International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics

International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics ISSN 5756-2145 Vol.  2 (2) pp. 099-104, February, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Joining capacity and heterosis for diverse agronomic qualities in maize (Zea mays L.) under dry spell stretch in the Sudan Savanna of Borno State, Nigeria

*Mohammed Asari, Malloud E. O and E. J. Aniere

Department of Breeding, Genetics, and Plant Molecular biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Benin, Edo state, Nigeria.

Email: [email protected]

Accepted 29 January 2015

Abstract

Combining ability variances were estimated for grain yield and its related traits in maize (Zea mays L.). Nine maize varieties consisted of five IITA open pollinated varieties (OPVs) and four local varieties were crossed in line x tester mating design. During the 2007 cropping season to determine the general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA) effects and heterosis. Parents and hybrids were evaluated in Damboa during the cropping seasons of 2008/2009. Significant level of genetic variability among the parental lines and their hybrids for days to tasseling, days to silking, anthesis silking interval (ASI), plant height, ear height, weight of cobs, dehusked cobs and grain yield, thus suggesting the possibility for genetic improvement. The relatively smaller proportion of GCA to SCA ratio indicated that the predominance of non-additive genetic effects with respect to all the traits except number of cobs per plant and number of cobs per plot. This suggests that high performing hybrids such as EVDT-99WSTRC0 x EX-DAMBOA WHITE, EVDT-99WSTRC0 x EX-BIU WHITE, EVDT-99WSTRQPMC0 x EX-DAMBOA YELLOW and TZECOMP₃DTC₁ x EX-BIU YELLOW may be used to develop potential varieties. Grain yield superiority of some hybrids over the higher parents was recorded suggesting the possibility of their commercial exploitation. The parents: EVDT-99WSTRC0, TZE-WDTSTRQPMC0, and EX-DAMBOA WHITE were identified as the best combiners in terms of GCA for days to tasseling, days to silking, number of cobs/plant, number of cobs/plot, dehusked cobs and grain yield.

Key words: Combining ability, heterosis, Nigeria maize, drought.

International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics ISSN 5756-2145 Vol.  2 (2) pp. 090-098, February, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Review

Plant hereditary assets: Advancing Conservation and use through biotechnology

Murubi Daniel Karanja

Department for Plant Breeding, Seed Science, and Population Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected] 

Accepted 25 January, 2015

Abstract 

Conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources is essential to meet the demand for future food security. Advances in biotechnology have generated new opportunities for genetic resources conservation and utilization. Techniques like in vitro culture and cryopreservation have made it easy to collect and conserve genetic resources, especially of species that are difficult to conserve as seeds. While technologies like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have provided tools that are more sensitive and pathogen specific for seed health testing, tissue culture methods are now widely applied for elimination of systemic diseases such as viruses for safe exchange of germplasm. Molecular markers are increasingly used for screening of germplasm to study genetic diversity, identify redundancies in the collections, test accession stability and integrity, and resolve taxonomic relationships. The technology is also expanding the scope of genetic resources utilization.

Key words: Biotechnology, conservation, plant genetic resources.

International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics ISSN 5756-2145 Vol.  2 (2) pp. 085-089, February, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Hereditary variety of 1RS arm between Siblinng wheat lines containing 1BL.1RS translocation

Wang E. Chieng

Department for Plant Breeding, Seed Science, and Population Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected] 

Accepted 20 January, 2015

Abstract 

3 sets of sibling 1BL.1RS translocation wheat lines (each set containing 2 sibling lines) derived from 3 different F₄ single plant. Between 2 sibling wheat lines, different resistance to powdery mildew was observed. In addition, different bands in -gliadin mobility zone between 2 sibling wheat lines were also significantly observed by acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (A-PAGE). However, the nucleotide sequence of / -gliadin precursor gene cloned from 2 sibling wheat lines were 100% similarity. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis using 180 wheat microsatellite markers dispersed on 7 homeologous groups of wheat indicated that little genetic variation occurred in wheat A, B and D genomes of these sibling wheat lines. Structural variation of 1BL.1RS chromosome arm was detected by PCR analysis. Different rye-specific repetitive DNA exhibited different variation. The different structure of 1RS chromosome arms may be related to the genetic variation between the 2 sibling wheat lines. The results lead us to think that the variation of 1RS arm within a species should be utilized in wheat breeding program. To detect variation of repetitive DNA can provide better understanding of the genetic variation of 1BL.1RS translocation and will be useful for utilization of 1RS arm in wheat breeding program.

Key words: 1BL.1RS translocation, repetitive DNA, sibling wheat lines, gentic variation.

International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics ISSN 5756-2145 Vol.  2 (2) pp. 077-084, February, 2015.  © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Genetic diversity and adjustment to distinctive culturing and cultivating frameworks of cocoyam genotypes (Xanthosoma sagittifolium L. Schott) in the Eastern Region of Ghana

*Dumelo E. Johnson, Akosua Bella and Dramani Nadia

 Department for Plant Breeding, Seed Science, and Population Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 16 January, 2015

Abstract

Experiments conducted in Ghana show that cocoyam exists as mixtures of clones in farmers farms. This work aimed to use RAPD markers to determine the extent of diversity in cocoyam genotypes collected from farms at different locations in the Eastern region of Ghana. The study also investigated whether the genotypes have different adaptation to different farming systems (intercropping with plantain and sole cropping) and tillage methods (mounds and flat). The genotypes were grouped into two main clusters at 0.65 similarity coefficient of variation with accessions Pameng Red 3 and Pramkese 2 being the most diverse. The genotypes began separating at 85% similarity index into three discrete groups. Group I, (Pameng 1, Dwenase 2 and 3) did not separate at 100% similarity index. The other two groups consisted of (Pameng 2, Gyampomani 1, Gyampomani 2, Dwenase 1) and (Pramkesse 1 and Gyampomani 3). The analysis of variance of the growth parameters of the genotypes under the tillage and farming systems revealed significant differences. Generally, genotypes in group II grew better under the farming systems and tillage practices studied whiles Pramkesse 2, which did not cluster with any other genotypes in its major cluster, grew poorly under the two farming systems.

Key words: Cocoyam, intercropping, solecropping, mounds, flat, RAPDS.

International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics ISSN 5756-2145 Vol.  2 (2) pp. 073-076, February, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Variability, heritability and hereditary propel in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Narendra Ambedkar

Department for Plant Breeding, Seed Science, and Population Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, M. J. P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, India. Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected] 

Accepted 05 January, 2015

Abstract 

The analysis of variance study indicated the presence of significant difference among all the traits in Gossypium hirsutum accessions. The highest phenotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were recorded by seed index, plant height, lint index and boll weight. Genotypic co-efficient of variation had a similar trend as PCV. High heritability along with high genetic advance was observed in traits viz., number of sympodia per plant, single plant yields, seed index and micronaire value. The combinations of high heritability with high genetic advance will provide a clear base on the reliability of that particular character in selection of variable entries. Based on per se performance, the accessions MCU5, TCH1715, TCH1716 and G cot 16 were identified as potential donors for single plant yield (g), number of bolls per plant, 2.5% span length (mm) and bundle strength (g/tex). So these accessions may be utilized for crossing programme to improve a particular character in crop improvement.

Key words: Genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, upland cotton.

International Journal of Plant Breeding and Genetics ISSN 5756-2145 Vol.  2 (1) pp. 062-072, January, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full length Research paper

Genetic differing qualities and linkage disequilibrium of two homologous qualities to maize D8: Sorghum SbD8 and pearl millet PgD8

*Heidi Frank, Max D. Deitrich and Karl Johannes

Department for Plant Breeding, Seed Science, and Population Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.

E-mail: [email protected] 

Accepted 27 December, 2014

Abstract 

Yield and yield stability of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] and pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.] are highly influenced by flowering time and photoperiodic sensitivity in the arid to semi-arid regions of West and Central Africa. Photoperiodic sensitivity is the key adaptation trait of local landraces because it assures flowering at the end of the rainy season, independent of variable dates of planting. Flowering time genes are mainly integrated into four pathways with close interaction among each other: Vernalization, autonomous, GA (gibberellic acid) and photoperiod. In the GA pathway, maize D8, wheat RHT1 and rice SLR have been identified as homologous genes to the Arabidopsis GAI, which is a negative regulator of GA response. We have identified two homologous genes to D8: Sorghum SbD8 and pearl millet PgD8. These genes were expressed in the root and leaves of sorghum and pearl millet as revealed by EST database search and reverse transcription PCR, respectively. The genetic diversity of SbD8 was considerably lower than that of PgD8. The extent of linkage disequilibrium in PgD8 is lower than that of maize D8. SbD8 and PgD8 polymorphisms might be appropriate for dissection of photoperiod sensitivity using association mapping approaches.

Key words: DELLA proteins, GA pathway, flowering time, photoperiod sensitivity, sorghum, pearl millet.