Rapid generation advancement of RIL population and assessing the impact of Rhizobium nodulation on crop yields in Chickpea.

Chickpea, a widely cultivated legume, actively fix atmospheric nitrogen in root nodules through a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia bacteria. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, progressing from F to F generations, was developed in a short-period of 18 months using the Rapid Generation Advancement (RGA) protocol. The F RILs were evaluated during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 crop seasons under typical field conditions to quantify the effects of nodulation on seed yield (SY) and its associated traits.

Multi-environment testing for G×E interactions and identification of high-yielding, stable, medium-duration pigeonpea genotypes employing AMMI, GGE biplot, and YREM analyses.

Pigeonpea [ (L.) Millspaugh] is a widely grown pulse with high seed protein content that contributes to food and nutritional security in the Indian subcontinent. The majority of pigeonpea varieties cultivated in India are of medium duration (<180 days to maturity), which makes it essential for breeders to focus on the development of stable high-yielding varieties.

Genome-wide association study and expression of candidate genes for Fe and Zn concentration in sorghum grains.

Sorghum germplasm showed grain Fe and Zn genetic variability, but a few varieties were biofortified with these minerals. This work contributes to narrowing this gap. Fe and Zn concentrations along with 55,068 high-quality GBS SNP data from 140 sorghum accessions were used in this study.

Understanding genetic diversity in drought-adaptive hybrid parental lines in pearl millet.

Information on genetic diversity and population structure is helpful to strategize enhancing the genetic base of hybrid parental lines in breeding programs. The present study determined the population structure and genetic diversity of 109 pearl millet hybrid parental lines, known for their better adaptation and performance in drought-prone environments, using 16,472 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers generated from GBS (genotyping-by-sequencing) platforms. The SNPs were distributed uniformly across the pearl millet genome and showed considerable genetic diversity (0.

Blackgram- Interactions and Identification of Novel Sources of Resistance.

, a fungus that causes dry root rot, is a relatively new threat to blackgram in South Asia. Because this pathogen is a polyphagic necrotroph, it remains viable in the soil for several years, making disease management challenging. One of the most economical methods for managing dry root rot in blackgram is through an integrated approach that uses resistant varieties.

Genetic Dissection and Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping of Agronomic and Fodder Quality Traits in Sorghum Under Different Water Regimes.

Livestock provides an additional source of income for marginal cropping farmers, but crop residues that are used as a main source of animal feed are characteristically low in digestibility and protein content. This reduces the potential livestock product yield and quality. The key trait, which influences the quality and the cost of animal feed, is digestibility.

Translational Chickpea Genomics Consortium to Accelerate Genetic Gains in Chickpea ( L.).

The Translational Chickpea Genomics Consortium (TCGC) was set up to increase the production and productivity of chickpea ( L.). It represents research institutes from six major chickpea growing states (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh) of India.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Sorghum: Exploring Native Variability for Traits Under Variable N-Regimes.

Exploring the natural genetic variability and its exploitation for improved Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) in sorghum is one of the primary goals in the modern crop improvement programs. The integrated strategies include high-throughput phenotyping, next generation sequencing (NGS)-based genotyping technologies, and selected candidate gene studies that help understand the detailed physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning this complex trait. A set of sixty diverse sorghum genotypes was evaluated for different vegetative, reproductive, and yield traits related to NUE in the field (under three N regimes) for two seasons.

Introgression of "QTL-hotspot" region enhances drought tolerance and grain yield in three elite chickpea cultivars.

With an aim of enhancing drought tolerance using a marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC) approach, we introgressed the "QTL-hotspot" region from ICC 4958 accession that harbors quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for several drought-tolerance related traits into three elite Indian chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars: Pusa 372, Pusa 362, and DCP 92-3. Of eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in the QTL-hotspot region, two to three polymorphic markers were used for foreground selection with respective cross-combinations.

Genome-Wide SNP Discovery and Mapping QTLs for Seed Iron and Zinc Concentrations in Chickpea ( L.).

Biofortification through plant breeding is a cost-effective and sustainable approach towards addressing micronutrient malnutrition prevailing across the globe. Screening cultivars for micronutrient content and identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/genes and markers help in the development of biofortified varieties in chickpea ( L.).

Relationship of Parental Genetic Distance with Heterosis and Specific Combining Ability in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Based on Phenotypic and Molecular Marker Analysis.

The genetic distance analysis for selection of suitable parents has been established and effectively used in many crops; however, there is dearth of conclusive report of relationship of genetic distance analysis with heterosis in sesame. In the present study, an attempt was made to estimate the associations of genetic distances using SSR (GDSSR), seed-storage protein profiling (GDSDS) and agro-morphological traits (GDMOR) with hybrid performance. Seven parents were selected from 60 exotic and Indian genotypes based on genetic distance from clustering pattern based on SSR, seed-storage protein, morphological traits and per se performance.

Genetic dissection of drought tolerance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Analysis of phenotypic data for 20 drought tolerance traits in 1-7 seasons at 1-5 locations together with genetic mapping data for two mapping populations provided 9 QTL clusters of which one present on CaLG04 has a high potential to enhance drought tolerance in chickpea improvement. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the second most important grain legume cultivated by resource poor farmers in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world.