International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
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Data of RNA sequencing of pearl millet panicles treated with a high temperature
Get PDFPearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a cereal crop that can grow and set seeds even under drought, high temperatures and nutrient-poor conditions. Panicles of two pearl millet cultivars that differ in seed-setting rates were exposed to two different high-temperature treatments at three different developmental stages with three replicates, and RNA was prepared from these panicles. The resulting RNA samples were subjected to sequencing with the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencer. The obtained data were 150-base-paired-end reads and were approximately 5 Gb/sample in total. These read data were deposited as those for a project in the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) BioProject database
Advancing the Mainstreaming of Millet in Odisha’s Agrifood System
Get PDFMillets holds immense promise as one of the key strategies in addressing several critical challenges that Odisha’s agrifood system faces today, including malnutrition, rural poverty, and the impacts of climate change. During recent years, the state has made significant progress in promoting sustainable agriculture, with millets emerging as a crucial
component of the agrifood system for this transformation.
Recognizing the potential of millets to enhance nutritional outcomes, improve climate resilience, and support the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, the Government of Odisha has undertaken commendable efforts to promote millet cultivation1 since 2017-18 through initiatives such as the Odisha Millets Mission (OMM), which was later redesigned as Shree Anna Abhiyan, promotion of non-ragi millet under MURO-Millet in upland regions of Odisha project, Mission Shakti among others. These efforts have led to notable successes, particularly in increasing millet production, raising awareness about their nutritional, economic, and environmental benefits, increased consumption and employment opportunities, especially for rural women
Breeding Climate Resilient Pearl Millet Cultivars for India
No full textPearl millet or Bajra or Bulrush millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is a chief food crop widely cultivated in India, particularly in arid and semi-arid climatic regions. The adoption of high-yielding and disease-resistant cultivars has increased pearl millet productivity consistently over time. However, pearl millet productivity is significantly affected by climate variability patterns, such as rising atmospheric temperatures, frequent droughts and erratic rainfall conditions. The vicissitudes wrought by the capricious hand of climate change upon agriculture doth demand the tailoring of pearl millet cultivars bedecked with attributes most resilient to such whimsical climatic capers. Several breeding approaches, including marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and participatory breeding, have been undertaken to discern and integrate climate resilience traits into pearl millet cultivars. Development of genetic pools for various abiotic, biotic, nutritional, biochemical traits, and use of crop-wild relatives, ideotype-based approaches have been instrumental for breeding climate-resilient pearl millet cultivars with improved genetic gains. Accelerated improvement of climate-smart pearl millet cultivars in India will be much useful to improve both victuals and nutritional assurance as well as livelihood of several millions of poor smallholder farmers and consumers. This chapter explores the key hurdles posed by climate vagaries on pearl millet production and highlights the genetic improvements made to breed different climate-resilient pearl millet cultivars in India
Food systems Diversification through Nutri-Cereals and Pulses – Lessons Learnt from Asia and Africa
Get PDFAgri-food systems are defined as “encompassing the entire range of actors and their interlinked value-adding activities involved in the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption, utilization and disposal of food products that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries, and parts of the broader economic, societal and natural environments in which they are embedded” (FAO 2018). For over ten decades, these food systems have been able to feed increasing populations and reduce chronic malnutrition and poverty. However, the current agri-food systems are under constant pressure of hunger, undernutrition, obesity epidemic, loss of biodiversity, environmental damage and climate change, threatening its sustainability. The transformation of the food systems through a sustainable trajectory is likely to achieve the following outcomes and provide economic benefits
equivalent to USD 5 trillion annually (Ruggeri et al., 2024)
Sorghum landraces perform better than a commonly used cultivar under terminal drought, especially on sandy soil
Get PDFLandraces of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] have a high potential for drought adaptations to increasingly extreme climates. We investigated the performance of five sorghum genotypes (four landraces and one commonly grown elite line) under water-limited conditions. Plants were grown until maturity in field-like columns on soils of four textures (silty clay, sandy loam, loamy sand, sand), which were dried during flowering stage down to 30 % usable field capacity. Plant transpiration, physiological characteristics, and yield were measured. For most of the measured parameters, the interaction between genotypes and soils was statistically significant. Alongside the gradient in available water between soils, plants had the highest total transpiration, transpiration efficiency (TE), harvest index (HI), and nutrient uptake in silty clay, steadily reduced towards soils with higher sand content. Especially in sandy soil, all measured plant performance parameters were significantly reduced compared to the other soils. There was a significant negative relationship between later flowering time and HI. While the elite cultivar M35–1 showed the highest TE, it suffered from late flowering and yield loss on all soils, especially when growing on sandy soil. The landraces IS 29914 and IS 8348 had a stable HI irrespective of their lowest TE. The shorter the plant, the better it coped with water and nutrient limitation and high transpiration efficiency was not connected to water conservation. The study overall emphasizes the high potential of sorghum landraces to overcome more extreme droughts as imposed by climate change. It also underlines the importance and strong interaction effect of soil texture on plant performance and transpiration efficiency, which is crucial to be considered in crop production. This outlines that specifically regions with sandy soils, characterized by low water-holding capacities, need genotypes that efficiently utilize the limited available water and nutrient resources – a genetic potential hidden in many landraces
Estimating the effect of biological nitrification inhibition-enabled sorghum on nitrogen fertilizer consumption, life cycle GHG emissions, farmer's benefit and fertilizer subsidy from Indian sorghum production
Get PDFBiological nitrification inhibition (BNI) effectively curtails nitrogen (N) loss and enhances N utilization efficiency. BNI is increasingly important as a technology for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution in countries with high N fertilizer consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the potential impacts of BNI-enabled sorghum varieties with a 30 % soil nitrification inhibition rate for a major sorghum-growing state (Maharashtra, India). We analysed the farm survey data collected for Rabi sorghum in 2020–2021 (n = 250) and for Kharif sorghum in 2022 (n = 209). Life cycle greenhouse gas (LC-GHG) emissions were estimated using a life cycle assessment with a cradle-to-farm gate perspective. The results showed that adoption of BNI-enabled sorghum reduced N fertilizer application in the Rabi and Kharif seasons by 8.0 % and 7.4 % and area-scaled/yield-scaled LC-GHG emissions by 15.6 % and 11.2 %, respectively, while increasing farmers' benefits slightly. These changes could reduce the government's expenditure on urea fertilizer subsidies by 9.1 %. However, many farmers indicated that they would not change N fertilizer application even if the yield per N fertilizer application increased. Even under these circumstances, area-scaled/yield-scaled LC-GHG emissions will be decreased by 11.3 % and 13.5 % in the Rabi season and 8.1 % and 10.2 % in the Kharif season, respectively. The yield and farmers' benefit will increase by 2.5 % and 4.9 % in the Rabi season and by 2.4 % and 6.5 % in the Kharif season, respectively, but the government's expenditure on fertilizer will not decrease. These results indicate that BNI-enabled sorghum can be introduced into countries where fertilizer use is low. This study shows the potential impacts of BNI-enabled sorghum under two scenarios; N fertilizer consumption is reduced or maintained. Discussions on the N fertilizer consumption under BNI-enabled sorghum are needed to establish a sustainable food system, especially in countries with high N fertilizer consumption
Genomics-Aided Breeding Strategies for Biotic Stress in Pigeonpea
No full textIn agriculture, biotic stress is caused as a result of the harmful effects exerted pathogens, insects, and weeds on crop plants. Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millisp.], a legume crop grown in both tropical and subtropical regions, is known for its high protein content and bioavailable nutritional value, but it is also susceptible to various biotic stresses such as diseases, insect-pests, and weeds during its different growth stages. Genomics-aided breeding (GAB) is the use of genomic tools and technologies to improve the genetic diversity and quality of crops. It can help identify the genes or markers associated with biotic stress resistance or tolerance in the pigeonpea genome. Biotic stress resistance or tolerance in pigeonpea can be achieved by conventional breeding methods using quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, marker-assisted selection (MAS), or transgenic approaches. However, these methods have some limitations such as low genetic gain and long generation time. Therefore, there is a need to explore the potential of GAB to enhance biotic stress resistance or tolerance in pigeonpea using advanced genomic tools and technologies such as whole-genome sequencing (WGS), genome editing (GE), genomic selection (GS), and rapid generation advancement (RGA). These tools can provide rapid and precise information on the genetic variation and molecular mechanisms of biotic stress response in pigeonpea. Moreover, these tools can facilitate the integration of multiple sources of resistance genes from different species or genera into pigeonpea using MAS or GE techniques. Furthermore, these tools enable the prediction of phenotypic performance under different biotic stress conditions using genomic selection methods. Additionally, these tools can accelerate the development of new varieties with high biotic stress resistance or tolerance using speed breeding (SB) methods. In this chapter, we have summarized the recent advances in engineering biotic stress resistance or tolerance in pigeonpea
Metabolic engineering of linseed crop for enhancing production yield
No full textFlax is a remarkably versatile crop with applications spanning various industries, including industrial, culinary, feed, and nutraceutical sectors. Its diverse utility stems from the distinct properties of flax seed oil, which finds applications in linoleum flooring, paints, stains, and varnishes, each requiring specific oil attributes distinct from culinary and nutraceutical uses of whole flax seeds. Additionally, flax bast fibers, enriched with wax and cutin polymers, have enjoyed a historical significance in the textile industry, with contemporary applications expanding into composite fiber materials.
The intricate biosynthesis of primary and secondary metabolites responsible for oil, lignans, fibers, and seed yield depends on metabolic pathways governed by diverse sets of genes. Precise regulation of these genes facilitates the synthesis of metabolites contributing to both qualitative and quantitative diversity in flax's bioactive compounds.
This abstract focuses on the application of metabolic engineering techniques to enhance production yields in the linseed crop. Over the years, various metabolic engineering strategies have manipulated biosynthetic pathways involved in the production of vital compounds in linseed. This chapter emphasizes key approaches and advancements in metabolic engineering, including gene overexpression, knockout, and pathway optimization, aimed at boosting the yield of linseed-derived products.
The utilization of omics technologies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, has deepened our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying linseed metabolism. Insights from these studies have enabled the rational design of genetic modifications to enhance yield-related traits. Additionally, the role of synthetic biology and genome editing techniques in fine-tuning linseed metabolism is explored.
This chapter also delves into the potential benefits and challenges associated with metabolic engineering for yield improvement in linseed, with a focus on its impact on oil content, fatty acid composition, and other valuable secondary metabolites. As the demand for sustainable and high-value agricultural products continues to rise, the application of metabolic engineering holds promise for unlocking the full production potential of linseed, contributing to the advancement of global agricultural and industrial sectors
Reconciling conservation and development requires enhanced integration and broader aims: A cross-continental assessment of landscape approaches
Get PDFExpectations for agricultural landscapes in subtropical and tropical regions are high, aiming for conservation and development amid climate change, unfair trade, poverty, and environmental degradation. Landscape approaches (LAs) are gaining momentum as means to reconcile expectations, although they face multiple challenges, including unclear distinctions among LAs and stakeholder involvement. We studied 380 LAs from three continents via questionnaires with landscape managers (2012–2015 and 2021) and identified three LA types through cluster analysis: an “integrated” type with longer-term, multisectoral goals involving various stakeholders early in the design and two shorter-term types focused on sectoral priorities of preservation or production. Better-performing LAs are associated with longevity, inclusivity, and diversified investments across goals, notably those enabling social justice. International stakeholder analysis shows broad support for LAs but identifies gaps between support and LAs’ needs. The growing interest in LAs is promising. Yet, underpinning effective and lasting LAs that reconcile multiple expectations requires better support
Strategizing pigeonpea for enhancing health-benefitting traits: A path to nutritional advancements
Get PDFNutritional security is the key objective of India's 2030 Vision and UN Sustainable Development Goal 3. Although great progress has achieved towards food security, it is vitally important to solve protein- energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies for millions of people worldwide providing by providing nutrient-rich foods a long-term solution. Pigeonpea is a major daily diet of developing and undeveloped nations covering Asian and African households, and increasing its protein and micronutrient (iron and zinc content) is a feasible approach. Thus, this review focusses on strategizing how pigeonpea should provide nutritional assurance in the coming decade. we primarily summarizes the dietary profile, health advantages, and anti-nutritional factors that hinder pigeonpea. Furthermore, current progress through conventional breeding and molecular tools was comprehensively discussed, while providing strategies to amalgamate advances in transgenics, omics and rapid generation advancement platforms to enhance health-benefitting traits and tackling the anti-nutritional factors contributing potentially towards the nutritional security of pigeonpea food