para alcanzar un potencial de rendimiento y valor nutritivo superior a la de los híbridos graníferos. Se analizaron las cuatro estructuras genéticas poblacionales utilizadas en el tiempo como cultivares, que determinaron la evolución del proceso tecnológico de selección y mejoramiento genético. Con las investigaciones efectuadas, las empresas semilleras incorporaron nuestros protocolos a sus programas de desarrollo y de mejoramiento genético. La contribución de la selección y del mejoramiento genético en Argentina fue efectiva para transformar la planta de maíz en alimento para rumiantes y esto se incrementará con la obtención de híbridos específicos para silaje.

ABSTRACT Corn is used to massively produce food for humans and domestic animals with grains of various taxonomic entities or races. For domestic ruminants, the whole plant is also used as forage. In Argentina, both corn grain and whole-plant silage are used for beef and dairy cattle production. This paper aimed to develop the history and perspectives of corn grown for grain and silage, focusing on plant breeding. The importance of corn fodder in its two variants (grain and whole-plant silage) has varied over time. We emphasize herein the importance of the specific genetic breeding of corn used for whole-plant silage to achieve higher yield potential and nutritional value than grain hybrids. The four population genetic structures used over time as cultivars, which determined the evolution of the technological process of selection and breeding, were analyzed. Based on the research carried out, seed companies have incorporated our protocols into their development and breeding programs. The contribution of selection and breeding in Argentina was effective in transforming the corn plant into ruminant feed, and this will increase with the development of specific silage hybrids.

El mejoramiento genético de cebadilla criolla (Bromus catharticus Vahl) en Argentina: síntesis de los logros y avances / The genetic improvement of prairie grass (Bromus catharticus Vahl) in Argentina: synthesis of achievements and advances

RESUMEN La cebadilla criolla (Bromus catharticus Vahl) es la gramínea forrajera nativa anual/bianual de clima templado de mayor importancia y difusión en la Argentina. Varios autores han estudiado la variabilidad fenotípica en caracteres morfofisiológicos en cultivares y poblaciones nativas de cebadilla criolla. Las primeras variedades cultivadas comerciales de cebadilla criolla, eran poblaciones heterogéneas a las que se las consideraba de mejor adaptación a toda la región de cultivo. Con los estudios de caracterización genética, agronómica y molecular de las poblaciones base de selección y del germoplasma conservado en el banco activo de INTA Pergamino, se contribuyó a conocer y conservar la diversidad genética disponible y al mismo tiempo, disponer de variabilidad genética utilizable en programas de mejoramiento. Los cultivares públicos más representativos considerados en este trabajo fueron: Pergamino Martín Fierro MAG, Fierro Plus INTA, Bar INTA 200, Rosalía INTA e INTA Calvu, en los que se desarrollaron paquetes tecnológicos asociados a la utilización en producción animal.

ABSTRACT The prairie grass (Bromus catharticus Vahl) is the annual/biennial native forage grass of temperate climates of most importance and diffusion in Argentina. Several authors have studied the phenotypic variability in morphophysiological characters in cultivars and native populations of prairie grass. The first commercial cultivars were heterogeneous populations that were considered the best adapted in the temperate region of Argentina. Genetic, agronomic and molecular characterization of the selection base populations and of the germplasm conserved in the active bank of INTA Pergamino, contributed to knowing and conserving the available genetic diversity and, at the same time, provided usable genetic variability in breeding. The most representative cultivars considered in this work were Pergamino Martín Fierro MAG; Fierro Plus INTA, Bar INTA 200, Rosalía INTA and INTA Calvu, in which technological packages associated with the utilization in animal production were developed.

The importance of deep genotyping in crop breeding / La importancia de la genotipificación profunda en el mejoramiento genético

ABSTRACT One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is the development of sustainable strategies to ensure food availability in response to population growth and climate change. One approach that can contribute to increase food security is to close yield gaps and enhancing genetic gain; to such end, what is known as "molecular breeding" plays a fundamental role. Since a crop breeding program is mainly based on the quality of the germplasm, its detailed genetic characterization is mandatory to ensure the efficient use of genetic resources and accelerating development of superior varieties. Deep genotyping is an essential tool for a comprehensive characterization of the germplasm of interest and, fortunately, the technology is now accessible at a reasonable cost. What must be ensured is the correct interpretation of the genotypic information and on that basis develop efficient practical molecular crop breeding strategies that respond to the real needs of the breeding program.

RESUMEN Uno de los mayores desafíos que enfrenta la humanidad es el desarrollo de estrategias sostenibles para asegurar la disponibilidad de alimentos en respuesta al crecimiento de la población y el cambio climático. Un enfoque que puede contribuir a aumentar la seguridad alimentaria es cerrar las brechas de rendimiento y mejorar la ganancia genética; para tal fin, lo que se conoce como "mejoramiento molecular" juega un papel fundamental. Dado que un programa de mejoramiento de cultivos se basa principalmente en la calidad del germoplasma, su caracterización genética detallada es fundamental para garantizar el uso eficiente de los recursos genéticos y acelerar el desarrollo de variedades superiores. La genotipificación profunda es una herramienta esencial para una caracterización integral del germoplasma de interés y, afortunadamente, en la actualidad se puede acceder a la tecnología a un costo razonable. Lo que debe asegurarse es la interpretación correcta de la información genotípica y sobre esa base desarrollar estrategias eficientes y prácticas de mejoramiento molecular de cultivos que respondan a las necesidades reales del programa de mejoramiento.

Evaluación de cultivares de arroz (Oryza sativa L.) de Vietnam, para su introducción en Cuba

Con el objetivo de evaluar la diversidad fenotípica de ocho cultivares de arroz (Oryza sativa L.) procedentes de Vietnam, para su introducción en los programas de mejora y en la producción en Cuba, apoyados en caracteres morfoagronómicos y técnicas de análisis multivariado, fue desarrollado este trabajo en la Unidad Científico Tecnológica de Base "Los Palacios", perteneciente al Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas de Cuba. Los cultivares vietnamitas se sembraron en campo junto a los comerciales INCA LP-5 e INCA LP-7, para ser caracterizados agronómicamente con la utilización de 29 descriptores cualitativos y 22 cuantitativos. Los resultados mostraron que 16 caracteres cualitativos resultaron homogéneos para los ocho cultivares procedentes de Vietnam y los dos cultivares comerciales cubanos, la asociación entre varios caracteres cuantitativos reafirma la influencia que ejercen algunos componentes sobre el rendimiento, los que son considerados como marcadores para la selección, tres cultivares de procedencia vietnamita (GL301, LCG3-4 y DS1) no pueden ser utilizados en la producción arrocera en Cuba, por su susceptibilidad a Tagosodes. Todos los cultivares mostraron resistencia a Rhizoctonia solani y Sarocladium oryzae y dos (GL 301 y LTH 31) fueron susceptibles a Pyricularia grisea. Los cultivares OM6976, OM5451 y OM8087 alcanzaron valores altos de rendimiento, por lo que pudieran ser utilizados, como progenitores en los programas de mejora, así como cultivares comerciales.

With the objective of evaluating the phenotypic diversity of eight rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.) from Vietnam, for their introduction in breeding programs and production in Cuba, supported by morphoagronomic characters and multivariate analysis techniques, this work was developed in Scientific and Technological Base Unit belonging to the National Agricultural Sciences Institute of Cuba. The Vietnamese cultivars were planted in the field together with the commercial cultivars INCA LP-5 and INCA LP-7, to be characterized agronomically with the use of 29 qualitative and 22 quantitative descriptors. The results showed that 16 qualitative characters were homogeneous for the eight cultivars from Vietnam and the two Cuban commercial cultivars, the association between various quantitative characters reaffirms the influence exerted by some components on yield, which are considered as markers for selection. Three cultivars of Vietnamese origin (GL301, LCG3-4 and DS1) cannot be used in Cuban rice production, due to their susceptibility to Tagosodes. All cultivars showed resistance to Rhizoctonia solani and Sarocladium oryzae and two (GL 301 and LTH 31) were susceptible to Pyricularia grisea. The OM6976, OM5451 and OM8087 cultivars reached high yield values, so they could be used as parents in breeding programs, as well as commercial cultivars.

Habilidad combinatoria de los caracteres relacionados con la producción de habichuela (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Las variedades de habichuela cultivadas en Colombia presentan un bajo potencial de producción, por lo que se hace necesario adelantar programas de mejoramiento, cuya ejecución depende del conocimiento de la habilidad combinatoria de los cultivares disponibles. Con el objetivo de evaluar la acción génica predominante en caracteres de importancia económica, se evaluaron 15 híbridos directos y seis progenitores. Las habilidades combinatorias general (HCG) y específica (HCE), se estimaron con el Método 2 modelo 1 de Griffing, que considera a los progenitores y sus cruzamientos directos. Se midieron los caracteres: número de vainas y producción por planta, peso promedio y longitud de la vaina. Los resultados indicaron efectos genéticos aditivos para longitud de la vaina; por el contrario, el número de vainas y producción por planta, se vieron influenciados por efectos genéticos no aditivos, mientras que el peso promedio de la vaina fue controlado por efectos genéticos, tanto aditivos como no aditivos. Los progenitores 1 y 6 mostraron efectos positivos más altos de HCG, para el peso promedio y longitud de la vaina, mientras los progenitores 5 y 6, lo fueron para la producción de vainas por planta y los progenitores 4 y 5, para el número de vainas por planta. La estimación de HCE más alta para todos los caracteres, se presentó en el hibrido 1x2, siendo la más adecuada para mejorar la producción de la habichuela.

Green bean varieties grown in Colombia have low production potential, therefore it is necessary to carry out plant breeding programs, which execution depends on the knowledge of the combinatorial ability of the available cultivars. To evaluate the predominant gene action in economically important traits 15 direct hybrids and six parents were evaluated. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were estimated with Griffing's Method 2 model 1, which considers parents and their direct crosses. The characters: number of pods and yield per plant, average weight and pod length were measured. The results indicated additive genetic effects for pod length. In contrast, pod number and yield per plant were influenced by non-additive genetic effects, while average pod weight was controlled by both additive and non-additive genetic effects. Parents 1 and 6 showed higher positive effects of HCG for average pod weight and pod length, while parents 5 and 6 for pod yield per plant and parents 4 and 5 for number of pods per plant. The highest ECGH estimation for all traits was found in the 1x2 hybrid, being the most suitable for improving bean production.

Caracterización física y sensorial de 24 genotipos especiales de cacao Theobroma cacao

Colombia, se destaca como país productor de cacao fino y de aroma, por lo cual, resulta de gran importancia explorar las características físicas y sensoriales de la diversidad genética existente. Para el presente estudio, se seleccionaron 22 genotipos de colecciones de trabajo con atributos productivos sobresalientes y dos testigos comerciales, reconocidos por su productividad y calidad sensorial; las muestras evaluadas fueron tomadas, de acuerdo con un muestreo aleatorio simple y se realizó un proceso de poscosecha homogéneo, controlado e independiente por genotipo, para obtener muestras de cacao seco individuales. Se realizaron análisis físicos al grano de cada genotipo y se preparó licor de cacao con cada una de las muestras obtenidas. Posteriormente, se evaluó cada licor por medio del panel de evaluación sensorial entrenado, donde se identificó y cuantificó la intensidad de atributos básicos, atributos especiales y atributos adquiridos, característicos de cada muestra. La información fue analizada mediante estadística descriptiva y análisis de componentes principales, lo que permitió la identificación de tres genotipos sobresalientes por el índice de grano y el porcentaje de cascarilla. El análisis sensorial evidenció que, en diecisiete genotipos, predominaron los atributos especiales, como herbal, floral, frutal, frutos secos y dulce. Estos resultados son un aporte importante para la selección de nuevas variedades de alta productividad, con características sensoriales de interés para la comercialización, que pueden ser evaluadas en diferentes regiones, para aumentar la disponibilidad genética en futuros programas de renovación y siembra de cacao que está en expansión, en los distintos territorios del país.

Colombia stands out as a country that produces fine and aroma cocoa; therefore, it is of great importance to explore the physical and sensory characteristics of the existing genetic diversity. For the present study, 22 genotypes from working collections with outstanding productive attributes and two recognized commercial controls were selected and evaluated for its productivity and sensory quality; the evaluated samples were taken according to a simple random sampling and a homogeneous, controlled, and independent post-harvest process was carried out by genotype, to obtain individual dry cocoa samples. Physical analyzes were carried out on the grain of each genotype and cocoa liquor was prepared with each of the samples obtained. Subsequently, each liquor was evaluated by means of the trained sensory evaluation panel, where the intensity of basic attributes, special attributes and acquired attributes characteristic of each sample was identified and quantified. The information was analyzed through descriptive statistics and principal component analysis, which allowed the identification of three outstanding genotypes by the grain index, and the husk percentage. The sensory analysis showed that, in seventeen genotypes, special attributes predominated such as: herbal, floral, fruity, dried fruit and sweet. These results are an important contribution for the selection of new high productivity varieties with sensory characteristics of interest for commercialization, which can be evaluated in different regions, to increase genetic availability in future renewal and planting programs of cocoa that is expanding in the different territories of the country.

STMS markers related to Ascochyta blight resistance in chickpea

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the important legume crops and is cultivated in large-scale throughout Türkiye as well as the world. Ascochyta blight, caused by the fungal phytopathogen Ascochyta rabiei, is the leading reason for the highest yield losses among the diseases known for chickpea. The pathogen exhibits high genetic diversity in Türkiye. Therefore, resistancy using Sequence Tagged Microsatellite Site (STMS) markers related with the genes that provide resistant against Ascochyta blight was investigated for the 205 chickpea breeding lines grown in different parts of Türkiye. The analysis for Ascochyta blight resistance was performed using Ta2, Ta146 and Ts54. It was demonstrated that Ta2, Ts54 and Ta146 were the STMS markers having distinguishable features for the detection of Ascochyta blight resistance and were shown to be used in credible fashion for the selection of resistant chickpea breeding lines.

Differential levels of soybean resistance to the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) under controlled and uncontrolled environments are associated with plant age, damage intensity, and trichome density

Whiteflies are a severe threat to soybean production in the tropics. This study aimed to evaluate the soybean resistance level of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci in controlled and uncontrolled environments that is associated with plant age, damage intensity, and trichome density. The research was conducted under two conditions: non-sprayed (NS) and sprayed (SP). This study used 50 soybean genotypes arranged in a randomized block design with three replicates. The whitefly population was derived from natural infestations. The results showed that the highest wild population of B. tabaci occurred at 40 days after planting (DAP), i.e., 126.08 adults/plant in the NS environment and 22.57 adults/plant in the SP environment. The peak damage intensity occurred at 50 DAP, 20.71% in the NS environment, and 17.15% in the SP environment. In the NS environment, there were six resistant genotypes (including the resistant control G100H), 25 moderate, and 19 susceptible genotypes. In the SP environment, 19 genotypes were resistant, 22 genotypes were moderate, and nine genotypes were susceptible, respectively. Six soybean genotypes showed consistent resistance to B. tabaci in NS and SP environments. The low density of leaf trichomes in soybean may influence the high resistance to B. tabaci. The resistant genotypes identified in this study could be utilized in breeding programs for B. tabaci resistance.

Genetic diversity of Macroptilium accessions considering the increase in air temperature

Climate changes can influence the genetic diversity of forage plants, which may contribute to the improvement and development of new species. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the influence of temperature increase on the genetic diversity of Macroptilium accessions based on morphoagronomic descriptors. The experiment was carried out in a growth chamber in a 2×16 factorial arrangement (temperature regimes x Macroptilium accessions), with the temperatures consisting of T1 (20­26­33 °C) and T2 (24.8­30.8­37.8 °C) and 16 accessions. Eleven morphoagronomic descriptors allowed estimating the diversity among accessions. The measurements of genetic dissimilarity enabled us to observe the genetic distance between the studied materials, standing out the accessions T1.M3 and T2.S4 as the most divergent (446.01). The morphoagronomic descriptors percentage of leaves and stem diameter were the most efficient for estimating the diversity between access. Genetic variability points to the adaptation of Macroptilium accessions in the climate change scenario. The accessions more divergent can be explored in genetic breeding programs for the species aiming at the expansion of genetic variability as an adaptation mechanism to heat stress.

Microbial production of S-adenosyl-l-methionine: a review / 生物工程学报

S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) is ubiquitous in living organisms and plays important roles in transmethylation, transsulfuration and transamination in organisms. Due to its important physiological functions, production of SAM has attracted increasing attentions. Currently, researches on SAM production mainly focus on microbial fermentation, which is more cost-effective than that of the chemical synthesis and the enzyme catalysis, thus easier to achieve commercial production. With the rapid growth in SAM demand, interests in improving SAM production by developing SAM hyper-producing microorganisms aroused. The main strategies for improving SAM productivity of microorganisms include conventional breeding and metabolic engineering. This review summarizes the recent research progress in improving microbial SAM productivity to facilitate further improving SAM productivity. The bottlenecks in SAM biosynthesis and the solutions were also addressed.

Profiling of Aedes Mosquito Breeding Sites at Residential Construction Sites in Malaysia

@#Introduction: Poor waste management led to mosquito breeding grounds. Previous research found that construction sites are the mosquito breeding area thus it’s important to understand how construction sites affect mosquito breeding. Methods: This study utilized a prospective study to determine the characteristic of breeding preference in residential construction sites. On-field breeding preference survey was conduct in the selected project site in 12 weeks (1st October 2021 until 31st December 2021). Wet container inspection was carried out according to types of the residential construction building and progress of the site. All possible wet materials and containers was inspected and record accordingly in the form during the surveillance. Results: Result shows that the most preferred containers found was building floor (41.68%), others such as planter box that use for landscape purpose, drainage system, building mould and lift wells. The results of the research indicate that prospective containers with water and breeding sites at high rise construction sites were found to be more than those at low rise construction sites. Conclusion: Overall, substantially fewer water containers were discovered in low rise projects compared to high rise projects. Construction management need encourage all the workers to do best management practice such as proper waste disposal and removal of the water and possible wet container and conduct awareness among the workers.

Application of tissue culture technology of medicinal plants in sustainable development of Chinese medicinal resources / 中国中药杂志

Chinese medicinal resources are the cornerstone of the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. However, due to the fecundity of species, over-exploitation, and limitations of artificial cultivation, some medicinal plants are depleted and even endangered. Tissue culture, a breakthrough technology in the breeding of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, is not limited by time and space, and can allow the production on an annual basis, which plays an important role in the protection of Chinese medicinal resources. The present study reviewed the applications of tissue culture of medicinal plants in the field of Chinese medicinal resources, including rapid propagation of medicinal plant seedlings, breeding of novel high-yield and high-quality cultivars, construction of a genetic transformation system, and production of secondary metabolites. Meanwhile, the current challenges and suggestions for the future development of this field were also proposed.

Principle and development of single base editing technology and its application in livestock breeding / 生物工程学报

CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein) is widely used in the field of livestock breeding. However, its low efficiency, untargeted cutting and low safety have greatly hampered its use for introducing single base mutations in livestock breeding. Single base editing, as a new gene editing tool, can directly replace bases without introducing double strand breaks. Single base editing shows high efficiency and strong specificity, and provides a simpler and more effective method for precise gene modification in livestock breeding. This paper introduces the principle and development of single base editing technology and its application in livestock breeding.

Genetic resources and precise gene editing for targeted improvement of barley abiotic stress tolerance / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Abiotic stresses, predominately drought, heat, salinity, cold, and waterlogging, adversely affect cereal crops. They limit barley production worldwide and cause huge economic losses. In barley, functional genes under various stresses have been identified over the years and genetic improvement to stress tolerance has taken a new turn with the introduction of modern gene-editing platforms. In particular, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) is a robust and versatile tool for precise mutation creation and trait improvement. In this review, we highlight the stress-affected regions and the corresponding economic losses among the main barley producers. We collate about 150 key genes associated with stress tolerance and combine them into a single physical map for potential breeding practices. We also overview the applications of precise base editing, prime editing, and multiplexing technologies for targeted trait modification, and discuss current challenges including high-throughput mutant genotyping and genotype dependency in genetic transformation to promote commercial breeding. The listed genes counteract key stresses such as drought, salinity, and nutrient deficiency, and the potential application of the respective gene-editing technologies will provide insight into barley improvement for climate resilience.

Ethical and legal implications of gene editing in plant breeding: a systematic literature review / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Biotechnology policies and regulations must be revised and updated to reflect the most recent advances in plant-breeding technology. New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBT) such as gene editing have been applied to address the myriad of challenges in plant breeding, while the use of NPBT as emerging biotechnological tools raises legal and ethical concerns. This study aims to highlight how gene editing is operationalized in the existing literature and examine the critical issues of ethical and legal issues of gene editing for plant breeding. We carried out a systematic literature review (SLR) to provide the current states of ethical and legal discourses surrounding this topic. We also identified critical research priority areas and policy gaps that must be addressed when designing the future governance of gene editing in plant breeding.

DUS testing guidelines for new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants / 中国中药杂志

A rich diversity of wild medicinal plant resources is distributed in China, but the breeding of new plant varieties of Chinese medicinal plants started late and the breeding level is relatively weak. Chinese medicinal plant resources are the foundation for new varieties breeding, and the plant variety rights(PVP) are of great significance for the protection and development of germplasm resources. However, most Chinese medicinal plants do not have a distinctness, uniformity, and stability(DUS) testing guideline. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has put 191 plant species(genera) on protection lists, of which only 30 are medicinal species(genera). At the same time, only 29 of 293 species(genera) plants in the Protection List of New Plant Varieties of the People's Republic of China(Forest and Grass) belong to Chinese medicinal plants. The number of PVP applications and authorization of Chinese medicinal plants is rare, and the composition of variety is unreasonable. Up to now, 29 species(genera) of DUS test guidelines for Chinese medicinal plants have been developed. Some basic problems in the breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants have appeared, such as the small number of new varieties and insufficient utilization of Chinese medicinal plant resources. This paper reviewed the current situation of breeding of new varieties of Chinese medicinal plants and the research progress of DUS test guidelines in China and discussed the application of biotechnology in the field of Chinese medicinal plant breeding and the existing problems in DUS testing. This paper guides the further application of DUS to protect and utilize the germplasm resources of Chinese medicinal plants.

Selección contra displasia de cadera canina en el ovejero alemán / Breeding against canine hip dysplasia in the german shepherd dog

RESUMEN La displasia de cadera canina o displasia coxo-femoral (DCF) es un desorden progresivo e incapacitante en perros de razas grandes, como el Ovejero Alemán. La selección de reproductores libres de displasia es la única forma de reducir su incidencia. Se han desarrollado varios métodos de diagnóstico basados en el examen radiográfico, en base a los cuales se seleccionan los reproductores para la cría. La DCF tiene una base hereditaria poligénica e influencia ambiental, con una heredabilidad media a baja (alrededor de 0,20 a 0,40), por lo que el progreso de la selección fenotípica ha sido lento. En Argentina la prevalencia de la displasia en la raza sigue siendo alta (>25%) y es imposible prever su incidencia en la progenie del plantel de cría. Algunos países han implementado la selección basada en el valor estimado de cría, obteniendo un importante avance. Los estudios de asociación del genoma completo han revelado numerosos marcadores asociados a la DCF y se han encontrado varios genes candidatos que señalan la posibilidad de implementar una selección genómica en un futuro cercano.

ABSTRACT Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is a progressive and disabling disorder in large dog breeds, such as the German Shepherd dog. Breeding sires and dams free of dysplasia is the only way to reduce its incidence. Several diagnostic methods have been developed based on radiographic examination, on the basis of which dogs are selected for breeding. CHD has a polygenic hereditary basis and environmental influence, with a median to low heritability (ca. 0,20 to 0,40), so the progress in phenotypic selection has been slow. In Argentina, the prevalence of dysplasia in German Shepherd dogs remains high (> 25%) and it is impossible to predict its incidence in the offspring of the breeding stock. Some countries have implemented a selection based on the estimated breeding value, obtaining an important advance. Genomewide association studies have revealed numerous CHD-associated markers and several candidate genes have been found that point to the possibility of implementing genomic selection in the near future.

Pyramiding and evaluation of segregating lines containing lectin and protease inhibitor genes for aphid resistance in Brassica juncea-Supplementary Data

Aphids are one of the most devastating pests, affecting the potential yield and quality ofBrassica juncea. In the current study, we have attempted to pyramid two transgenic lines containing chickpea lectin (CHPL, P1) and urdbean protease inhibitor (UPI, P2) in each under the phloem specific rolC promoter, through conventional breeding approach. In the derived F2 population, both lectin and protease inhibitor genes were segregating in a 9:3:3:1 ratio (p-value: 0.81), indicative of a single copy of the transgenes in the parents. Furthermore, the parental, as well as pyramided progenies were evaluated for their potential resistance to aphids in terms of mortality and natality. The lines containing both the transgenes were found to be superior over single gene transgenics as a higher mortality rate (96%) was found in F2on the 9th day as compared to single gene transgenics (86% and 80% in P1 and P2 respectively). A significant decrease in the number of nymphs was observed in P1 and P2 but most in F2 plants as almost 43, 32.08, and 107.5 times decrease in the number of nymphs was found in P1, P2, and F2 individuals over control. Expression profiling was done to see if there was any impact of gene pyramiding on the expression pattern of both transgenes before and after aphid treatment, and no significant changes were observed, indicating constitutive expression of transgenes in pyramided lines also. In conclusion, pyramided lines were found to be promising and were superior for aphid resistance.