QTL mapping for bioenergy traits in sweet sorghum recombinant inbred lines.

During the past decade, sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench L.) has shown great potential for bioenergy production, especially biofuels. In this study, 223 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between two sweet sorghum lines (Brandes × Wray) were evaluated in three trials. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from genotyping by sequencing of 272 RILs were used to build a high-density genetic map comprising 3,767 SNPs spanning 1,368.83 cM. Multitrait multiple interval mapping (MT-MIM) was carried out to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for eight bioenergy traits. A total of 33 QTLs were identified for flowering time, plant height, total soluble solids and sucrose (five QTLs each), fibers (four QTLs), and fresh biomass yield, juice extraction yield, and reducing sugars (three QTLs each). QTL hotspots were found on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, 9, and 10, in addition to other QTLs detected on chromosomes 4 and 8. We observed that 14 out of the 33 mapped QTLs were found in all three trials. Upon further development and validation in other crosses, the results provided by the present study have a great potential to be used in marker-assisted selection in sorghum breeding programs for biofuel production.

Resistance of bioenergy sorghum to Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) / Resistência de sorgo bioenergia à diatraea saccharalis (lepidoptera: crambidae)

This study evaluated the effects of the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on cultivars of sweet and biomass sorghum for the selection of resistant cultivars. The present work consisted of two trials, with natural pest infestation. In the first one, 10 sweet sorghum cultivars were analyzed for the following variables: plant height, number of healthy and damaged internodes, gallery position and size, stem infestation level and soluble solids content (°Brix). In the second trial, it was analyzed 16 genotypes of high biomass sorghum, with the same variables above mentioned, in addition to the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose contents. Among sweet sorghum genotypes evaluated, the genotype CMSXS647 stood out due to the traits: plant height, infestation level, gallery size and soluble solids content. Among the sorghum genotypes evaluated, CMSXS7030, CMSXS7012 and CMSXS7028 presented ideal characteristics for infestation level, plant height and number of lignocellulosic compounds. Such information, in addition to supporting the bioenergy sorghum breeding program, will assist in integrated pest management for sorghum cultivation.

Foram estudados os efeitos causados pela broca-do-colmo Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), em cultivares de sorgo sacarino e biomassa visando seleção de cultivares resistentes à praga. O presente trabalho foi constituído de dois ensaios, com infestação natural da praga. No primeiro, 10 cultivares de sorgo sacarino foram analisadas quanto às seguintes variáveis: altura das plantas, quantidade de internódios sadios e com injúrias, posição e tamanho da galeria, intensidade de infestação de colmos e teor de sólidos solúveis (°Brix). No segundo ensaio, foram analisados 16 genótipos de sorgo biomassa, com as mesmas variáveis supracitadas, além dos teores de lignina, celulose e hemicelulose. Entre os genótipos de sorgo sacarino avaliados, o genótipo CMSXS647 foi o que se destacou em função das características: altura de plantas, intensidade de infestação, tamanho de galerias e teor de sólidos solúveis. Entre os genótipos de sorgo biomassa avaliados: CMSXS7030, CMSXS7012 e CMSXS7028 apresentaram características ideais para intensidade de infestação, altura de plantas e quantidade de compostos lignocelulósico. Tais informações, além de prover o programa de melhoramento de sorgo energia podem ajudar o programa de MIP para a cultura do sorgo, uma vez que o produtor conhece a suscetibilidade dos materiais escolhidos.

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of sweet sorghum accessions for bioenergy production.

Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a type of cultivated sorghum characterized by the accumulation of high levels of sugar in the stems and high biomass accumulation, making this crop an important feedstock for bioenergy production. Sweet sorghum breeding programs that focus on bioenergy have two main goals: to improve quantity and quality of sugars in the juicy stem and to increase fresh biomass productivity. Genetic diversity studies are very important for the success of a breeding program, especially in the early stages, where understanding the genetic relationship between accessions is essential to identify superior parents for the development of improved breeding lines. The objectives of this study were: to perform phenotypic and molecular characterization of 100 sweet sorghum accessions from the germplasm bank of the Embrapa Maize and Sorghum breeding program; to examine the relationship between the phenotypic and the molecular diversity matrices; and to infer about the population structure in the sweet sorghum accessions. Morphological and agro-industrial traits related to sugar and biomass production were used for phenotypic characterization, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used for molecular diversity analysis. Both phenotypic and molecular characterizations revealed the existence of considerable genetic diversity among the 100 sweet sorghum accessions. The correlation between the phenotypic and the molecular diversity matrices was low (0.35), which is in agreement with the inconsistencies observed between the clusters formed by the phenotypic and the molecular diversity analyses. Furthermore, the clusters obtained by the molecular diversity analysis were more consistent with the genealogy and the historic background of the sweet sorghum accessions than the clusters obtained through the phenotypic diversity analysis. The low correlation observed between the molecular and the phenotypic diversity matrices highlights the complementarity between the molecular and the phenotypic characterization to assist a breeding program.

Seleção de famílias de feijão com resistência à antracnose, produtividade e tipo de grão carioca / Selection of common bean families for resistance to anthracnose, grain yield and carioca grain type

Na obtenção de cultivares de feijão com resistência à antracnose, outros atributos agronômicos também devem ser considerados para atender a preferência do consumidor e do produtor. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se identificar famílias de feijão que reúnam, além da resistência à antracnose, alta produtividade, grãos tipo Carioca e porte ereto. Foram cruzados os genitores CNFC 10706, B1 portador do alelo de resistência à antracnose Co-4 e H147 portador do alelo de resistência Co-5. Os três possuem grãos semelhantes ao Carioca. Inicialmente foram avaliadas 224 famílias F2:3, derivadas dos três cruzamentos, mais a cultivar Talismã como testemunha, no inverno/primavera de 2004, em Lavras, com base no tipo de grão. Foram selecionadas 99 famílias F2:4 e avaliadas com a testemunha Talismã, na seca de 2005 em Lavras e Lambari. Essas 99 famílias foram também inoculadas com as raças 593 e 337 de C. lindemuthianum, para auxiliar na seleção daquelas portadoras dos alelos de resistência Co-4 e Co-5. As 35 famílias F2:5 remanescentes, foram avaliadas no inverno/primavera de 2005, em Ijaci, MG. Em todos os experimentos foi utilizado, o delineamento látice quadrado. As 35 famílias foram novamente inoculadas com as raças 65 e 321. Por meio das inoculações e também com o uso de um marcador molecular SCAR ligado ao alelo Co-4, foi possível identificar a constituição genética da maioria das 35 famílias quanto à reação antracnose e selecionar quatro que reúnem, simultaneamente, tipo de grãos semelhante ao Carioca, porte ereto e boa produtividade, além de serem portadoras dos alelos Co-4 e Co-5 de resistência à antracnose.

In the common bean breeding, besides anthracnose resistance other agronomical traits need to be considered for achieving the producer and consumer requirements. So the aims of this research were to select common bean families resistant to anthracnose, high grain yield, Carioca grain type and upright plant type. The lines CNFC 10706, B1 and H147 were crossed. All of them have Carioca grain type. The B1 line is resistant to anthracnose due to the Co-4 allele, and the H147 due to the Co-5 allele. From the CNFC 10706 x H147, CNFC 10706 x B1 and H147x B1, 224 F2:3 families plus the check Talismã were evaluated in the winter/spring of 2004, in Lavras county, based on grain type. Ninety nine families were selected and evaluated, plus the check, in the "seca" of 2005 at Lavras and Lambari county. The families were also inoculated with the 337 and 593 races of C. lindemunthianum for selecting those with the Co-4 and Co-5 resistant alleles. The 35 selected families (F2:5) were evaluated in the winter/spring of 2005, in Ijaci county. The square lattice design was used in all experiments. Those 35 families were also inoculated with the 65 and 321 races of C. lindemunthianum. Through the inoculations and the Co-4 SCAR marker the genetic constitutions of most of the 35 families were identified. Four families were selected with Carioca grain type, upright plant type, high grain yield and besides bearing the Co-4 and Co-5 alleles for anthracnose resistance.