Durian (Durio zibethinus L.) is an economically important tropical fruit and an important component of Indonesia’s plant genetic resources. The limited availability of molecular markers constrains genetic diversity assessment, germplasm characterization, and breeding. This study developed and validated expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers for D. zibethinus and evaluated their transferability across Durio taxa. Mining of 473,960 transcript sequences from five tissues identified 13,002 SSR loci, with an average density of 35 loci per Mb. Trinucleotide (54.48
An alternative to optimize the sustainability of animal production in the Brazilian semiarid region is the use of native forage species, such as the genus Stylosanthes Sw. standing out for its genetic potential for adaptation to edaphoclimatic conditions and dry matter production. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate 16 accessions of Stylosanthes spp. from the Forage Germplasm Bank of the State University of Feira de Santana, Bahia (FGB-UEFS) using 17 quantitative morphoagronomic descriptors related to plant height, vegetative structures, and biomass production. The experiment was conducted between May and September 2023 in two environments (Xique-Xique, Bahia, and Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil). A randomized complete block design with three replicates was used. The data were subjected to uni- and multivariate analyses to estimate the genetic parameters. A significant genotype × environment interaction was detected, and the genetic parameter estimates indicated potential for selection based on most descriptors under the conditions evaluated. Two groups were formed in both locations, with one group composed of all accessions and the other consisting exclusively of the Bela cultivar. The accessions BGF 014-095P118-1, BGF 014-P99, and BGF 012-026 stood highest in terms of selection gains for several descriptors. Overall, these preliminary results indicate genetic variability among Stylosanthes spp. accessions conserved in the FGB-UEFS and suggest their potential for use in breeding programs through the selection of morphoagronomic traits. However, these findings are limited to the experimental conditions and require further evaluation across additional environments and growing seasons.
Ethiopia is recognized as one of the world’s major centers of cereal crop genetic diversity, harboring a rich array of farmers’ landraces of wheat, teff, barley, sorghum, and maize that are essential for food security, agricultural sustainability, and crop improvement. However, these valuable genetic resources are increasingly threatened by genetic erosion, resulting in the loss of genetic diversity and locally adapted landraces. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the status, drivers, consequences, and conservation of genetic erosion in Ethiopian cereal landraces, with emphasis on its implications for sustainable seed systems and climate-resilient agriculture. Evidence from morphological, molecular, ethnobotanical, and on-farm researchh demonstrates substantial genetic variation shaped by long-term farmer selection and adaptation to diverse agroecological environments. However, the widespread adoption of improved varieties, changes in agricultural practices, environmental stresses, and socio-economic transformations have accelerated genetic erosion. The resulting loss of landrace diversity reduces adaptive traits for tolerance to drought, pests, diseases, and climate variability, narrows the genetic base for crop improvement, and weakens the resilience of traditional farming systems. The review further highlights the complementary roles of informal and formal seed systems in conserving and utilizing cereal genetic resources. Sustainable conservation requires integrated ex-situ, in-situ, and on-farm conservation, participatory plant breeding, and community-based seed systems. Strengthened collaboration among researchers, policymakers, seed institutions, and farming communities is essential to mitigate genetic erosion, conserve Ethiopia’s cereal landraces, and support sustainable seed systems and climate-resilient agricultural development.
Türkiye has rich Rubus genetic resources because it lies at the intersection of major phytogeographical regions. Despite blackberry’s ecological adaptability and economic importance, molecular research using retrotransposon-based markers remains scarce. Inter Primer Binding Site (iPBS) markers provide an effective and reproducible approach for genome-wide diversity assessment. This study evaluated the genetic diversity and population structure of 141 blackberry genotypes, including 128 wild accessions and 13 cultivars collected from the Thrace Region, using 19 iPBS markers. The primers generated 333 scorable loci, of which 98.79
Sheath blight disease, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is a major threat to rice production. Reliable sources of genetic resistance to sheath blight are limited. In this study, 500 indigenous rice landraces were field-screened across five locations: Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur; Zonal Agricultural Research Station (ZARS), University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Mandya, ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi; Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat, Assam; and ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. IGKV, Raipur, recorded the highest disease severity, with most genotypes scoring 7–9. Whereas, ZARS, UAS, Mandya, displayed the widest variation in severity (3–9), while, NBPGR, New Delhi; IARI, New Delhi; and AAU, Assam, showed moderate to high severity, with bimodal distributions at disease scores 5 and 7. These results suggested strong genotype × environment interactions influenced sheath blight severity and symptom expression. Based on multi-location phenotypic evaluation, the landraces IC461731, IC466486, IC380508, IC612378, IC513569, IC134282, IC213421, IC464280, IC300201, IC99470, IC568270, IC455583, IC458743X, and IC265928 were identified as moderately resistant to sheath blight. Biochemical assays of selected genotypes demonstrated higher catalase and chitinase activities in landrace accessions IC464280 and IC265928. Relative gene expression analysis of candidate resistance genes (Chitinase, OsPAL1, and OsWRKY30) revealed significant expression of OsWRKY30 at 48 h after inoculation. Finally, integrated fields, biochemical, and molecular analyses identified accessions IC568270, IC265928, and IC380508 as promising sources of sheath blight resistance that can be utilized in future breeding programs.
