Fruit yield in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a composite trait shaped jointly by numerous morphological, floral and fruit-related components, and this study was undertaken to resolve how these components act on yield, both directly and through one another, as part of a broader programme characterizing cucumber germplasm through tools. Phenotypic and genotypic correlations of thirteen component characters with fruit yield per hectare were decomposed into direct and indirect path coefficients following the standard path-analysis framework. At the phenotypic level, days taken to first female flower opening emerged as the strongest positive direct determinant of yield, trailed by seed number per fruit, fruit length, plot-level fruit yield, individual fruit weight, vine length and harvest-duration. Fruit length showed the strongest overall phenotypic correlation with yield, with vine length, fruit weight and plot yield following closely behind. At the genotypic level, plot-level fruit yield contributed the largest direct effect, ahead of fruit number per vine, timing of male-flower initiation and days to first harvest. Fruit length again showed the highest genotypic correlation with yield despite carrying a negative direct path coefficient, indicating the influence on productivity is transmitted almost entirely through other traits, chiefly plot yield and fruit number. Residual, unexplained variation stood at 0.311 for the phenotypic model and a comparatively small 0.0184 for the genotypic model. Together, the findings point to fruit number per vine, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit diameter and vine length are the vital traits when selecting high-yielding cucumber lines, to guide the choice of genetically distinct, agronomically superior parents.
Agroforestry has emerged as a sustainable land-use option for enhancing farm income while augmenting domestic wood supply. The present study evaluated the economic viability of poplar-based agroforestry systems in Saharanpur district of Western Uttar Pradesh, focusing on boundary and block plantations integrated with wheat and paddy crops. The study covered five tehsils and involved data collection from 150 agroforestry farms using stratified random sampling. Economic analysis was conducted over a six-year rotation using net present value (NPV) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) at a 10% discount rate. Results indicated widespread adoption of agroforestry dominated by Populus deltoides (G-48). Poplar-based boundary plantation with wheat and paddy proved more profitable than block plantation, generating a net return of `19.23 lakh ha-1, an NPV of `12.45 lakh ha-1, and a BCR of 3.15:1, compared to a BCR of 2.89:1 under block plantation. The study concludes that boundary plantation of poplar with wheat and paddy is the most economically viable system in the district. Besides improving farm profitability, this system contributes significantly to meeting industrial wood demand and can be replicated in regions with similar agro-climatic and topographical conditions across the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
Drought is one of the major abiotic limitations to wheat production worldwide, and the impacts of drought are worsened due to climate change. Drought tolerance consists of many genes with complex physiological and molecular processes, along with strong interactions between genotypes and environments; therefore, traditional phenotypic selection has produced minimal improvement to date. In this review we summarize recently published work (2020-2025) on genomics-assisted methods used to develop drought tolerance in bread wheat (8; 2). QTL mapping and marker-assisted backcrossing has allowed for successful validation of drought-related loci and their transfer into elite lines (3; 7). In addition, the coupling of genome-wide association studies with high-throughput phenotyping and genomic selection have improved predictability of grain yield in water-limited environments (5; 11). Overall, transcription factors from the DREB, NAC, MYB, and WRKY families are still considered the primary regulatory targets, but CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing is now able to provide precise, multiplex gene modifications in polyploid wheat (1; 10). The combination of pan-omics (the study of all omes), gene editing, speed breeding, and predictive modelling provides a realistic approach to developing climate-resilient, high-yielding cultivars. However, the rates at which phenotyping can occur and the speed at which candidate loci can be functionally validated are still the rate-limiting steps on this path (4; 6).
Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni), a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family, is the source of zero-calorie steviol glycosides (notably stevioside and rebaudioside A) that are 250–300 times sweeter than sucrose and possess antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (Salehi et al., 2023). Because seed germination is poor and the species is highly self-incompatible, in-vitro propagation offers the most reliable route to genetically uniform, large-scale planting material (Abouelela et al., 2025). The present study optimised plant growth regulator (PGR) combinations for callus induction and shoot proliferation from leaf explants of S. rebaudiana on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. For callogenesis, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was combined with either kinetin (Kn) or a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and for shoot proliferation, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) was combined with NAA at eight concentration ratios. The maximum callus-induction frequency (86.2 ± 3.6%), yielding green, organogenic callus, was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D + NAA at 1.5 + 3.0 mg L-1, which outperformed all 2,4-D + Kn combinations. For shoot proliferation, MS medium with BAP + NAA at 0.5 + 1.0 mg L-1 gave the highest response (88% of explants), the greatest mean shoot length (3.61 ± 0.21 cm after four weeks) and a four-fold multiplication rate, whereas higher cytokinin-auxin ratios were progressively inhibitory. The optimised protocol provides an efficient, reproducible system for rapid clonal multiplication of this commercially important sweetener crop and a platform for downstream steviol-glycoside production and germplasm conservation.
By introducing desirable traits into an existing genome while maintaining the plant’s genetic integrity, plant genetic engineering is an effective method for enhancing plants. The introduction of valuable genes encoding traits like disease/insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, enhanced nutritional/medical/commercial properties, improved uptake and utilization of growth agents, and many more traits has been accomplished through the genetic modification of a wide variety of plant species. For reasons discussed later in this chapter, the public’s perception of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is currently negative. However, it remains to be seen whether the advantages of reduced chemical use and improved nutritional aspects lead to a world with food security that is environmentally sustainable. Genetic engineering is especially important because grape is very heterozygous and standard breeding methods fail to produce true-to-type offspring. Grapes are also a commodity driven by consumers, and novel varieties, particularly wine cultivars, have little market acceptance. In order to produce indigenous genotypes with novel characteristics, technological breakthroughs like gene transfer must be utilized because vegetative propagation leaves little room for development.
