Extent of heterosis in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under cold stress conditions — yield and its components

Summary The nature and extent of heterosis for grain yield and its component characters was estimated in a seven-parent F₁-diallel cross in rice under the cold stress conditions of Palampur, representing sub-temperate climate of the mid hills of Himachal Pradesh. The highest heterotic effects for grain yield were observed in Himalaya 1/Phul Patas 72 and China 988/Himdhan hybrids, which gave 60.36 and 32.48% heterosis, respectively, over mid parent, 38.76 and 26.86% heterosis, respectively, over high parent and 32.30 and 26.86% heterosis, respectively, over the best variety, Himdhan. Heterosis for grain yield in these crosses was due to an increase in tiller number, panicle length, spikelets/panicle and 1,000-grain weight. Large number of crosses exhibited significant heterosis for high spikelet sterility and the majority of them had significant heterosis for late flowering, taking more than 120 days to flower, which resulted in lack of heterosis for grain yield in such crosses due to cold stress at the reproductive stage.Part of the thesis submitted by the senior author to Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur (H.P.) India, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture     

Analysis of the effect of rye chromosomes 4R, 6R and telomeric heterochromatin on 7R on homologous chromosome pairing in pentaploid hybrids (AABBR,AABBD)

Summary Meiotic pairing in Triticum turgidum cv. Ma (4x) with a mean chiasmata frequency of 27.16 per cell was compared with chiasmata frequencies in its hybrids with several triticale strains, Chinese Spring wheat and its addition lines for Imperial rye chromosomes 4R and 6R. In hybrids between Ma and x Triticosecale cv. Rosner the chiasmata frequency was marginally reduced by an average of 1.25%, by 8.8% in hybrids with x Triticosecale cv. DRIRA HH and by 6.7% with DRIRA EE (lacking 90% telomeric heterochromatin from chromosome arm 7RL). In pentaploid hybrids between Ma and T. aestivum cv. Chinese Spring the reduction was an average of 10.30%, while addition lines with rye chromosome 6R reduced chiasmata frequencies by an average of 7.4% and rye addition line for 4R showed the greatest depression in chiasmata frequency in hybrids by a 25.04% reduction. An interchange difference involving long chromosome segments was observed between Ma and Rosner.Contribution No. 819 Ottawa Research Station     

Meiosis and fertility of F1 hybrids between hexaploid bread wheat and decaploid tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum)

As the first step in the transfer of barely yellow dwarf virus resistance and salt tolerance from decaploid tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) into hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), octoploid intergeneric hybrids (2n = 8x = 56) were synthesized by crossing the tall wheatgrass cultivar Alkar with wheat cvs. Fukuhokomugi (Fuko) and Chinese Spring. (Fuko x Alkar) F₁ hybrids were studied in detail. The F₁ hybrids were perennial and generally resembled the male wheatgrass parent with regard to morphological features and gliadin profile. Most hybrids were euploid with 56 chromosomes and showed high chromosome pairing. On an average, in 6 hybrids 83.6% of the complement showed chiasmatic association, some between wheat and wheatgrass chromosomes. Such a high homoeologous pairing would be obtained if Ph1, the major homoeologous pairing suppressor in wheat, was somehow inactivated. Some of the Fuko x Alkar hybrids had high pollen fertility (18.5–42.0% with a mean of 31.5%) and high seed fertility (3–29 seeds wtih a mean of 12.3 seeds per spike), offering excellent opportunities for their direct backcrossing onto the wheat parent.     

Sources and inheritance of resistance to leaf curl virus in Lycopersicon

Summary One hundred and twenty-two varieties, lines and wild accessions of Lycopersicon were screened under three different regimes during the autumn/winter season of 1982–83 and 1983–84 for resistance to tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV). L. hirsutum f. glabratum (B6013) and L. hirsutum f. typicum (A1904) proved to be highly resistant to TLCV in all three environments. Various accessions of L. peruvianum were also highly resistant. L. pimpinellifolium (A1921) exhibited no TLCV symptoms within 90 days. Of the cultivated varieties, Acc 99 exhibited the minimim score for susceptibility; AC 142, Collection No. 2, Kalyanpur Angurlata and HS 101 had a low rating for virus incidence. The inheritance of resistance was studied in the interspecific crosses between a TLCV resistant line of L. pimpinellifolium (A1921) and five (HS 101, HS 102, HS 110, Pusa Ruby and Punjab Chhuhara) susceptible cultivars of L. esculentum. Parents, F₁, F₂ and backcross progenies were artificially inoculated with local strains of TLCV using vector the viruliferious whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.). Data indicated that the resistance of L. pimpinellifolium (A 1921) is monogenic and incompletely dominant over susceptibility.     

Genetic linkage maps of two apple cultivars (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">domestica</Emphasis> Borkh.) based on AFLP and microsatellite markers

Genetic linkage maps for two apple cultivars were constructed using AFLP and SSR markers and the pseudo-testcross mapping strategy. The F₁-mapping population was produced by crossing the cultivar Braeburn to the cultivar Telamon and consisted of 257 individuals. Out of the 182 AFLP primer combinations screened, a total of 48 were selected. Using these, 463 AFLP markers segregating 1:1 in the progeny were identified, of which 231 were heterozygous in Telamon and 232 in Braeburn. Eighty-five AFLP markers present in both cultivars (3:1 segregation) were scored in the whole mapping population. Twenty-one SSR primer pairs were tested, which clearly screened 23 loci (some multi-locus markers). This resulted in the identification of 3 loci heterozygous only in Telamon (1:2:1), 5 loci heterozygous only in Braeburn (1:2:1) and 15 loci which were heterozygous in both cultivars (1:1:1:1). Two linkage maps were produced. The Telamon map comprised 259 markers (242 AFLPs and 17 SSRs) divided into 17 linkage groups. The total map length was 1039 cM with a marker density of 4.0 cM. At = 0.05, 8.9% of the mapped loci showed distorted segregation. The Braeburn map consisted of 264 markers (245 AFLPs and 19 SSRs) mapped on 17 linkage groups and spanning 1245 cM. The average distance between two markers was 4.7 cM and segregation distortion was observed for 18.6% of the mapped markers ( = 0.05). Fourty-six markers common to both maps (32 AFLPs and 14 SSRs) allowed the identification of 16 homologous linkage groups. The seventeenth pair of homologous linkage groups from Telamon and Braeburn was identified by 2 SSR markers which were in common to the genetic linkage maps of Fiesta and Discovery, two other apple cultivars.     

Genetic diversity in relation to heterosis and combining ability in spring wheat

Summary Genetic diversity among ten varieties of spring wheat used as parents in a diallel cross was assessed through multivariate analysis (D²-statistics) and then related to heterosis and SCA effects of their hybrids. The parents fell into three groups. Group I contained the varieties, Nobre, Girua and Carazinho; group II contained Sonalika, Lyallpur and Pitic 62 and group III contained Indus 66, Balaka, Sonora 64rs and MSl. The varieties of group I were good general combiners, while the varieties of group III were poor combiners. Significant heterotic and SCA effects for yield and yield components were observed in the hybrids of the parents belonging to different groups but not in the same group. Genetic divergence between the parents had a positive relationship with heterosis and SCA effects of the hybrids.     

Screening of turfgrass species and cultivars for NaCl tolerance

Summary Information regarding the relative levels of salt tolerance between cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is lacking. The objectives of this study were to 1) develop a simple, quick and sensitive method of screening turfgrass species for NaCl tolerance and 2) to compare the relative salt tolerance of five cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass (Ram I, Adelphi, Baron, Bensun, and Nassau) to other known salt tolerant turfgrass species such as alkalaigrass (Puccinellia distans (L.) Parl. cv. Fults) and two cultivars of red fescue (Festuca rubra L. Dawson, and Checker).Alkalaigrass and both cultivars of red fescue retained a high level of salt tolerance compared to the Kentucky bluegrass cultivars. Significant variability in salt tolerance was apparent among the Kentucky bluegrass cultivars with Adelphi and Ram I exhibiting the best overall tolerance.     

Genetic analysis of two wheat cultivars, ‘Sonalika’ and ‘WL 711’ for reaction to leaf rust (Puccinia recondita)

Summary Genetic analysis for leaf rust reaction of two widely adapted cultivars, Sonalika and WL 711, has been done using 21 near isogenic Lr lines and rust culture IL004 — avirulent on the two cultivars and all the Lr lines used. The segregation pattern in the F₂ generation indicated the presence of a recessive gene in Sonalika and of a dominant gene in WL 711. These genes in cultivars Sonalika and WL 711 have been identified as Lr 11 and Lr 13, respectively. Gene Lr 13 is no longer effective in WL 711 but it continues to give field resistance in the backgrounds of Chris, Prelude and Thatcher. There has been no significant change in the virulence spectrum of the leaf rust pathogen in India with the release of WL 711. High susceptibility of WL 711 seems to be due to the evolution of more aggressive forms of the pathogen to this cultivar. The gene Lr 11, which behaves as a recessive in Sonalika, was effective against leaf rust when this cultivar was released. The high susceptibility of Sonalika is probably due to an increase in the frequency of race 77 virulent on Lr 11. Lr 11 has shown a dominance reversal in the background of Sonalika. Present results suggest that interaction of resistance genes with the background genotype must be studied for their effective use in breeding programme.     

Microspore cultures as donor tissue for the initiation of embryogenic cell suspensions in barley

We have initiated embryogenic cell suspension cultures of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Igri from isolated microspore cultures. Data were obtained on the time required for establishment, frequency of establishment, i.e. number of calluses out of the total number of initiations giving rise to suspensions, and embryogenic capacity of the suspension cultures. For comparison, establishment of embryogenic cell suspensions from callus derived from immature zygotic embryos of Igri, Dissa and Golden Promise was also carried out. The results revealed that embryogenic suspension cultures were established in half the time and with a seven-fold higher frequency from microspore cultures than from zygotic embryo-derived calluses. The suspension cultures were still capable of embryo formation after two years. However, only albino plantlets were regenerated. For comparison, long term callus cultures derived from microspores, anthers and zygotic embryos were established. From the anther and zygotic embryo-derived callus cultures green plants were continuously regenerated, whereas the microspore-derived callus cultures lost this ability after the second subculture.     

The modification of a common wheat-Thinopyrum distichum translocated chromosome with a locus homoeoallelic to Lr19

Summary The Chinese Spring ph1b and ph2b mutants, as well as the nulli 5B tetra 5D stock were utilized in an attempt to effect homoeologous chromatin exchange between the Indis chromosome translocation [derived from Thinopyrum distichum (Thunb.) Löve] and chromosome arm 7DL of common wheat. A homoeoallele of Lr19 and linked genes for yellow flour-pigmentation were utilized as markers. Seven selections with recombinations involving the foreign, translocated segment were recovered. Four of these had white endosperms and were leaf-rust resistant. The remaining lines were leaf-rust resistant and had levels of endosperm pigmentation intermediate to those of Indis and Chinese Spring. The recombined translocation segments coding for white endosperm are no longer associated with chromosome 7D. The original translocated segment may, therefore, not be fully homoeologous to 7DL. The recombinants with white endosperm also lack the stem-rust resitance gene Sr25, but retained the segregation distorter locus, Sd-1. However, it seems as though an enhancer locus (or loci) of Sd-1 had been lost.     

A linkage map with RFLP and isozyme markers for almond

Inheritance and linkage studies were conducted with seven isozyme genes and 120 RFLPs in the F₁ progeny of a cross between almond cultivars Ferragnes and Tuono. RFLPs were detected using 57 genomic and 43 cDNA almond clones. Eight of the cDNA probes corresponded to known genes (extensin, prunin (2), -tubulin, endopolygalacturonase, oleosin, actin depolymerizing factor and phosphoglyceromutase). Single-copy clones were found more frequently in the cDNA (65%) than in the genomic libraries (26%). Two maps were elaborated, one with the 93 loci heterozygous in Ferragnes and another with the 69 loci heterozygous in Tuono. Thirty-five loci were heterozygous in both parents and were used as bridges between both maps. Most of the segregations (91%) were of the 11 or 1111 types, and data were analyzed as if they derived from two backcross populations. Eight linkage groups covering 393 cM in Ferragnes and 394 in Tuono were found for each map. None of the loci examined in either map was found to be unlinked. Distorted segregation ratios were mainly concentrated in two linkage groups of the Ferragnes map.     

Organogenesis from ‘Passe Crassane’ and ‘Old Home’ pear (Pyrus communis L.) protoplasts and isoenzymatic trueness-to-type of the regenerated plants

Summary Large numbers of highly viable mesophyll protoplasts were isolated from shoot cultures of the scion cv Passe Crassane and the rootstock genotype Old Home of common pear (Pyrus communis L.). Protoplasts were cultured for both genotypes either as liquid layers or as liquid-over-agar cultures, in ammonium-free MS medium with 0.5 M mannitol, 50 mg/l casein enzymatic hydrolysate (CEH), 2.0 mg/l NAA and 1.0 mg/l BAP, plus either 0.5 mg/l IAA (for Old Home) or 2.0 mg/l IAA (for Passe Crassane). Protoplast microcalli, obtained by day 60 (Passe Crassane) or day 80 (Old Home), were transferred for further growth to ammonium-free MS medium with 2.0 mg/l NAA and 1.0 mg/l BAP. Shoot bud regeneration from the protoplastderived callus was first attempted between 100 (Passe Crassane) and 120 (Old Home) days after protoplast isolation. For Passe Crassane, shoot buds were regenerated (day 130) on a half-strength MS medium with 0.1 mg/l IBA, 0.5 mg/l BAP, 50 mg/l CEH and 20 mg/l Ca-panthotenate. For Old Home, shoot but regeneration only occurred 30 days later and on the same medium as above, which was additionally supplemented with double the concentration of the group B vitamins found in the original MS formulation and 0.05 mg/l GA₃. Following micropropagation and in vitro rooting of shoots, the plants were transferred to soil following standard procedures. Trueness-to-type of the regenerated plants was assessed by analysing their leaf isozyme banding profiles (for EST, AP, PRX, SOD, ENP, LAP, PGI, AAT, ADH, MDH and PGM) and comparing them to those corresponding to the original shoots that provided the protoplasts. No differences between the mother shoots and the protoclones were observed for any one of the 11 isozyme systems studied.     

On morphological variation in Keratella cochlearis populations from Holstein lakes (Northern Germany)

Keratella cochlearis occurs in many Holstein lakes (northern Germany) as three well defined and separated forms: cochlearis, hispida, and tecta, each showing very little variation between the lakes. The present data show that the tecta form did not originate from a Lauterborn cycle.     

High crossability of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum C. Koch) with bread wheat and the differential elimination of barley chromosomes in the hybrids

Four bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, Aobakomugi, Chinese Spring, Norin 61 and Shinchunaga, were pollinated with five barley lines/cultivars consisting of three cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) lines, Betzes, Kinai 5 and OHL089, and two wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum C. Koch) lines, OUH602 and OUH324. Crossability, expressed as the percentage of embryo formation, varied from 0 to 55.4% among the cross combinations. The two wild barley lines generally had a higher crossability than the previously reported best pollinator, Betzes, and some Japanese wheat cultivars were better as the female parent than Chinese Spring. Ninety four hybrid plants were obtained from 250 embryos cultured, and their somatic chromosome numbers ranged from 21 to 36. Eighteen plants were mosaic in chromosome number. Twenty one-chromosome plants appeared most frequently (45.7%) followed by 28-chromosome plants (14.9%). C-banding analysis revealed that elimination of barley chromosomes was mainly responsible for the occurrence of aneuploid plants. In hypoploids derived from Betzes-crosses, chromosome 5 was preferentially eliminated as previously reported, while in hypoploids derived from OUH602-crosses, chromosome 4 was preferentially eliminated. The wild barley line OUH602 may be a useful parent for producing a new wheat-barley addition set because of its high crossability with wheat and a different pattern of chromosome elimination.     

Cytogenetic analysis of structural rearrangements in three varieties of common wheat,Triticum aestivum

Summary The winter wheat varieties Starke and Cappelle Desprez and the spring wheat Chinese Spring were analysed for structural chromosome rearrangements that resulted in the formation of multivalents in F₁ hybrids. The analyses were carried out using hybrids involving euploids, monosomic and ditelosomic stocks, and double-monotelodisomic constructs. The study confirmed that Cappelle Desprez differs from Chinese Spring in a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 5B and 7B (Riley et al. 1967); a translocation involving chromosomes 3B and 3D could not be verified. Furthermore, the analysis showed that Starke differs from Chinese Spring in a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 7A and 7D. Both translocations have a coefficient of multivalent realisation of about 0.84. Further multivalents in euploid Starke, in euploid and some aneuploid stocks of Cappelle Desprez, and in euploid as well as various types of aneuploid hybrids between all three varieties could nearly all be explained hypothesizing that chromosome 2B of both Starke and Cappelle Desprez is a duplication-deficiency chromosome. In the hypothesis a part of the long arm of 2B is missing and replaced by a duplicated part of the long arm of chromosome 2D. The multivalents of this rearrangement showed an average coefficient of realisation of about 0.09.Sven Ellerström died in December 1985     

Cell-wall abnormalities of a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant strain under suboptimal growth conditions

Sporangia were accumulated in autotrophically and mixotrophically growing cultures of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutant strain ls entering the stationary phase. Such an accumulation of sporangia was never observed in stationary-phase cultures of wildtype strains. Sporangia harvested from stationary-phase cultures of the mutant strain ls released their zoospores after being resuspended in fresh culture medium. Liberation of zoospores was also observed during fixation of these sporangia with glutaraldehyde and OsO₄. Release of zoospores during fixation was prevented by pretreatment with 3 mol·l^–1 LiCl. Ultrastructural analyses of these LiCl-pretreated sporangia revealed that they contained abnormal sporangial walls: sporangia containing sporangia and sporangia surrounded by additional multilayered cell walls have been observed. Similar abnormal cell-wall structures were found in sporangia accumulated at the end of the dark period, when the mutant strain ls was grown photoautotrophically under a 12 h light-12 h dark regime with suboptimal aeration. When grown under optimal conditions, this particular mutant did not show any abnormal wall structures.This work has been supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. The authors thank Mrs. C. Adami for the photographic work.     

Effect of excess boron on summer and winter squash

The boron tolerance of two summer squash cultivars (Cucurbita pepo L. Aristocrat Zucchini and Peter Pan Scallop) and one winter squash cultivar (Cucurbita moschata Poir. Butter boy) was determined in large, outdoor sand cultures. Boron treatments were imposed by irrigation with culture solutions that contained 1.0, 3.0, 6.0, 9.0, 12.0, or 15.0 mg B L^-1. Relative fruit yields of Zucchini, Scallop, and Butter boy were reduced 5.2%, 9.8%, and 4.3% with each unit (mg L^-1) increase in soil solution B (B_sw)>2.7, 4.9, and 1.0 mg B L^-1, respectively. Reduced yields of all cultivars were attributed to a reduction in fruit number and not fruit size. Boron concentrations in leaves and fruit were directly correlated to B_sw.     

Inheritance of resistance to the bean-pod weevil (Apion godmani Wagner) in common beans from Mexico

The bean-pod weevil (BPW), Apion godmani Wagner, often causes heavy losses in crops of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Farmers need resistant bean cultivars to minimize losses, cut production costs, stabilize seed yield, and reduce pesticide use and consequent health hazards. To design effective breeding methods, breeders need new and better sources of resistance and increased knowledge of their modes of inheritance. We therefore: (1) compared sources of resistance to BPW, (2) studied the inheritance of resistance, and (3) determined whether the sources possess similar or different genes for BPW resistance. The following sources of resistance, originating from the Mexican highlands, were evaluated for 3 years at INIFAP-Santa Lucía de Prias, Texcoco, Mexico: Amarillo 153, Amarillo 169, Hidalgo 58, J 117, Pinto Texcoco, Pinto 168, and Puebla 36. All except Puebla 36 were crossed with the susceptible cultivar Jamapa. Amarillo 153 and Puebla 36 were crossed with another susceptible cultivar, Bayo Mex. The parents, F₁ hybrids, and F₂ populations were evaluated for BPW damage in 1992. Backcrosses of the F₁ of Jamapa/Pinto 168 to the respective susceptible and resistant parents were also evaluated in 1992. All seven resistant accessions were crossed in all possible combinations, excluding reciprocals. The resulting 21 F₁ hybrids and 21 F₂ populations were evaluated for BPW damage in 1994. J 117 had the highest level of resistance to BPW. Pinto Texcoco and Puebla 36 had the highest mean damage score of all seven sources of resistance. The F₁ hybrids between susceptible parents and resistant sources were generally intermediate. Two genes segregating independently controlled the BPW resistance in each accession. One gene, Agm, has no effect when present alone, whereas the other gene, Agr, alone conferred intermediate resistance. When both genes were present, resistance to BPW was higher. Based on mean BPW damage scores, all 21 F₁ hybrids and their F₂ populations, derived from crosses among seven resistant accessions, were resistant. However, data from individual plant damage scores in F₂ populations of Amarillo 169/Pinto 168 and Pinto Texcoco/Pinto 168 suggested that at least one gene in each of the three accessions was non-allelic. Data also indicated that Amarillo 169 had a dominant gene that conferred high levels of BPW resistance, irrespective of the alleles at the other locus; and that Pinto Texcoco and Pinto 168 possessed two different genes for intermediate resistance.     

Genetic analysis of brown planthopper resistance in twenty varieties of rice,Oryza saliva L.

Summary The inheritance of resistance to brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stol.), of 20 rice cultivars was studied. Single dominant genes that are allelic to Bph 3 condition the resistance in cultivars Ptb 19, Gangala (Acc. 7733), Gangala (Acc. 15207), Horana Mawee, Kuruhondarwala, Mudu Kiriyal and Muthumanikam. Single recessive genes that are allelic to bph 4 govern the resistance in cultivars Gambada Samba, Heenhoranamawee, Hotel Samba, Kahata Samba, Kalukuruwee, Lekam Samba, Senawee, Sulai, Thirissa and Vellai Illankali. The resistance in Ptb 33, Sudu Hondarwala, and Sinna Sivappu is governed by one dominant and one recessive gene which segregate independently of each other. The dominant resistance genes in these cultivars appear allelic to either Bph 1 or Bph 3. Similarly, the recessive genes in these cultivars seem allelic to either bph 2 or bph 4. Further investigations are needed to conclusively determine the allelic relationships of resistance genes in Ptb 33, Sudu Hondarwala and Sinna Sivappu.     

Heritable variation in the phaseolin protein of nondomesticated common bean,Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Summary Crude protein extracts from single seeds of nondomesticated Mexican bean accessions were analysed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for variability in phaseolin protein. Six new phaseolin types; M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, which contained polypeptides within the same range of molecular weights (51,000 to 45,000 daltons) as occur in the S, T and C phaseolin types of cultivated beans were identified. No T and C types were found among the non-domesticated Mexican accessions, and the S type occurred in less than 7% of the seeds screened. Genetic analyses of F₂ progenies from crosses between Sanilac (S), and five of the M types showed that each M phaseolin phenotype was allelic to the S type and expressed codominantly.