African Journal of Plant Breeding

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (3), pp. 001-010, March, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Sampling strategies for proper quantification of carotenoid content in cassava breeding

Darwin Ortiz, Teresa Sánchez, Nelson Morante, Hernán Ceballos*, Helena Pachón, Myriam C. Duque, Alba Lucía Chávez and Andrés Felipe Escobar

International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), National University of Colombia, Palmira Campus, Apartado Aéreo 6713, Cali, Colombia.

Accepted 21 December, 2018

Abstract

Rapid-cycling recurrent selection has been implemented to produce cassava varieties that deliver pro-vitamin A carotenoids to human populations that are affected by vitamin A deficiency. Rapid-cycling selection relies on quantification in just one plant per genotype. This study was conducted to assess the reliability of single- plant evaluations and the effect of age of the plant on carotenoid content in cassava roots. Variation in aliquot quantifications from the same root was negligible indicating a reliable experimental procedure. A large source of variation for carotenoids was due to differences among genotypes. Root- to-root variation from the same plant in some cases was surprisingly high and accounted for an average of 25% of the total variation. Plant- to-plant variation was not as high and accounted for 20% of the total variance. Carotenoid content was shown to vary depending on the age of the plant. Single-plant evaluations for carotenoid content in cassava, which is a requirement for rapid-cycling recurrent selection is acceptable considering that it reduces in half the time required for evaluation and selection. However, it is suggested that 2 to 3 roots per plant be combined together in a sample to represent each genotype at a standard plant age.

Key words: Plant age, environmental influence, rapid cycling, genetic gains, -carotene, repeatability.

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (2), pp. 001-005, February, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

In-vitro culture of Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) embryo

Ighere Dickson A*, Anthony Okere, Jammadine Elizabeth, Olayode Mary, Fajimi Olatunde and Sunday Abiodun

Department of Biotechnology, National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), P. M. B. 5382, Moor plantation, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Accepted 27 October, 2018

Abstract

In the time past, grafting buds from selected clones on seedlings or plants from seed orchards were used traditionally to propagate rubber trees. Selected seeds were frequently used because their level of resistance to diseases is known. Micro-propagation of rubber tree was the method used in the propagation of Hevea brasiliensis in this experiment, which is an approach different from the conventional way of planting rubber and this technique holds good prospect for the future. In-vitro culture of H. brasiliensis (rubber tree) embryo was carried out using different concentrations of benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.01 mg/l concentration of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) to supplement the murashige and skoog’s (MS) medium. In this experiment, shoot and root were obtained from the embryo culture on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with 0.075 mg/l BAP and 0.001 mg/l NAA. This treatment produced rubber plantlets with well-developed taproots. Using the same concentration of NAA and a BAP concentration slightly higher or lower than 0.075 mg/l, the H. brasiliensis embryos produced shoots and lateral roots alone. Embryo cultured in different strength of murashige and skoog’s medium (full strength, half strength M/2 and quarter strength M/4) without hormones did not produce taproot. This experiment was unable to achieve mass propagation of rubber plantlets. All the treatment used in the experimentation of H. brasiliensis embryo in culture contains 30 g/l sucrose and 7 g/l difco agar.

Key words: Hevea brasiliensis, embryo, micro-propagation, in-vitro culture, plantlets.

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (2), pp. 001-009, February, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Heterosis and combining ability analysis in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Ashutosh Kumar¹, V. K. Mishra²*, R. P. Vyas¹ and V. Singh¹

¹Department of Plant Biotechnology, C. S. A. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, 208002 (Uttar Pradesh), India.

²Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad-224229 (Uttar Pradesh), India.

Accepted 23 November, 2018

Abstract

Heterosis and combining ability analysis were studied in a 7 × 7 diallel set of bread wheat. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed the presence of significant variance due to general combining ability (GCA) among the parents for all the traits, and due to specific combining ability (SCA) among the crosses for the all the traits except for number of tillers per plant, plant height and number of spikelets per spike. Combining ability analysis revealed the involvement of both additive and non additive gene action in the inheritance of most of the traits. On the basis of GCA, SCA effects and per se performance, parents K 9107 for 6 traits, K 9162 for 4 traits and GW 373 for 3 traits and crosses K 9107 × K 7903 for 2 traits, K 68 × K 7903 for 2 traits were found good general and specific combiners, respectively. Significant heterosis over economic parent and mid parent was observed for almost all the traits studied. The magnitude of heterosis was highest (21.74%) for number of spikelets per spike over economic parent and for number of tillers per plant (13.73%) over mid parent.

Key words: Wheat, heterosis, combining ability, diallel.

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (1), pp. 001-017, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Phenomic analyses of Indian and exotic accessions of Sesame (SESAMUM  INDICUM  L.)

Ranjana Prasad and Gaurab Gangopadhyay* 

Division of Plant Biology, Bose Institute, 93/1 APC Road, Kolkata - 700 009, India.

Accepted 12 September, 2018

Abstract

A phenomic approach was undertaken to characterize seventy one accessions of sesame (SESAMUM INDICUM L.) procured from India, Venezuela and USDA following the descriptor of NBPGR and IPGRI. The phenotypic traits varied extensively and the degree of polymorphism was highest in case of seed coat colour while few traits exhibited only binary type character state. Morphological observation revealed Venezuelan genotypes as the most derived ones while the Indian accessions, be it under NBPGR or USDA repository possess some of the wild character state of the traits. The hierarchical axial representation of phenogram indicated that one Indian accession under USDA repository (USIN06) was unique while the Venezuelan genotypes fell in a common cluster in neighbour-joining WPGMA tree. Principal coordinate analysis further resolved the relative distances between genotypes within each cluster/sub cluster. The traits related to trichomes of different plant parts showed highest correlation coefficients. A simple homology based algorithm; considering the character states as different colour codes and comparison of the codes of each genotype with that of a postulated ‘target sesame’ resulted in few Indian and exotic accessions of sesame on the basis of high ‘scores’, which will probably lead to a more precise means of selection of genotypes for future marker assisted breeding program.

Key words: Phenotypic traits, sesame accessions, phenogram, principal component analysis (PCA).

African Journal of Plant Breeding ISSN 2375-074X Vol. 6 (1), pp. 001-003, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Short Communication

Chemical composition of essential oils of two cultivated Eucalyptus species from the central Iran

Mehdi Rahimi-Nasrabadi¹* and Hossein Batooli²

¹Department of Chemistry, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran.

²Isfahan Research Center of Natural Sources and Agriculture, Kashan Station, Kashan, Iran.

Accepted 24 October, 2018

Abstract

The chemical composition of essential oils of leaves of two cultivated species, Eucalyptus loxophleba Benth. and Eucalyptus leocoxylon F. Muell. in the central of Iran were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography, using flame ionization and mass spectrometric detection. A total of thirty nine compounds representing 98.0% of total oil have been identified in the oil of E. loxophleba. 1,8-cineole (39.4%), methyl amyl acetate (19.8%), aromadendrene (10.0%), viridiflorol (6.0%) and α-pinene (5.4%) were the major constituents in the volatile oil of E. loxophleba oil. Forty three components were identified in the E. leocoxylon oil where 1,8-cineole (59.1%), cryptone (15.1%), α-pinene (9.9%), α-terpineol (5.1%) and globulol (5.0%) are considered as the main components. The amount of 1,8-cineole as the main component was higher in the oil of E. leocoxylon.

Key words: Eucalyptus loxophleba, Eucalyptus leocoxylon, Myrtaceae, essential oil, 1,8-cineole.