This study assessed the distribution and diversity of important plant growth-promoting genes from the metagenomic DNA of rice rhizosphere soil. The multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) was employed for the simultaneous amplification of three genes from the metagenomic DNA: nifH (dinitrogenase reductase), pqqC (pyrroloquinoline quinone synthase) and accd-DR (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase). Both clone-based sequencing and next generation sequencing (NGS) of the above genes were performed, assess the diversity in this study. 96 nifH clones selected from the metagenomic DNA of rice rhizosphere showed 15 different groups, based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Sequencing of the representative 15 clones revealed a high similarity to uncultured bacteria. Similarly, 12 clones of pqqC were analyzed which showed alignment to both uncultured and cultured bacteria. NGS of nifH revealed the presence of fourteen genera with different numbers of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), the dominant genus being Halorhodospira. pqqC and accd-DR were represented by seven genera and contained various number of OTUs. Apart, pqqC showed the highest percentage of Pseudomonas sp. (48

In the current investigation, 22 Nerium accessions gathered from different places in Tamil Nadu were evaluated. Regarding the assessment of accessions, a higher plant height of 209.25 cm was recorded in NI-13, and the greatest number of shoots per plant (7.40), plant spread in East-West direction (118.15 cm) and plant spread in North-South direction (123.85 cm) occurred in NI-16. The highest average leaf length (28.60 cm) was seen in Accession NI-1, whereas Accession NI-6 had the largest average leaf width (3.25 cm). Among the accessions, NI-13 recorded earliness in bud initiation (66.60). Accession NI-1 had the most flowers per spike (18.15), whereas accession NI-16 had the longest blooms (4.70) and highest individual flower weight (0.96 g) was recorded in the accession NI-3. Flower yield was highest in the accession NI-15 (4.10 kg) and the retentivity of the flowering rate were noted to be elevated in accession NI-1 (3.25 days). The PCA analysis revealed that four principal components showed 75.44% of total variation. From this, we identified that plant height, No. of shoots, plant spread (East-West) and plant spread (North-South), internode length, No. of spikes yield/plant/year, flower weight, and leaf width in different principal components are highly contributing traits for total variation. The clustering pattern was very effective, with a cophenetic correlation coefficient 0.705. The cluster analysis was displayed in four major clusters based on their specific geographical locations. The above-found accessions and traits could be utilized in the nerium varietal improvement programmes.

Context Untapped wheat germplasm is conserved globally in genebanks. Evaluating it for grain quality and yield will help achieve nutritional and food security. Aims We aimed to evaluate the Indian National Genebank bread wheat core collection for grain quality, phenology and yield, to identify potential donor germplasm. Methods 1485 accessions were grown at three locations in India during winter 2015–2016 to evaluate test weight, grain protein content, sedimentation value (SV), days to spike emergence, days to maturity, grain yield and thousand-grain weight (TGW). Key results Best linear unbiased estimates indicated mean protein of 13.3%, 14.7%, and 13.0% and yield of 73.0 g/m, 70.9 g/m and 66.6 g/m at Ludhiana, Pune, and Varanasi locations, respectively. The SV ranged from 26.6–65.6 mL and 17.7–66.6 mL at the Ludhiana and Pune locations, respectively. The top 10 accessions were identified for all the studied traits. Six high protein accessions, with consistent protein of more than 15% along with moderate Thousand-grain and test weights were further validated and assessed for stability across environments. Grain protein content was correlated negatively with thousand-grain weight and yield, but positively with days to maturity and spike emergence. Conclusion The identified accessions with high trait values could be used in future breeding programmes to develop high yielding biofortified cultivars to address protein malnutrition and also cultivars with suitable end-product quality. Implications The diversity in a core collection can be exploited to develop modern high yielding bread wheat cultivars with higher grain protein content and suitable end-product quality.

Linseed or flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the most ancient industrial crops domesticated for oil and natural fiber. Bud fly (Dasyneura lini Barnes) susceptibility is serious biotic stress affecting its production both quantitatively and qualitatively. It has economic significance particularly in Asian countries, causing substantial crop damage leading to significant yield penalty and deterioration of seed quality. In the present study, a large collection of 2598 linseed germplasm accessions from the Indian National Genebank were screened for bud fly infestation at two natural hot-spot locations in India. The maximum bud fly incidence across all four environments ranged from 47.93% to 90.47%. Based on average bud fly infestation over the environments, a reference set comprising 195 accessions including 46 resistant, 94 moderately resistant and 55 moderately susceptible/susceptible germplasm was developed. Further, a selected subset of 26 accessions having a common reaction against linseed bud fly at both locations was validated for resistance over multi-location-year environments (four environments over two years) through GGE biplot analysis. The GGE biplot revealed that two accessions, G22 (EC0993391) and G23 (IC0633096) were highly resistant (<10% bud fly damage) and most stable over the tested environments against bud fly infestation. Additionally, two accessions namely G15 (IC0498795) and G24 (EC0099001) were considered resistant as they showed consistent performance and low bud fly infestation in comparison to the resistant check (Neela). Moreover, these accessions had a great buffering capacity to perceive environmental signals for developing adaptive capacities in a wide range of environments. The identified germplasm accessions may serve as potential donors for accelerating the resistance breeding programme to impart a long-lasting, broad-spectrum resistance against linseed bud fly.

Background: Micronutrients significantly impact agricultural production and are necessary for human health. Therefore, a systematic programme on identification of sources with high concentration of iron and zinc is important for overcoming the problem of micronutrient malnutrition. Therefore, present study was undertaken with the objectives (1) to find out iron and zinc concentrations and (2) to identify stable urdbean genotypes. This will be further helpful to set desirable level of iron and zinc concentrations in the upcoming urdbean varieties. Methods: The present study was conducted to evaluate 30 urdbean genotypes for variability studies of iron, zinc and protein content. The experiment was laid out in the randomized complete block design and replicated thrice at the experimental farm of Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Gurdaspur, Punjab (India) during spring 2019 and 2020. Result: Analysis of variance showed that effect due to genotypes was significant for iron, zinc and protein content as well Iron and Zinc content ranged from (28.75 ppm to 90.75 ppm) and (44.75 ppm to 60.0 ppm) respectively, while protein content ranged from (18.7 to 25.13)%. The genotype PDU1 and OBG35 possessed high level of all three nutrients viz., Fe, Zn and protein. Fe content showed significant positive correlation with Zn content suggesting that both the nutrient can be improved simultaneously. Micronutrient dense genotypes identified can be used as donar to develop nutrient enriched varieties either through conventional breeding or by using biotechnological tool like marker assisted selection.

The present study was carried out during 2019 to 2022 at the Floriculture Research Station (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu), Thovalai, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu to access the genetic variability in lotus accessions (Nelumbo nucifera) collected from 6 diverse locations. The research presents significant insights into the growth and flowering characteristics of these extraordinary aquatic plants and their adaptability to various environmental conditions. The analysis of mean performance showcases noteworthy variations in plant height, leaf dimensions, flowering time and the number of leaves, and flowers/plant across different collection sites, highlighting the profound influence of local environmental conditions on lotus growth. Lotus traits with significant genetic diversity and heritability, presenting opportunities for targeted selective breeding were identified. Principal component analysis uncovers key trait influencers, while cluster analysis categorizes accessions based on similarities, streamlining research and cultivation. Correlation and path analysis unveil relationships among lotus traits, enhancing our understanding of growth factors. D2 cluster composition reveals distinct groupings; Cluster I includes KNn1 and KNn5, Cluster II features KNn2, Cluster III comprises KNn6, Cluster IV contains KNn3, and Cluster V houses KNn4. Genetic divergence analysis identifies the number of flowers/plant as the primary driver of genetic diversity, emphasizing its importance for breeding. It underscores the need to consider both genetic and environmental factors in lotus cultivation and highlights the importance of targeted breeding efforts to unlock the full potential of lotus.

Biochemical profiling of 90 linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) varieties was done to have insights into their health benefits and nutritional properties. The analysis of fatty acid (FA) composition revealed 5 major FAs as α-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), oleic acid (OA), palmitic acid (PA), and stearic acid (SA) ranging from 1.68% to 59.19%, 5.61–62.44%, 18.14–45.54%, 5.69–9.5%, and 3.94–10.29%, respectively. Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) content varied significantly with a wide range of 0.02–3.60% in the seed with highest SDG content recorded so far as 3.60% in variety KL-226. Amino acid (AA) composition analysis revealed the variation in average amino acid content of essential amino acids (EAA) (His, Thr Val, Met, Trp, Phe, Ile, Leu, Lys) and non-essential amino acids (NEAA) (Asp, Glu, Ser, Gly, Arg, Ala, Tyr, Cys). Total NEAA content ranged from 3.24% to 23.69% while total EAA content ranged from 1.89% to 14.89%. Lipid heath indices such as atherogenicity index, thrombogenicity index, cholestrolemic index and peroxidisability index along with other fatty acid ratios such as n-6/n-3 ratio, UFA/SFA, PUFA/SFA were calculated to determine the stability of the varieties against auto-oxidation. It also revealed the positive effect of all varieties providing protection against atherosclerosis, coronary heart diseases, cancer and inflammatory diseases. Oleic desaturation ratio (ODR) and linoleic desaturation ratio (LDR) calculated to determine the desaturation efficiency of fatty acids, while protein efficiency ratio (PER) value calculated using amino acid composition determine the nutritional quality of protein. PER value ranged from 1.92 to 4.12 making all 90 varieties a good quality protein plant source. Principal component analysis revealed a significant variation between the fatty acid composition, amino acid composition and SDG content with a total variation of 69.95%. Hierarchical cluster analysis calculated using Pearson correlation coefficient revealed that 89 varieties are mostly similar except TL-99 variety.

The Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) family comprises many cultivated plants; however, only cabbage and cauliflower are extensively cultivated in India. Numerous crops from this family remain exotic and uncommercialized within the country despite their successful cultivation in other regions. This study evaluates the adaptability of four exotic cole crops; red cabbage, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, and pakchoi grown under polyhouse and open-field conditions in Telangana (Hyderabad) and Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore) to assess their performance across diverse environmental conditions. The results indicated that head initiation occurred earlier in Hyderabad’s open fields, whereas in Coimbatore, all crops except Chinese cabbage were initiated earlier in polyhouses. In Hyderabad, red cabbage reached head maturity sooner under protected conditions, while the other crops matured faster in open fields. In Coimbatore, red cabbage and broccoli matured faster in polyhouses, while the remaining crops were harvested earlier in open fields. In Hyderabad, broccoli and Chinese cabbage demonstrated superior head attributes in polyhouses, whereas the other crops performed better in open fields. In Coimbatore, all crops showed improved head attributes under polyhouse conditions. In terms of yield, in Hyderabad, red cabbage yielded 7.90 kg and Chinese cabbage 5.15 kg, performing better in open fields, while broccoli and Pakchoi yielded more in polyhouses. In Coimbatore, red cabbage yielded 7.75 kg, broccoli 6.20 kg, Chinese cabbage 6.30 kg, and pakchoi 7.25 kg, all favoring polyhouse cultivation. This study highlights the potential to increase the commercial viability of exotic crops and enhance food diversity and sustainability in Indian agriculture.

Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees is an important medicinal plant known for its bioactive compound andrographolide. NAC transcription factors (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) play a crucial role in secondary metabolite production, stress responses, and plant development through hormonal signaling. In this study, a putative partial transcript of three NAC family genes (ApNAC83, ApNAC21 22 and ApNAC02) was used to isolate full length genes using RACE. Bioinformatics analyses such as protein structure prediction, cis-acting regulatory elements, and gene ontology analysis were performed. Based on in silico predictions, the diterpenoid profiling of the plant’s leaves (five-week-old) and the real-time PCR-based expression analysis of isolated NAC genes under abscisic acid (ABA) treatment were performed. Additionally, the expression analysis of isolated NAC genes under MeJA treatment and transient expression in Nicotiana tabacum was performed. Full-length sequences of three members of the NAC transcription factor family, ApNAC83 (1102 bp), ApNAC21 22 (996 bp), and ApNAC02 (1011 bp), were isolated and subjected to the promoter and gene ontology analysis, which indicated their role in transcriptional regulation, DNA binding, ABA-activated signaling, and stress management. It was observed that ABA treatment leads to a higher accumulation of andrographolide and 14-deoxyandrographolide content, along with the upregulation of ApNAC02 (9.6-fold) and the downregulation of ApNAC83 and ApNAC21 22 in the leaves. With methyl jasmonate treatment, ApNAC21 22 expression decreased, while ApNAC02 increased (1.9-fold), with no significant change being observed in ApNAC83. The transient expression of the isolated NAC genes in a heterologous system (Nicotiana benthamiana) demonstrated their functional transcriptional activity, leading to the upregulation of the NtHMGR gene, which is related to the terpene pathway in tobacco. The expression analysis and heterologous expression of ApNAC21 22 and ApNAC02 indicated their role in andrographolide biosynthesis.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), an ancient oilseed crop being cultivated across geographical locations in the tropics, is known for its high-quality oil with a longer shelf life. India, being the center of diversity for this crop, understanding the genetic variability of sesame germplasm being conserved in the national Genebank (NGB) of ICAR-NBPGR, will help identify genotypes for its potential use in broadening the genetic base of the cultivars for sesame crop improvement. We report here the molecular diversity analysis performed using SSR markers on a set of 2,496 sesame germplasm. Hence, the derived data was also subjected to population structure analysis, and a molecular core was generated to assess its phenotypic variability. Parallelly, they were phenotypically characterized for important qualitative and quantitative traits as per the standard descriptor developed by IPGRI, and accessions exhibiting desirable traits were identified. The sesame germplasm used in our study represents collections from 17 countries across the globe and 26 states in India. A total of 140 alleles were obtained using seven polymorphic SSR markers selected from an initial screening comprising 43 SSR markers. The observed heterozygosity was less than the expected heterozygosity since it is a self-pollinated crop (up to 35

This study investigated the impact of different fertigation schedules on cherry tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) cultivation in a controlled environment at TNAU, Coimbatore, India. A Completely Randomized Design with nine treatments and three replications was used, incorporating various combinations of soil application and fertigation with water-soluble fertilizers at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF). Critical parameters such as growth, phenological traits, yield, fruit quality, soil nutrient status, and plant nutrient uptake were evaluated. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, path coefficient analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA), were performed to assess treatment effects and identify relationships between variables. The results consistently demonstrated that fertigation with water-soluble fertilizers at 100% RDF (T3) yielded the best outcomes for most parameters, followed by 75% RDF fertigation (T4) and a combination of 25% soil application and 75% fertigation (T7). Significant improvements in plant growth, yield and fruit quality were observed with optimized fertigation compared to traditional soil application methods. T3 (100% RDF through fertigation) resulted in the highest plant height (263.95 cm), number of primary branches (15), leaf area (316.77 cm2) and dry matter production (96.85 kg/plant). Yield attributes such as fruits per plant (326.50), fruit weight (3.73 g), and total yield (23.95 t/ ha) were also highest in T3. Path coefficient analysis indicated strong positive correlations between growth and yield parameters. PCA showed that the first principal component accounted for 85.9 % of the total variation. These findings highlight the potential for fertigation to improve resource use efficiency and productivity in cherry tomato cultivation.

Fatty acid profiles of 14 Linum species was determined by GC-MS analysis to study the nutritional quality of Linum species based on fatty acid composition, lipid health indices, and chemometric approaches. L. lewisii and L. marginale found to have the highest content of ALA i.e., 65.38 % and 62.79 %, respectively, L. tenuifolium recorded the highest linoleic acid content (69.69 %), while, L. catharticum recorded highest oleic acid (27.03 %). Health indices viz. polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ratio, n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio, atherogenicity, thrombogenicity, oxidability, oxidative stability, hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acids, and peroxidisability calculated based on the fatty acid composition revealed that all the linseed species except L. aristatum, L. tenuifolium and L. hudsoniodes have healthy fatty acid composition. L. lewisii clearly emerges as a promising species followed by L. bienne with great values across multiple indices, making them as a potential candidate for dietary or nutritional interests. The lipid profile of Linum species could be well distinguished by two principal components by Principal Component Analysis (PCA).

IntroductionThe introgression of genetic material from one species to another through wide hybridization and repeated back-crossing, plays an important role in genetic modification and enriching the cultivated gene-pool with novel genetic variations. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus [(L.) Moench)] is a popular vegetable crop with high dietary fibre and protein, rich in essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan. The wild Abelmoschus genepool has many desirable traits like ornamental value, short internodal length, more number of productive branches, extended bearing, perennation tendency, reduced fruit length (more consumer preferred trait), high mucilage content (medicinal value), abiotic stress tolerances such as drought, high temperature and biotic stress resistances such as okra Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (YVMV) and Enation Leaf Curl Virus (ELCV) diseases. The repeated use of elite breeding lines led to narrowing of the genetic base of the okra crop, one of the major factors attributed to breakdown of resistance/ tolerance to biotic stresses. YVMV and ELCV are the two major diseases, causing significant yield loss in okra. Hence, wide hybridization was attempted to transfer tolerance genes from wild species to the cultivated genepool to widen the genetic base.Material and methodsThe screening of germplasm of wild Abelmoschus species at hotspots led to the identification of tolerant species (Abelmoschus pungens var. mizoramensis, A. enbeepeegeearensis, A. caillei, A. tetraphyllus and A. angulosus var. grandiflorus), which were further used in a wide-hybridization programme to generate interspecific hybrids with the cultivated okra. Presence of pre- and post-zygotic barriers to interspecific geneflow, differences in ploidy levels and genotype specific variations in chromosome numbers led to varying degrees of sterility in F1 plants of interspecific crosses. This was overcome by doubling the chromosome number of interspecific hybrids by applying Colchicine at the seedling stage. The 113 cross derivatives generated comprising amphidiploids in the F1 generation (30), F3 (14), one each in F2 and F4 generations, back cross generation in BC1F2 (03), BC1F3 (25), and BC2F3 (02), crosses between amphidiploids (27), multi-cross combinations (07) and inter-specific cross (between A. sagittifolius × A. moschatus subsp. moschatus) selfed derivatives at F8 generation (03) were characterized in the present study. Besides they were advanced through selfing and backcrossing.Results and DiscussionThe amphidiploids were found to possess many desirable genes with a considerable magnitude of linkage drag. Majority of the wide cross derivatives had an intermediate fruit morphology and dominance of wild characters viz., hispid fruits, stem, leaves, tough fruit fibre, vigorous perennial growth habit and prolonged flowering and fruiting. The fruit morphology of three BC progenies exhibited a high morphological resemblance to the cultivated okra, confirming successful transfer of useful genes to the cultivated okra genepool. The detailed morphological characteristics of the various combinations of Abelmoschus amphidiploids and the genetic enhancement of the genepool achieved in this process is reported here.

Ker (Capparis deciduas) is one of the important indigenous fruit crop locallyknown as Kair, Taiti, Karil, Teent found in gochars, rangeland and wastelands tracts ofRajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat states in arid and semi-arid climatic regions. Itis a multipurpose small woody perennial, much-branched, leafless with attractive pink tored veined flower during summer when temperature is very high (45°C or more). Thismultipurpose plant easily survives in drought, saline and poor nutrients soil ecologicalconditions. Its fruit has been used in vegetable, pickles and condiments since fruits arerich in proteins (8.6%), vitamin C (130 mg 100 g -1 fruit pulp) carbohydrates, fiber andminerals (Ca, and Fe). Its seeds are rich in oil (20.3%) of which 68.6% is unsaturatedfatty acid. Immature green pea size stage dried fruit is an important ingredient of atraditional vegetable of Rajasthan known as ‘Panchkutta’. Total 15 accessions are beingmaintained at Field Gene Bank of ICAR-NBPGR, Regional Station, Jodhpur whichwere evaluated in the present study based on morphological characters during 2020-21. Genetic variation was recorded on ripened fruit weight (2.5 to 13.8 g), fruit length(12.1 to 21.77 mm) and fruit width (10.30 to 19.7 mm). IC103393 was found promisingin term of higher fruit weight (13.8 g) with pink color flower and IC103362 was foundred veined flower color with medium fruit size (4 to 6 g) while round the year floweringreported from IC103395

Soybean is one of the major oilseed crops cultivated in India and globally. In India, it is mainly cultivated in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Telangana. Despite being grown in large areas, the importance of soybean and its oil is still very prevalent. The objective was to investigate the impact of foliar spraying of thiourea at three different concentrations (250, 500, and 750 ppm) during two growth stages (20-25 days after sowing and 50-55 days after sowing) on two soybean varieties, PS1347 and SL958. Several growth parameters were recorded and then analysed, such as plant height, plant dry weight, stem girth, leaf chlorophyll content, intercepted PAR, crop growth rate and relative growth rate. It was found that thiourea brought a positive influence on the crop, and the maximum improvement was recorded by foliar spraying of 750 ppm thiourea, which was statistically at par with the foliar spray of thiourea at the concentration of 500 ppm.

In this modern era, people are paying more attention to adopting healthy lifestyles and suitable nutritional diets. To meet the increasing demand, new food sources are continuously being identified. The present review focuses on underutilized cereal crops, commonly known as pseudo-cereals (Buckwheat, Quinoa, and Amaranth), and their nutritional products. The nutritional properties, amino acid profile, essential amino acid indices, protein efficiency ratio, nutritional index, and biological functions are higher in pseudo-cereals than other true crops. We comprehensively discussed pseudo-cereals' characteristics and nutritional composition, bioactive components, and functional properties of pseudo-cereals. Also, the processing treatments and applications of pseudo-cereals as dietary food were discussed. Finally, the current challenges in using pseudo-cereals as dietary food supplements were analyzed, and recommendations were made for future studies.

Flaxseed/linseed is an important oilseed crop having applications in the food, nutraceutical, and paint industry. Seed weight is one of the most crucial determinants of seed yield in linseed. Here, quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) associated with thousand-seed weight (TSW) have been identified using multi-locus genome-wide association study (ML-GWAS). Field evaluation was carried out in five environments in multi-year-location trials. SNP genotyping information of the AM panel of 131 accessions comprising 68,925 SNPs was employed for ML-GWAS. From the six ML-GWAS methods employed, five methods helped identify a total of 84 unique significant QTNs for TSW. QTNs identified in ≥ 2 methods/environments were designated as stable QTNs. Accordingly, 30 stable QTNs have been identified for TSW accounting up to 38.65% trait variation. Alleles with positive effect on trait were analyzed for 12 strong QTNs with r 2 ≥ 10.00%, which showed significant association of specific alleles with higher trait value in three or more environments. A total of 23 candidate genes have been identified for TSW, which included B3 domain-containing transcription factor, SUMO-activating enzyme, protein SCARECROW, shaggy-related protein kinase/BIN2, ANTIAUXIN-RESISTANT 3, RING-type E3 ubiquitin transferase E4, auxin response factors, WRKY transcription factor, and CBS domain-containing protein. In silico expression analysis of candidate genes was performed to validate their possible role in different stages of seed development process. The results from this study provide significant insight and elevate our understanding on genetic architecture of TSW trait in linseed.