International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
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A genomic toolkit for winged bean Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
Get PDFA sustainable supply of plant protein is critical for future generations and needs to be achieved while reducing green house gas emissions from agriculture and increasing agricultural resilience in the face of climate volatility. Agricultural diversification with more nutrient-rich and stress tolerant crops could provide the solution. However, this is often hampered by the limited availability of genomic resources and the lack of understanding of the genetic structure of breeding germplasm and the inheritance of important traits. One such crop with potential is winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), a high seed protein tropical legume which has been termed ‘the soybean for the tropics’. Here, we present a chromosome level winged bean genome assembly, an investigation of the genetic diversity of 130 worldwide accessions, together with two linked genetic maps and a trait QTL analysis (and expression studies) for regions of the genome with desirable ideotype traits for breeding, namely architecture, protein content and phytonutrients
Advances in Microbial Study for Crop Improvement
No full textNow and in the future, meeting the global demand for healthy food for the ever-increasing population is a crucial challenge. In the last seven decades, agricultural practices have shifted to the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to achieve higher yields. Despite the huge contribution of synthetic fertilizers in agronomy, their adverse effects on the environment, natural microbial habitat, and human health cannot be underrated. Besides, synthetic fertilizers are manufactured from non-renewable sources such as earth mining or rock exploitation. In this context, understanding and exploiting soil microbiota appears promising to enhance crop production without jeopardizing the environment and human health. This chapter reviews the historical as well as current research efforts made in identifying the interaction between soil microbes and root exudates for crop improvement. First, microbial consortium viz. bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa are briefly discussed. Then, the application of bio-stimulants followed by genome editing of microbes for crop improvement is summarized. Finally, the perspectives and opportunities to produce bioenergy and bio-fertilizers are analyzed
Foreword II
No full textIn the twenty-first century, as our world confronts complex challenges related to food security, climate change, and sustainability, the humble pearl millet emerges as a beacon of resilience, adaptability, and nutritional significance. This book, dedi-cated to exploring pearl millet’s role in our contemporary world, comes at a crucial juncture in our journey towards a more sustainable and nourished future.
Pearl millet, often underappreciated, holds the potential to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. As we face the daunting task of feeding a growing global population while mitigating the effects of climate change, this grain offers hope. Its remarkable ability to thrive in arid conditions, resist pests and diseases, and require minimal resources makes it a key player in sustainable agriculture.
The following pages provide an in-depth look at pearl millet in the twenty-first century, with insights from experts in understanding this remarkable crop. From cutting-edge research on its genetics and breeding to innovative agronomic manage-ment practices and its vital role in crop diversification, this book offers a compre-hensive view of pearl millet’s relevance today. This book provides a rich tapestry of knowledge, unveiling the secrets of pearl millet’s forage and biofuel opportunities, impacting biotic and abiotic stresses, and innovative simulation modeling techniques. Additionally, the gene bank diversity of pearl millet is a treasure trove of genetic resources, preserving the legacy of this crop for future generations. The research leads and scientific thoughts shared in this book shed light on the impor-tance of conserving these genetic treasures and their potential for breeding resilient and nutritious pearl millet varieties.
One of the most exciting aspects of pearl millet is its potential to combat malnutrition and improve human health. As the world grapples with the dual burden of undernutrition and diet-related diseases, the nutritional benefits of pearl millet are gaining recognition. This book explores the grain’s rich nutritional profile and its contribution to enhancing the well-being of communities worldwide. Moreover, in an age when culinary diversity is celebrated and global cuisines intermingle, the versatility of pearl millet shines through. From traditional recipes passed down through generations to innovative culinary creations, this book showcases how pearl millet can be incorporated into our diets, enriching our culinary experiences.
I applaud the authors for their dedication to bringing pearl millet into the spotlight of the twenty-first century. Their collective expertise and passion have produced a comprehensive resource that will undoubtedly serve as a catalyst for positive change. As we navigate the challenges of the modern world, it is essential that we recognize and harness the potential of resilient and nutritious crops like pearl millet.
The story of pearl millet in the twenty-first century is a story of innovation, adaptability, and hope. Its capacity to address our most pressing global challenges cannot be overstated. May this book, jointly edited by researchers from ICAR-IIMR, ICRISAT, and ICAR-CAZRI, inspire a renewed appreciation for pearl millet and encourage us all to explore its possibilities in shaping a sustainable, climate-resilient and nourished twenty-first century. I firmly believe that this book will be of great practical use to scientists, administrators, and policymakers in developing strategies and research programs to improve production, productivity, and utilization of this climate-smart crop
Development of a Core Set from Large Germplasm Collections in Genebank
No full textGenebanks are collections of large germplasm, which are genetic resources providing the base foundation for plant breeding and crop improvement. The large number of samples collected in the genebank is challenging to manage, preserve, and assess the quality, and utilization for research studies. Subsampling the large collection into the core and mini-core collection reduces the complexity and smoothly and efficiently manages the genetic resource. The characterization and evaluation of the large gene pool in the gene bank for different corps were assessed with different criteria. In this chapter, the bioinformatics methods including the software tools, identifying the representative accessions through genetic markers, heterozygosity, k-mer analysis, genetic diversity, and relatedness used for developing various crop core collection sets were discussed. Later, such a core set can further be used for validation and will be utilized to develop a mini-core set to enhance the development of crop improvement
Plant density and variety effect on yield, leaf spot disease, weed species richness and diversity of groundnut production in northern Ghana
Get PDFLow plant density and weed infestation are major challenges for groundnut production in northern Ghana. A two-year on-farm study was conducted to determine the effect of plant density and variety on grain and fodder yields, incidence of leaf spot disease, weed species diversity and biomass. A factorial treatment combination of 6 varieties and 4 plant densities laid in strip plot design with 4 replications was used. The varieties were (early maturity type: Chinese, Yenyewoso, Samnut 23 and late maturity type: Azivivi, Manipinta, Samnut 22). The plants density included 9, 11, 15 and 22 plants/m2. The late maturity varieties recorded higher (p < .05) canopy cover, grain and fodder yields relative to that of the early maturity varieties. The late maturity varieties also recorded the least sedge weed species frequency, density and incidence of leaf spot disease compared with that of the early maturity varieties. The canopy cover, grain and fodder yields increased with increasing plant density. Broadleaf weed species frequency and density, weed biomass, richness, and diversity declined with increasing plant density. Grain yield showed negative and significant correlation with broadleaf weed species frequency, density and weed biomass. The results suggest that both early and late maturity groundnut varieties can be planted at a density of 22 plants/m2 to increase grain and fodder yields and reduce weed species richness, diversity and growth in northern Ghana and similar agro-ecology in West Africa
A synchronized symphony: Intersecting roles of ubiquitin proteasome system and autophagy in cellular degradation
No full textEukaryotic cells have evolved dynamic quality control pathways and recycling mechanisms for cellular homeostasis. We discuss here, the two major systems for quality control, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy that regulate cellular protein and organelle turnover and ensure efficient nutrient management, cellular integrity and long-term wellbeing of the plant. Both the pathways rely on ubiquitination signal to identify the targets for proteasomal and autophagic degradation, yet they use distinct degradation machinery to process these cargoes. Nonetheless, both UPS and autophagy operate together as an interrelated quality control mechanism where they communicate with each other at multiple nodes to coordinate and/or compensate the recycling mechanism particularly under development and environmental cues. Here, we provide an update on the cellular machinery of autophagy and UPS, unravel the nodes of their crosstalk and particularly highlight the factors responsible for their differential deployment towards protein, macromolecular complexes and organelles
Transcriptomic response of minor millets to abiotic stresses
Get PDFGlobal food and nutritional security are being threatened by abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, cold, and heat, owing to the rapid and deleterious effects of climate change. Millets represent an incredibly promising agricultural crop in terms of their potential to ensure global food security by virtue of their resiliency against climate change and escalating demand for nutritious food and feed. Considering their durability against climate change and the increasing demand for nutritional food and feed, millets, which refers to the diverse class of small-seeded C4 panicoid grasses, endure remarkable potential for safeguarding the world’s food supply. With a rapid surge in the availability of genomic information through microarray and next-generation sequencing, transcriptomics facilitated the extensive examination and quantification of shifts brought about by abiotic stresses. This stipulates an imperative way of ascertaining the expression of vital genes. This technological advancement targeted toward deciphering the gene expression patterns underpinning the molecular mechanisms/pathways. Other techniques, for instance, genome-wide expression analysis which provides insights into the regulatory networks controlling the cellular processes, genome-wide location analysis which elucidates the control over genes by the transcriptional regulatory proteins, and genomic selection strengthens the reliability of stress tolerance predictions in millet breeding populations. This review emphasizes the impact of transcriptomics on millet improvement by collating the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and transcription factors (TFs) specific to abiotic stress response in millets which could open advantageous avenues with intriguing opportunities in breeding cultivars for climate resilience
Development and evaluation of Fusarium wilt-resistant and high-yielding chickpea advanced breeding line, KCD 11
Get PDFFusarium wilt (FW) is the most severe soil-borne disease of chickpea that causes yield losses up to 100%. To improve FW resistance in JG 11, a high-yielding variety that became susceptible to FW, we used WR 315 as the donor parent and followed the pedigree breeding method. Based on disease resistance and yield performance, four lines were evaluated in station trials during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 at Kalaburagi, India. Further, two lines, namely, Kalaburagi chickpea desi 5 (KCD 5) and KCD 11, which possesses the resistance allele for a specific single-nucleotide polymorphism marker linked with FW resistance, were evaluated across six different locations (Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Siruguppa, Bhimarayanagudi and Hagari) over a span of 3 years (2020–2021, 2021–2022 and 2022–2023). KCD 11 exhibited notable performance, showcasing yield advantages of 8.67%, 11.26% and 23.88% over JG 11, and the regional checks Super Annigeri 1 (SA 1) and Annigeri 1, respectively, with enhanced FW resistance in wilt sick plot. Further, KCD 11 outperformed JG 11, SA 1 and Annigeri 1 in multi-location trials conducted across three seasons in the North Eastern Transition Zone, North Eastern Dry Zone, and North Dry Zones of Karnataka. KCD 11 was also tested in trials conducted by All India Coordinated Research Project on chickpea and was also nominated for state varietal trials for its release as a FW-resistant and high-yielding variety. The selected line is anticipated to cater the needs of chickpea growers with the dual advantage of yield increment and disease resistance
Land Cover Mapping in West Africa: A Collaborative Process
Get PDFThe availability of current land cover and land use (LCLU) information for monitoring the status of land resources has considerable value in ensuring sustainable land use planning and development. Similarly, the need to provide updated information on the extent of LCLU change in West Africa has become apparent, given the increasing demand for land resources driven by rapid population growth. Over the past decade, multiple projects have been undertaken to produce regional and national land cover maps. However, using different classification systems and legends has made updating and sharing land cover information challenging. This has resulted in the inefficient use of human and financial resources. The development of the Land Cover Meta Language (LCML) based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards offers an opportunity to create a standardized classification system. This system would enable easier integration of regional and national data, efficient management of information, and better resource utilization in West Africa. This article emphasizes the process and the need for multistakeholder collaboration in developing a standardized land cover classification system for West Africa, which is currently nonexistent. It presents the survey data collected to evaluate historical, current, and future land cover mapping projects in the region and provides relevant use cases as examples for operationalizing a standardized land cover classification legend for West Africa
Genome-wide identification and expression profiling of growth‑regulating factor (GRF) and GRF‑interacting factor (GIF) gene families in chickpea and pigeonpea
Get PDFThe growth-regulating factor (GRF) and GRF-interacting factor (GIF) families encode plant-specific transcription factors and play vital roles in plant development and stress response processes. Although GRF and GIF genes have been identified in various plant species, there have been no reports of the analysis and identification of the GRF and GIF transcription factor families in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan). The present study identified seven CaGRFs, eleven CcGRFs, four CaGIFs, and four CcGIFs. The identified proteins were grouped into eight and three clades for GRFs and GIFs, respectively based on their phylogenetic relationships. A comprehensive in-silico analysis was performed to determine chromosomal location, sub-cellular localization, and types of regulatory elements present in the putative promoter region. Synteny analysis revealed that GRF and GIF genes showed diploid-polyploid topology in pigeonpea, but not in chickpea. Tissue-specific expression data at the vegetative and reproductive stages of the plant showed that GRFs and GIFs were strongly expressed in tissues like embryos, pods, and seeds, indicating that GRFs and GIFs play vital roles in plant growth and development. This research characterized GRF and GIF families and hints at their primary roles in the chickpea and pigeonpea growth and developmental process. Our findings provide potential gene resources and vital information on GRF and GIF gene families in chickpea and pigeonpea, which will help further understand the regulatory role of these gene families in plant growth and development