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We analysed the adaptive potential of pedunculate oak ( L.) in terms of variation in height and survival in five field trials located in southern and central Finland. The trials were established with Finnish native material from six different seed origins. Thirteen years after planting, the number of living trees was counted and measured for height. Analysis of height and survival revealed a significant effect of origin, i.e., a genetic basis to individual tree performance. Two origins from the Turku region (Ruissalo and Katariinanlaakso) performed the best while trees originating from Parainen (Lenholmen) performed the worst. In order to study the effects due to tree origin, a comparison of families (half-sibling trees, i.e. those sharing the same âmotherâ tree) was made by combining height and survival through a height-sum equation (i.e., the product of mean survival and height of each family in each trial) and used to calculate family- and origin-level ecovalences. Ecovalence is a metric for performance consistency, and indicates how much each variable contributes to the total variation; the higher the value, the lower the consistency of trees across the trials based on their origin or family. Analysis of consistency showed similar results to growth and survival, with Turku families performing the best and families from Parainen performing the worst. Families in the Katariinanlaakso stand (Turku) generally had more stable ecovalence values and more dispersed height-sums, while Ruissalo (Turku) families had higher mean height-sum but higher variability in ecovalence values. These results suggest that seed origins (i.e., genotypes) can be optimized in terms of their suitability for commercial or ecological forest management.Quercus robur

Oat-based value-added products have increased their value as healthy foodstuff. Fusarium head blight (FHB) infections and the mycotoxins accumulated to the oat seeds, however, pose a challenge to oat production. The FHB infections are predicted to become more prevalent in the future changing climates and under more limited use of fungicides. Both these factors increase the pressure for breeding new resistant cultivars. Until now, however, genetic links in oats against FHB infection have been difficult to identify. Therefore, there is a great need for more effective breeding efforts, including improved phenotyping methods allowing time series analysis and the identification of molecular markers during disease progression. To these ends, dissected spikelets of several oat genotypes with different resistance profiles were studied by image-based methods during disease progression by Fusarium culmorum or F. langsethiae species. The chlorophyll fluorescence of each pixel in the spikelets was recorded after inoculation by the two Fusarium spp., and the progression of the infections was analyzed by calculating the mean maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) values for each spikelet. The recorded values were (i) the change in the photosynthetically active area of the spikelet as percentage of its initial size, and (ii) the mean of Fv/Fm values of all fluorescent pixels per spikelet post inoculation, both indicative of the progression of the FHB disease. The disease progression was successfully monitored, and different stages of the infection could be defined along the time series. The data also confirmed the differential rate of disease progression by the two FHB causal agents. In addition, oat varieties with variable responses to the infections were indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last three decades, Fusarium infections and related mycotoxin contamination have caused significant economic losses in oats (Avena sativa L.). Breeding for resistance is highly prioritized in oats, but infection processes and resistance components against Fusarium species are not fully identified. In this study, the genetic variation for flowering traits and its impact on mycotoxin accumulation in oats is described. The first experiment of this paper was focused on flowering traits in 50 oat genotypes (Panel 1) to identify cleistogamic oats. Then, two separate Fusarium‐inoculated experiments in three (Panel 2 with 25 genotypes) and two environments (Panel 3 with 16 genotypes) were conducted to assess the relationship between the degree of anther retention (AR) and resistance to Fusarium infestation and mycotoxin accumulation in oats. Panel 2 was inoculated with Fusarium culmorum, F. langsethiae, and F. sporotrichioides, and Panel 3 was inoculated with either F. graminearum or F. culmorum. The assessment of open flowering score and AR displayed a continuous variation from dominating chasmogamy to complete cleistogamy. Significant differences for deoxynivalenol and T‐2 were found, with a modest correlation between both mycotoxins. The lowest mycotoxin levels were found in two old and one modern cultivar, and the highest levels were found in a dwarf oat cultivar. Compared with plant height, AR was a rather ambiguous factor for the mycotoxin content, and it interfered with effects of other traits displaying high ranges such as earliness, lodging, or hull content. To unravel components of resistance to Fusarium in oats more precisely, specific populations with lower ranges in plant height and heading date should be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) imaging technologies for precision farming applications is rapid, and new studies are published frequently. In cases where measurements are based on aerial imaging, there is the need to have ground truth or reference data in order to develop reliable applications. However, in several precision farming use cases such as pests, weeds, and diseases detection, the reference data can be subjective or relatively difficult to capture. Furthermore, the collection of reference data is usually laborious and time consuming. It also appears that it is difficult to develop generalisable solutions for these areas. This review studies previous research related to pests, weeds, and diseases detection and mapping using UAV imaging in the precision farming context, underpinning the applied reference measurement techniques. The majority of the reviewed studies utilised subjective visual observations of UAV images, and only a few applied in situ measurements. The conclusion of the review is that there is a lack of quantitative and repeatable reference data measurement solutions in the areas of mapping pests, weeds, and diseases. In addition, the results that the studies present should be reflected in the applied references. An option in the future approach could be the use of synthetic data as reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Fusarium head blight (FHB) and the accumulation of deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxin induced by Fusarium graminearum and other Fusarium fungi cause serious problems for oat production in the Nordic region (Scandinavia, Fennoscandia). Besides toxin accumulation, FHB causes reduction in grain yield and in germination capacity. Here, genomic approaches for accelerating breeding efforts against FHB and DON accumulation were studied. Resistance-related traits included DON content, F.graminearum DNA (relative to oat DNA) content (qFUSG) measured with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Fusarium-infected kernels (FIKs) and germination capacity (GC). Plant germplasm used in the study consisted of mostly breeding lines, and additionally, a few cultivars and exotic accessions. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) and genomic prediction, enabling genomic selection (GS) on the resistance-related and collected agronomic traits, were performed. Considerable genetic correlations between resistance-related traits were observed: DON content had a positive correlation (0.60) with qFUSG and a negative correlation (−0.63) with germination capacity. With the material in hand, we were not able to find any significant associations between markers and resistance-related traits. On the other hand, in genomic prediction, some resistance-related traits showed favorable accuracy in fivefold cross-validation (GC = 0.57). Genomic prediction is a promising method and genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) generated for germination capacity are applicable in oat breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) of four Multi-parent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (MAGIC) populations identified nine regions on chromosomes 1H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H and 7H associated with resistance against barley scald disease. Three of these regions are putatively novel resistance Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL). Barley scald is caused by Rhynchosporium commune, one of the most important barley leaf diseases that are prevalent in most barley-growing regions. Up to 40% yield losses can occur in susceptible barley cultivars. Four MAGIC populations were generated in a Nordic Public-Private Pre-breeding of spring barley project (PPP Barley) to introduce resistance to several important diseases. Here, these MAGIC populations consisting of six to eight founders each were tested for scald resistance in field trials in Finland and Iceland. Eight different model covariate combinations were compared for GWAS studies, and the models that deviated the least from the expected p-values were selected. For all QTL, candidate genes were identified that are predicted to be involved in pathogen defence. The MAGIC progenies contained new haplotypes of significant SNP-markers with high resistance levels. The lines with successfully pyramided resistance against scald and mildew and the significant markers are now distributed among Nordic plant breeders and will benefit development of disease-resistant cultivars., (© 2021. The Author(s).)