High-oleic sunflower oil is valued for its heart-health benefits and enhanced oxidative stability due to its high monounsaturated fatty acid content. Breeding efforts therefore focus on developing high-oleic hybrids with improved seed and oil yield for edible and industrial applications. The present study aimed to identify promising parental lines and develop high-oleic sunflower hybrids suitable for commercial cultivation. A total of 110 hybrids were developed using a line × tester mating design and evaluated across two environments, Kharif 2023 and Rabi 2023. The objectives were to assess combining ability and estimate genetic effects for oleic acid content, seed yield and associated agronomic traits. Hybrid selection was performed using three multi-trait selection indices, namely Genotype-by-Yield*Trait, Factor Analysis and Interaction Best Linear Unbiased Prediction and Multi-Trait Genotype Ideotype Distance Index, along with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for fatty acid profiling. Based on mean performance and general combining ability effects, the parents T8, T9, T10, L1, L4, L9 and L11 were identified as good combiners. Considering per se performance, specific combining ability and standard heterosis, the hybrids H15, H17 and H62 emerged as the most promising crosses. The highest oleic acid content (92.89
Water and nutrients plays an important role for optimum growth and yield of sweetcorn under semi-arid conditions. During the growing seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21, an experimental trial was conducted at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, to examine the responsiveness of high-density summer sweet corn to drip irrigation and fertigation regimes. The treatment comprises of three drip irrigation levels (0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 Epan throughout the crop growth period) and four fertigation levels (100 and 125% recommended dose of nitrogen and potassium [RDNK] according to recommendation and crop coefficient curve). Results revealed that growth, cob and green fodder yields of sweet corn increased significantly with increasing irrigation levels up to 1.0 Epan combined with fertigation at 125% RDNK applied according to the crop coefficient curve (I3F4) during both years of experimentation. Total crop evapotranspiration (ETc) ranged from 182.3 to 278.1 mm and 170.3 to 245.3 mm across irrigation treatments during 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively. Crop water use efficiency (CWUE) was significantly higher under the lowest irrigation level (0.6 Epan) compared to 0.8 and 1.0 Epan. Crop coefficient (Kc) values at 1.0 Epan were estimated as 0.44, 0.82, 0.96 and 0.79 during 0-20, 21-40, 41-60 DAS and from 61 DAS to harvest, respectively, in 2019-20, and 0.45, 0.80, 0.95 and 0.79 during the corresponding stages in 2020-21. The physical optimum water requirement was 594.6 and 469.5 mm, producing yields of 13,393 and 12,752 kg ha-1 during 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively. The economic optimum was slightly lower at 585.7 and 464.6 mm, resulting in yields of 13,389 and 12,749 kg ha-1 during the respective years. The study concludes that drip irrigation at 1.0 Epan combined with fertigation at 125% RDNK applied as per crop coefficient curve is optimal for maximizing high-density summer sweet corn productivity under semi-arid conditions.
ABSTRACT CRISPR/Cas‐based genome editing has emerged as a transformative tool for precise genetic improvement of cereal crops. Recent advances in CRISPR technologies, including Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, base editing, and prime editing, have enabled targeted modification of genes and regulatory elements controlling yield, stress tolerance, and grain nutritional quality in major cereals such as rice, wheat, maize, and barley. This review summarizes current progress in CRISPR‐mediated genome editing systems, delivery strategies, and representative applications in cereal crop improvement. Emphasis is placed on how genome editing reprograms enzymatic activities and biological pathways underlying complex agronomic traits rather than acting through single‐gene effects. The review also discusses challenges related to trait complexity, regulatory considerations, and prospects for translating genome‐edited cereal crops from laboratory research to field‐level application. Collectively, this review highlights the potential of CRISPR/Cas genome editing as a powerful approach for developing high‐yielding, resilient, and nutritionally improved cereal crops.
This is the first study to examine the combined inheritance of hypocotyl pigmentation and ray floret color in the newly developed sunflower mutant PYRS-1 and its implications for breeding efforts. Analysis of F1 and F2s of the reciprocal crosses between two contrasting genotypes, viz., CMS-1001B (green hypocotyl with yellow ray florets) and PYRS-1 (purple hypocotyl with pale-yellow ray florets) indicated dominant inheritance of purple over green hypocotyl pigmentation and yellow over pale yellow ray florets. Backcrosses with green hypocotyl and pale-yellow ray floret parents consistently exhibited a 1:1 ratio, highlighting the recessive nature of the green hypocotyl and pale-yellow ray floret traits. The joint segregation analysis showed that hypocotyl and ray floret colors are not linked and segregate independently in a 9:3:3:1 ratio. Therefore, these traits could be used individually as morphological markers in genetic studies to determine the genetic purity of F₁ hybrid seeds and estimate the rate of outcrossing in sunflower. To identify molecular markers associated with ray floret color, two SSR primers viz., ORS 812 (LG 15) and ORS 785 (LG 4) out of 56 markers displaying parental polymorphism were able to differentiate the ray floret phenotypes in the F2 and BC1 individual samples. The markers ORS 812 and ORS 785 were found to be linked to flower color with PVE of 48.95 and 43.23
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), a key oilseed crop, suffers significant yield losses due to foliar diseases, particularly Alternaria leaf blight. Understanding the variability of Alternaria spp. is critical for effective disease management and resistance breeding. This study evaluated 20 Alternaria isolates collected from diverse sunflower-growing regions for their cultural, morphological, molecular, and pathogenic variability. Isolates exhibited notable differences in colony morphology, conidial size, septation, and sporulation on PDA medium. Molecular characterization using ITS, EF-1α, and AhN1 primers identified species including A. helianthi, A. alternata, A. helianthiinficiens, A. longipes, A. tenuissima, A. macrospora, A. alternata f. sp. mali, and A. brassicicola. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these into two major clades with three subclusters. Pathogenicity assays on six sunflower genotypes revealed significant virulence variability. Isolates DhaAl-9 (A. helianthi) and GadAl-1 (Alternaria alternata) demonstrated the highest virulence indices, while HaoAl-19 (A. brassicicola) and BenAl-15 (A. alternata f. sp. mali) were least virulent. Among genotypes, RSFH 1887 exhibited strong resistance, whereas CMS 519B was most susceptible. A strong correlation between greenhouse virulence indices and field disease severity was observed. The results underscore substantial genetic and pathogenic diversity within Alternaria spp. populations, emphasizing the need to incorporate multiple virulence sources in breeding programs and to tailor region-specific management strategies for sustainable sunflower production.
