CREA Journals (Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria)
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Water productivity, morphological and biochemical responses of Sorghum bicolor (L.) under various levels of drought stress
Full text linkSorghum is a potential fodder crop that has high yielding and superior quantity to feed of livestock. In arid and semi-arid areas, both quantity and quality are susceptible to drought. This study assesses the impact of drought stress on morphological characteristics, forage quantity and quality, and water productivity on two sorghum varieties. The experiment was carried out in a split-plot, based on the completely randomized design with three replications in Isfahan, Iran, in 2017, and 2018 crop years. The treatments consisted of irrigation treatments with three levels (control, 80, and 60% full irrigation) and two varieties of sorghum (Speedfeed and Pegah). The results showed that drought stress had no adverse effect on the vegetative traits and forage yield of sorghum, while it improved some traits related to animal nutrition. The results indicate that drought stress up to 60% full irrigation had no significant effect on the qualitative and quantitative yield of sorghum forage and water productivity. Besides,according to Stress Susceptibility Index and Stress Tolerance Index, Also increase wet and dry forage water productivity in 60% irrigation compared to 100%, the Pegah variety is more adapted to water stress conditions. The Speedfeed variety is appropriate as a result of animal nutrition, but depending on the reduction in Neutral detergent fiber and Lignin, the Pegah variety may be more appropriate for forage quality
Combining ability and heterosis study for yield and it’s attributing traits in maize (Zea Mays L.)
Full text linkCombining ability and heterosis was studied in maize for grain yield and its attributing traits using line x tester mating design. Significant general and specific combining ability variances were observed for all the charactersstudied indicating the importance of both additive and non-additive gene action for the expression of these traits. Among the parents GPM-4, GPM-38, GPM-608, GPM-688, GPM-759, GPM-648 and CI-4 were found to be good general combiners for days to 50% tasseling and days to 50% silking. Similarly, GPM-18, GPM-27, GPM-30 and GPM-606 were good combiners for grain yield. Among the test hybrids GH-1834 and GH-1813 were found to be promising recording significant SCA effects for Number of kernels/ row, cob length and cob girth. whereas, for 100 seed weight GH-1852 and GH-1819 and for grain yield GH-1862, GH-1843,GH-1852 and GH-1829 were found to be promising. Similarly, among the 64 F1 hybrids significant economic heterosis of 21.0 and 6.46 per cent over National and Popular private hybrid check was recorded by both the test hybrids GH-1809 and GH-1829 respectively. GGE biplot technique was used to understand the interrelationship between genotypes, testers and their interaction and it could explain the variation through two components PC1 (55.28 %) and PC2 (44.72 %). The parental line L5 (GPM-27) which falls on the ATC absicca showed the highest GCA effects for grain yield followed by L7 (GPM-30). Likewise, among the two testers CM-111 was able to discriminate more number of genotypes
Summer maize grain yield and water use efficiency response to straw mulching and plant density
Full text linkThe demand for food security and fresh water due to global warming causes an elevated requirement for food production and water efficiency in the North China Plain (NCP). To establish the optimal summer maize (Zea mays L.) planting schedule, a study was conducted to understand the effects of different straw mulching conditions and plant density on grain yield (GY) and water use efficiency (WUE). During 2012 and 2013 summer maize growing seasons, experiments were conducted with two different mulching treatments, i.e., 0.6 kg m-2 straw mulching (M)and non-mulching (N), and three plant density conditions, i.e., 10.0 plants m-2 (1, high plant density), 7.5 plants m-2 (2, medium plant density), and 5.5 plants m-2 (3, low plant density). The six treatment combinations were: 10.0 plants m-2 density without straw mulching (N1), 10.0 plants m-2 density with 0.6 kg m-2 straw mulching (M1), 7.5plants m-2 density without straw mulching (N2), 7.5 plants m-2 density with 0.6 kg m-2 straw mulching (M2), 5.5 plants m-2 density without straw mulching (N3), and 5.5 plants m-2 density with 0.6 kg m-2 straw mulching (M3). The results showed medium and high plant density treatments had a significant increase in spike number compared tothe low plant density treatment. Straw mulching significantly improved both the GY and WUE of summer maize under low and medium plant density treatments in both dry and normal rainfall years. M2 treatment achieved the highest GY and showed the greatest improvement in WUE of 35.4% over the non-mulching treatment across the three plant densities, and so it will be promoted as an agricultural practice in the NC
Evaluation of inbred lines derived from commercial hybrids and their utilization in developing high yielding field corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids
Full text linkGenetic enhancement and identification of genetically broad-based inbred lines for the development of new hybrids is the pre-requisite for the heterosis breeding. Newly derived 118 inbred lines were evaluated for their morpho-physiological characters in order to identify best suitable male and female parental lines. Total 10 best inbred lines were selected after thorough evaluation of 16 stable inbred lines, identified from the pool of 118 inbred lines. These inbred lines were crossed in line × tester manner, considering three inbred lines as male andrest as female, based on the Specific Combining Ability and General Combining Ability. Hybrids thus obtained were evaluated in two diverse agroclimatic situations and best heterotic hybrids were selected based on their standard heterosis and rank obtained in Duncan's Multiple Range Test analysis. Single location ANOVA for inbred lines and combined ANOVA for hybrids showed that selected inbreds and hybrids were significantly differing from each other. Since, there exists a Genotype × Environment interaction among hybrids, PCA also taken into consideration for giving weight as classification variable for the hybrids. Further, multi-location evaluation of these hybrids is proposed to identify stable hybrids suitable for large scale commercialization
Comparison of TLS against traditional surveying method for stem taper modelling. A case study in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests of mount Amiata
Full text linkTraditionally, taper equations are developed from measurements collected through a destructive sampling of trees. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) enables high levels of accuracy of individual tree parameters measurement avoiding tree felling. With this study, we wanted to assess the performance of two approaches to calibrate a taper function: using stem diameters extracted from TLS point clouds and measured at different tree heights with the traditional and usual forest instruments. We compared the performance of four taper equations built with data collected by TLS and traditional survey in a European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests of mount Amiata (Tuscany Region, Italy). We computed the volume of stem sections 1.00 m long by integrating the most performing TLS-based taper equation and by the Huber, Smalian and cone formulas applied on the diameter and height values measured with the traditional field surveys. We conducted the analysis of error distribution in volume estimates computed integrating the most performing TLS-based taper function along the stem. We tested if the differences in the volume estimate of the two methods were significant. Schumacher and Hall (1933) equation was the most performing taper function both in case of using TLS and traditional surveyed data , being the TLS-based function more performant (rRMSE = 9.17% vs 6.90%). Its performance did not increase when diameter values were extracted from TLS point clouds with a higher frequency (i.e. 25.0 cm vs 1.00 m). By integrating the TLS-based Schumacher and Hall (1933) function, the sections with the highest error resulted from 5.00 to 7.00 m of stem height (i.e. RMSE from 14.72 to 19.14 dm3 and rRMSE from 13.00 to 17.76%). This study case represents the first attempts to develop a taper equation for European beech of mount Amiata using values of stem diameter and height extracted from the TLS point cloud. The results demonstrated that TLS produces the same stem volume estimates as traditional method avoiding falling trees
In memory of Paolo Cantiani
Full text linkThis issue is dedicated to the memory of Paolo Cantiani, associate editor of this journal and senior researcher at the CREA Research Center for Forestry and Wood (Italy), recently passed away. Studying for passion rather than for work, he dedicated himself to research on silviculture and forest management planning. A free mind and determined character, he avoided simplifications in favor of simplicity, often providing simple solutions to complex problems, as his studies on the silviculture of Turkey oak and black pine forests demonstrate. Naturally kind and discreet, he was quick to provide an answer to those who asked and to offer his help to those who needed it. The memory of his wise and gentle smile, as well as of his writings, will always remain with us. A big hug from us all who had the privilege of working with you
The effect of different organic matters on plant growth regulation and nutritional components under salt stress in sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.]
Full text linkSalinity is one of the major constraints of crop production, especially in the world's arid and semi-arid regions. Variations in the nutritional components of Gulseker sweet sorghum (local variety) and the effects of different organic matter on morphological and physiological changes under salt stress were examined herein. The response of sweet sorghum to applications of different organic matter [amino acid (AA), cow/farmyard manure (CM), biochar (BC), humic acid (HA), sheep manure (SM), worm casting (WC), poultry manure (PM), and bat guano (BG)], as well as water irrigation salinity at 150 mM NaCl were evaluated under greenhouse conditions using plastic pots containing 11 L of peat:perlite (2:1). Plants grown under different treatments were then classified as morphological (shoot fresh and dry weights, shoot diameter, shoot length, number of leaves and leaf area per plant) and physiological parameters (relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll (SPAD), malondialdehyde (MDA), Na+, K+, Ca++, and Cl- ion content. The results revealed that salt stress caused reduced growth parameters and chlorophyll, RWC, K+ and Ca++ ion content, while MDA content, Na+ and Cl- accumulation showed an increase. The results showed that the organic matter treatments diminished the damaging effects caused by salt stress via a reduction in the uptake of Cl- and Na+, which enhanced K+ and Ca++ uptake and reduced the MDA levels, presenting a favorable effect in reducing the oxidative stress that emerged from salt stress
Genetic diversity in interspecific hybridization derived advanced maize inbred lines
Full text linkGenetic diversity in maize is incessantly being reduced due to modern breeding practices. This necessitates the creation of diverse pre-breeding lines with desirable allelic introgression from wild germplasm. With a view to enhance maize germplasm, 169 teosinte derived maize inbred lines were developed and studied to assess the genetic diversity in 14 morphological traits and to classify the lines into different clusters. Analysis of variance revealed significant variation amongst the genotypes for all the traits. High heritability with high genetic advancewere observed for anthesis silking interval, flag leaf length, plant height, ear per plant, ear length, ear diameter, number of kernel row/ear, number of kernel/row and thousand kernel weight; high heritability and moderate genetic advance were observed for days to anthesis and days to silking while for flag leaf width, node bearingcob and grain yield/plant moderate heritability and high genetic advance were observed. Principal component analysis revealed that first five components had greater than one eigenvalue and accounted for 66.50% of the total phenotypic variation. The values of Euclidean dissimilarity matrices ranged from 6.28-366.88 and genotypes were grouped into fourteen clusters at a Euclidean distance of 62.5. The cluster 8 had early maturing genotypes; cluster 8, 10 and 11 had genotypes with shorter anthesis silking interval and cluster 2, 3 and 4 possessed genotypes superior with respect to yield contributing traits. A significant positive correlation of 0.499 was observed between morphological and molecular data indicating that the two data sets reflect the same genetic diversity pattern and can be utilized simultaneously to capture diversity present in maize germplas
Anthocyanins content in the kernel and corncob of Mexican purple corn populations
Full text linkPurple corn has acquired a great interest by its high content of nthocyanins and bioactive properties. Among this type of corn the Andean purple corn has been the most studied, however, in Mexico, we have the “maíces morados”, which is recognized by its dark purple color. Since there is no record about its content of anthocyanins, in this study we quantified the total anthocyanins (TA) accumulated in the pericarp, aleurone layer, kernel, and corncob of 52 corn populations with different grades of pigmentation. Results showed that TA was superior in purple corn than in blue and red corn. TA ranged from 0.0044 to 0.0523 g of TA ∙ 100 g-1 of biomass in the aleurone layer; in the pericarp from 0.2529 to 2.6452 g of TA ∙ 100 g-1 of pericarp; in the kernel from 0.0398 to 0.2398 g of TA 100 g-1 of kernel and in the corncob from 0.1004 to 1.1022 g of TA ∙ 100 g-1 of corncob. Although a dark color of the kernel and corncob indicated a high concentration of anthocyanins, we observed that the distribution, hue, and color intensity in the aleurone layer, pericarp, and corncob, influenced the concentration of anthocyanins in each structure
Studies on drought tolerance in maize inbred lines using morphological and molecular approaches
Full text linkA set of hundred homozygous maize inbred lines were analyzed for drought toleranceby studying twenty-four traits related to maturity, morphological, physiological, yield, quality and few root traits. Evaluation confirmed a wide range of variability revealing significant response of main effects (lines, irrigations and years and their respective digenic and trigenic interactions). These lines were subjected to different stress regimes over years leading to identification of fifteen elite lines which performed well under droughtstress showing inbuilt drought tolerance. A set of 32 SSR markers, having genome-wide coverage, were chosen for genotyping the inbred lines. These markers generated a total of 239 polymorphic alleles with an average of 7.47 alleles per locus. The minimum and maximum PIC value was 0.886 and 0.608 with a mean of 0.782. The coefficient of genetic dissimilarity ranged from 0.215 to 0.148. DARwin derived cluster analysis grouped 15 elite maize lines in three major clusters with five lines each in cluster-III and II and four lines in cluster-I with KDM-361A as root. Molecular diversity however, confirmed diverse genetic nature of six lines (KDM-372, KDM-343A, KDM-331, KDM-961, KDM-1051 and KDM-1156) showing drought tolerance. Exploitation of identified elite lines in a crossing program involving all possible combinations would help to develop hybrids with inbuilt mechanism to drought tolerance. Markers viz., umc -1766, umc-1478 and phi-061 recorded PIC >8 and alleles per locus more than 9 and therefore, discriminated the set of lines more efficiently. Genotyping data complemented by morpho- hysiological parameters were used to identify a number of pair-wise combinations for the development of mapping population segregating for drought tolerance and potential heterotic pairs for the development of drought tolerant hybrids.