Powdery mildew disease caused by Erysiphe spp inflicts heavy losses in pea crop worldwide. A recessive powdery mildew resistance gene er2 present in pea genotype JI2480 provides a broad-spectrum protection against powdery mildew disease in peas. In the present study, we targeted pea genome sequences around a previously known dominant Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) marker ScX17_1400 for developing co-dominant markers for utilization in marker-assisted selection of the er2 gene. Of the ten STS markers developed from the target region, four were effectively converted into Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequence (CAPS) markers. These polymorphic CAPS markers and two LG3-specific SSR markers, AA278 and AA5, exhibited close linkage to er2 when tested on a BC7F2 population derived from a cross between the susceptible genotype Azad P-1 and JI2480. The linkage map of the er2 locus spanned a 5.9 cM region wherein AA278 was most closely linked to er2 at a distance of 1.8 cM. Three cosegregating markers, PsLG3_CAPS-1, PsLG3_CAPS-3, and PsLG3_CAPS-4, were positioned at a distance of 3.2 cM from the gene. When tested across a panel of 28 commercial pea genotypes, the different markers differentiated 6 to 22 commercial pea varieties from er2 donor line JI2480. These markers collectively distinguished 26 commercial pea varieties from JI2480, thereby suggesting their utility for marker-assisted selection of the er2 gene in crosses with these genotypes serving as recipient or recurrent parents. As these markers also differentiated a significant number of commercial pea varieties believed to possess the er1 gene from the er2 donor line JI2480, they can also be effectively utilized to integrate both resistance genes (er1 and er2) in these genetic backgrounds for achieving a broad spectrum and durable resistance against powdery mildews.

Downy mildew disease causes up to 100

Salinity stress significantly affects the establishment and productivity of pea, a salinity-sensitive cool-season legume, necessitating efficient early-stage screening for tolerant genotypes. A set of 33 pea genotypes were initially screened in vitro under six NaCl concentrations (50–300 mM) using the salt injury index (SII) to determine the optimum salinity level for screening, based on eight seedling traits. An average SII value of 0.5 across the traits identified 100 mM NaCl as the optimal level for differentiating the tolerance, with a mean reduction of 57.8

Amaranth is a widely consumed leafy vegetable known for its high mineral and nutrient content, which provides numerous health benefits. The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional, pigment, and mineral diversity of Indian Amaranthus genotypes to identify promising lines for leafy vegetable improvement and micronutrient-rich breeding. A total of 96 genotypes from eight Amaranthus species were evaluated using an augmented block design. Samples were collected in triplicate for the analysis of bioactive compounds (chlorophylls and vitamin C), antioxidant pigments, and minerals. The study found significant variability in total chlorophyll (16.92–58.05 mg/100 g), vitamin C (41.07–141.9 mg/100 g), crude fibre (1.14–14.05

Cucumber is an economically important crop; nonetheless, genotype-dependent and inefficient in vitro regeneration technologies limit its genetic transformation and genome editing potential. The goal of this study was to develop an effective and reproducible cucumber regeneration protocol by comparing explant types, plant growth regulator combinations, and in vitro culture conditions under various auxin-cytokinin regimes. In this study, three types of explants were evaluated viz., cotyledonary nodes, cotyledons, and hypocotyls, with cotyledonary nodes demonstrating the highest regenerative capacity. All of these explants exhibited considerable callus induction on MS medium supplemented with BAP (1.5 mg/L), NAA (0.5 mg/L), and AgNO3 (0.5 mg/L), demonstrating that cytokinin and auxin work together to promote cell division and organogenesis. However, shoot regeneration was only obtained from nodal explants, with callus produced on MS media containing BAP, IAA, and AgNO3. These were subsequently moved to shoot induction medium containing MS supplemented with BAP (1.0 mg/L) and Kinetin (0.5 mg/L), where several shoot buds emerged from each cotyledonary node. These were then moved to a rooting medium containing IBA (2.0 mg/L) and Kinetin (0.5 mg/L), resulting in increased root number, length, and induction efficiency (98–99

Amaranthus is a major leafy vegetable, and India is centre of its diversity. To assess variation within the Indian germplasm, 96 Amaranthus genotypes were evaluated using an augmented block design, scoring 20 morphological descriptors and analyzing DNA-based diversity with inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. All morphological traits showed a wide range of variation, including rare or unique phenotypes such as novel leaf shapes, white and pink stems, petiole pigmentation, and distinct inflorescence colour patterns. Shannon-Weaver indices ranged from 0.00 to 1.48, with 11 traits showing significant morphological variation. Molecular analyses revealed considerable polymorphism, with six of thirteen ISSR markers and nine of twenty-two SSR markers being polymorphic. Analysis of genetic diversity showed low within-population diversity (Hs = 0.15) but higher total diversity across populations (Ht = 0.26), along with moderate-to-high differentiation (Gst = 0.42) and low gene flow (Nm = 0.34), indicating strong population structuring. Principal coordinate analysis revealed substantial genetic variation, partial population clustering, and evidence of admixture, while marker-based clustering divided the collection into five clusters. Population structure analysis further identified four admixed subpopulations, highlighting the complex genetic relationships within the germplasm. These findings demonstrate structured and exploitable variation in Indian Amaranthus, providing a basis for selecting diverse parental lines, broadening the genetic base through compatible crosses, and supporting crop improvement programs.

Amaranthus, a plant of Amaranthaceae family is cultivated worldwide for its nutritious grains and leaves. This fast-growing crop thrives well even in challenging conditions such as high temperatures, low moisture, diseases, and pests. The genus has 70–74 species, 17 of which are edible, with most being diploid and only one species being tetraploid. Further, about 55 species are native to the Americas, with the rest found in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. Amaranthus's leaves, shoots, tender stems, and grains are versatile ingredients used in sauces, soups, and various recipes. It is a nutrient-rich plant, providing essential carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, iron, beta-carotene, dietary fiber, and amino acids like lysine and sulfur. Further, the nutritional composition of plants varies with species and plant parts. With over 50 identified nutritional compounds, Amaranthus exhibits numerous pharmacological benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidepressant, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective, antiviral, antibacterial, hypocholesterolemic, and neuroprotective effects. In Ayurveda, it is traditionally used to treat conditions such as menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, dysentery, diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, asthma, bronchitis, piles, blood disorders, bladder discomfort, toothache, and as a diuretic. This review provides an in-depth examination of Amaranthus spp., covering their historical context, distribution, linguistic diversity, cyto-taxonomy, origin, and genetic diversity. It emphasizes the plant's diverse applications in agriculture, health, and nutrition, particularly in addressing global food security and nutrition challenges. Further research is needed to isolate active components, optimize extraction, and explore Amaranthus's therapeutic potential in functional foods, supplements, and natural colorants. Sustainable farming and breeding can enhance Amaranthus yields, betalain content, and reduce anti-nutritional compounds, benefiting farmers especially in developing countries.

Climate change has driven pea breeders to develop climate-resilient, high-yielding cultivars suitable for a wide range of conditions. Farmers prefer short-duration cultivars that can be planted early or late, maximising returns and supporting multiple cropping. The present study evaluated 22 vegetable pea genotypes under high temperature stress (25-34 degrees C) in five environments, exposing plants to stress during the vegetative and reproductive stages. Compared to normal conditions, stressed conditions (TS1: T Max 34 degrees C, T Min 21 degrees C at vegetative stage; T Max 32 degrees C, T Min 15 degrees C at flowering) resulted in 39.4 % reductions in pod length, 70.7 % in plant height, 85.8 % in total pod formation, and 96.8 % in pod yield/hectare. Based upon five tolerance indices viz ., HSI, TOL, MP, PYR and YSI, the genotypes VRPE-955, Kashi Udai, VRPE-29, VRPE-30, Kashi Purvi and VRPE-944 exhibited high pod yield under stress conditions. Trait association analysis revealed that total pod formation/plant, ovule to-seed conversion, 10-pod weight, and pod length are critical selection traits. PCA revealed that associations between traits varied across environments, with above-mentioned traits showing maximum loading on PC1. Stability analysis using AMMI and GGE biplots revealed that VRPE-100, VRPE-30, VRPE-953, VRPE-955, and VRPE-29 are well-adapted to high temperatures. Multi-trait stability indices showed that VRPE-953, VRPE-944, and VRPE-18 were the most stable, making them suitable for multi-cropping in variable conditions.

Multiflowering (MF) is a condition in which a plant bears more than two flowers per peduncle (FPP) on a single flowering node. In legumes, MF is reported in peas, chickpeas, and lentils and is reportedly governed by one to two recessive gene(s) or polygenes ( Fn , Fna , Hr , Dne , Lf , Sn , nep–1 , nep– 2, sfl , and cym ). MF is a relatively stable trait, although influenced by G × E interaction, particularly by temperature (11°C–20°C). Among the various genes regulating MF, the sfl gene results in the formation of two FPP in chickpea and was fine-mapped at 5.1 cM on LG6. The fine mapping and functional characterization of all the known MF genes will help in the manipulation of the number of FPPs and also the total number of flowers per plant through MAS (marker-assisted selection) or genome editing. This review investigates the roles, pathways, and genomic locations of all the MF genes in various legumes and the possibility of realizing better yield.

Amaranth is an annual or short-perennial, dicotyledonous plant, globally cultivated for its grains and leaves. The plant is recognized as one of the earliest domesticated vegetables with exceptional nutraceutical and therapeutic properties. The present investigation aims to evaluate the genetic diversity and breeding potential of 22 vegetable amaranthus genotypes. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with three replications during summer 2023, with observations recorded on 14 agro-morphological traits. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences for all the traits, depicting a wide range of variation for these traits. Further, the genotype VRAM-45 was found most promising for leaf yield, while VRAM-44 excelled for seed yield. A significant and positive correlation exists between leaf yield/plant, leaf length and leaf width, implying a potential link between leaf area and the efficiency of photosynthesis. Principal component analysis highlighted the significance of the first two components, explaining a substantial 53.71% of the total variation. Traits such as plant height at the vegetative stage, leaf length, and days to 50% flowering emerged as significant contributors to the variance. Clustering analysis categorized the 22 genotypes into four clusters. Cluster IV, though was found monogenotypic, but found superior for most of the economic traits, followed by cluster III. Thus, focusing on these clusters in breeding or selection programs could lead to more favorable outcomes in terms of economic productivity and other desirable characteristics.

Pea, a major cool-season vegetable legume, suffer substantial yield and quality losses due to powdery mildew (PM), caused by the parasitic fungus species Erysiphe. This disease can lead to yield reductions of 25–70%, affecting quality of produce with notable economic impact. Resistance breeding is one of the most environmentally sustainable strategies to manage this devastating disease. Over a period of three year, a total of 172 diverse pea accessions were field evaluated for powdery mildew resistance (PMR), among which 35 accessions displayed a disease score rating of 0-1, indicating a disease incidence of ≤1%. Notably, three accessions—IC296678, EC865944, and EC865975—demonstrated high resistance levels against Erysiphe pisi. Histopathological observations showed that no conidia germination occurred on the resistant lines IC296678, EC865975 and EC865944 at both 24- and 48-hours post-inoculation, indicating a pre-invasive type of immunity in these genotypes. To investigate the gene action and inheritance patterns of PM resistance in EC865944 and EC865975, we utilized five cross combinations viz., EC865975 × Kashi Udai, EC865944 × VRPM-903, Kashi Ageti × EC865944, EC865944 × Kashi Nandini, and EC865975 × Kashi Shakti. Analysis of the F2 population from these crosses revealed a segregation pattern of one resistant to three susceptible, indicating the presence of a single recessive gene in both the genotypes. Horticultural characterization of these genotypes showed that both belonged to the late-maturing group of peas, characterized by a taller growth habit, an average pod weight ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 g, and an average yield of 75–100 g per plant. These newly identified PMR sources provide invaluable genetic resources, not only for Indian breeders but also for researchers globally, offering a significant step forward in sustainable pea improvement.

Background: Garden pea is a cool season vegetable crop cultivated extensively throughout the world. Besides nutritional quality it also boosts soils through the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. The most important task of pea breeding is to develop varieties with high and stable production, different maturity types and resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. To fulfil these objectives, analysis of genetic diversity is the prerequisite to choose genetically diverse parents for a successful hybridization program and to know the source of genes for a particular trait within the available germplasm. Methods: A study was conducted at ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi during 2015, using principle component analysis, correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis approaches to assess the genetic diversity present in 160 pea genotypes for the identification of diverse parents for use in crop improvement. Result: Based on the phenotypic data, three superior genotypes VRPD-2, VRPR-15 and VRP-292 were identified on the basis of pod yield, number of pods per plant, ten pod weight, pod length and number of seeds per pod whereas three other genotypes VRPE-45-1, VRPE-55 and VRPE-36 were found early flowering. Principle Component Analysis revealed that first four principle components contributed to 85% of the total variation so these four were given due importance for further explanation. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that number of pods per plant, ten pod weight and number of internode for first pod were the best predictors of pod yield per plant.

Yield and its contributing attributes are mostly targeted in improvement programmes, so the existence of variability has prime importance in plant breeding. In the present study, 36 genotypes of water chestnut were assessed with principal component analyses (PCA) based on morphological and quality traits to select genotypes and traits for future breeding programmes. Based on the PCA with 21 traits, 21 components were formed; however, 9 PCs had more than 1 Eigenvalue with a variability of 74.3%. So, these nine PCs were used for further investigation. The first principal component exhibited maximum variability of the total variations present. PC1 correlated with the number of leaves per plant, number of fruit-nut per plant, single fresh nut weight, dried shelled nut weight, Zn content in rind, Fe content in shelled nut, Mn content in shelled nut and rind and fresh nut yield per plant, while PC2 dominated by Fe content in shelled nut, Mn content in shelled nut and Mn content in rind and TSS. PC3 correlated with traits like the number of fruit-nut per plant, leaf width, fruit pedicel length, TSS, 10 fresh nut weight and Fe content in the rind. PC4 reflected positive factor loading by fruit pedicel length, dried 10 nut rind weight and Zn content in rind. PC5 correlated with single shelled nut weight and number of fruit-nut per plant high with positive factor loading. PC6 correlated with leaf width, dried single-shelled nut, 10 fresh nut weight. PC7 positively correlated with factor loading values with single-shelled nut weight, dried 10 nut rind weight and number of leaves per plant. PC8 correlated with traits like 10 fresh nut weight, Fe content in shelled nut and number of fruit nut per plant.PC9 positively correlated with high values to leaf width, number of fruit-nut per plant and number of leaves per plant. Therefore, the important traits coming jointly from diverse PCs and contributing towards elucidation variability may be kept into consideration during the utilization of these traits in the improvement programmes of water chestnut.

The fresh, edible fruit-nut of the water chestnut, an annual herb found in water, is an important aquatic crop. There is an enormous variation in water chestnut growth and yield, which is not extensively recorded in India. The yield performance of 23 water chestnut lines was examined in the present investigation. Crop variability contributes to the effective application of plant characteristics in the creation of stable and productive cultivars. The present study was conducted in 2020-2021 on water chestnut (Trapa spp.) accessions in order to assess the degree of genetic variability and yield character relationships. The genotypic coefficient of variation and heritability estimations were high for Zn, Mn and Fe content in rind, number of spines per nut, pedicel length, 10 dried nut rind weight, number of leaves per plant, number of nuts per plant, leaf length and fresh nut yield per plant. The following traits showed low heritability estimates and genotypic coefficients of variation: leaf width, nut pedicel length, weight of a single fresh nut, weight of a single shelled nut, and TSS. Fresh nut yield per plant was positively and significantly associated with the number of leaves per plant and the weight of 10 fresh nuts. To improve fruit-nut yield in water chestnut, selection criteria such as number of leaves per plant, number of nuts per plant, fruit pedicel length, fresh nut weight, TSS, 10 fresh nut weight and 10 fresh nut rind weight could be applied in different crop improvement programmes of water chestnut.

Uromyces viciae-fabae Pers. de-Bary is an important fungal pathogen causing rust in peas (Pisum sativum L.). It is reported in mild to severe forms from different parts of the world where the pea is grown. Host specificity has been indicated in this pathogen in the field but has not yet been established under controlled conditions. The uredinial states of U. viciae-fabae are infective under temperate and tropical conditions. Aeciospores are infective in the Indian subcontinent. The genetics of rust resistance was reported qualitatively. However, non-hypersensitive resistance responses and more recent studies emphasized the quantitative nature of pea rust resistance. Partial resistance/slow rusting had been described as a durable resistance in peas. Such resistance is of the pre-haustorial type and expressed as longer incubation and latent period, poor infection efficiency, a smaller number of aecial cups/pustules, and lower units of AUDPC (Area Under Disease Progress Curve). Screening techniques dealing with slow rusting should consider growth stages and environment, as both have a significant influence on the disease scores. Our knowledge about the genetics of rust resistance is increasing, and now molecular markers linked with gene/QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci) of rust resistance have been identified in peas. The mapping efforts conducted in peas came out with some potent markers associated with rust resistance, but they must be validated under multi-location trails before use in the marker-assisted selection of rust resistance in pea breeding programs.

Aim of study: To determine the amount of diversity in pea breeding materials with the objective to classify a set of potential parents carrying novel/economic variations that could be used in future breed pea varieties. Area of study: ICAR–Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi. Material and methods: A total of 45 pea accessions were analysed for phenotypic and molecular diversity using 17 agro-morphological traits and 52 SSR markers. Main results: All traits under investigation showed considerable genetic variation. The genotypes exhibited 6.7, 2.7 and 12-fold variation for traits viz., pods/plant, 10-pod weight and yield/plant, respectively. Among 52 SSR markers, 22 were found to be polymorphic. A total of 90 allelic variants were detected, with an average of 2.7 alleles/locus. PIC and D-values for markers AA135 (0.79 and 0.81) and PSMPSAD51 (0.7 and 0.74) were the highest, while AB40 (0.19 and 0.2) had the lowest. Two principal components PC1 and PC2 explained 46.96 and 23.96% of total variation, respectively. The clustering based on agro-morphological traits differentiated 45 individuals into three mega clusters, while SSR markers-based clustering classified these accessions into four groups. Research highlights: Based on their uniqueness, we identified a set of genotypes (VRPD-2, VRPD-3, PC-531, ‘Kashi Nandini’, ‘Kashi Udai’, ‘Kashi Mukti’, ‘Arkel’, VRPE-101, ‘Azad Pea-3’, EC865944, VRPM-901 and VRP-500) harbouring genes for various economic traits. The findings presented here will be extremely useful to breeders who are working on improvement of peas through selective introgression breeding.