Search

To fulfill the growing demand for wheat consumption, it is important to focus on enhancement breeding strategies targeting key parameters such as yield, thousand kernel weight (TKW), quality characteristics including morphological traits, and protein content. These elements are key to the ongoing and future objectives of wheat breeding programs. Prioritizing these factors will effectively help meet the rising demand for wheat, especially given the challenges posed by unpredictable weather patterns. This study evaluated the morphological traits and protein content of 249 winter wheat varieties and advanced lines grown in eleven different environments in Morocco and Spain incorporating three varied sowing dates. The results showed considerable variability in morphological traits and protein content. Significant correlations were observed among various grain traits, with most grain morphological parameters exhibiting negative correlations with protein content. Differences across environments (p ≤ 0.01) in all traits, genotypes, and genotype by environment interaction were significant. A factorial regression analysis revealed significant impacts of environmental conditions on all grain morphological parameters, protein content, and TKW during the three growth stages. The study identified several high-performing and stable genotypes across diverse environments, providing valuable insights for wheat breeding programs such as genotypes 129, 234, 241, and 243. Genome-Wide Association Studies pinpointed 603 significant markers across 11 environments, spread across chromosomes. Among these, 400 markers were linked with at least two traits or observed in at least two different environments. Moreover, twelve marker-trait associations were detected that surpassed the Bonferroni correction threshold. These findings highlight the importance of targeted breeding efforts to enhance wheat quality and adaptability to different environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Durum wheat is a staple food in the Mediterranean Basin, mostly cultivated under rainfed conditions. As such, the crop is often exposed to moisture stress. Therefore, the identification of genetic factors controlling the capacity of genotypes to convert moisture into grain yield (i.e. water productivity) is quintessential to stabilize production despite climatic variations. A global panel of 384 accessions was tested across 18 Mediterranean environments (in Morocco, Lebanon, and Jordan) representing a vast range of moisture levels. The accessions were assigned to water responsiveness classes, with genotypes 'Responsive to Low Moisture' reaching an average +1.5 kg ha–1 mm–1 yield advantage. Genome wide association studies revealed that six loci explained most of this variation. A second validation panel tested under moisture stress confirmed that carrying the positive allele at three loci on chromosomes 1B, 2A, and 7B generated an average water productivity gain of +2.2 kg ha–1 mm–1. These three loci were tagged by kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) markers, and these were used to screen a third independent validation panel composed of elites tested across moisture stressed sites. The three KASP combined predicted up to 10% of the variation for grain yield at 60% accuracy. These loci are now ready for molecular pyramiding and transfer across cultivars to improve the moisture conversion of durum wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley is a very important crop particularly in marginal dry areas, where it often serves as the most viable option for farmers. Additionally, barley carries great significance in the Western world, serving not only as a fundamental crop for animal feed and malting but also as a nutritious food source. The broad adaptability of barley and its ability to withstand various biotic and abiotic stresses often make this species the sole cereal that can be cultivated in arid regions. The collection and utilization of barley genetic resources are crucial for identifying valuable traits to enhance productivity and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. This review aims to provide an overview of the management and exploitation of barley genetic resources. Furthermore, the review explores the relationship between gene banks and participatory breeding, offering insights into the diversity and utilization of barley genetic resources through some examples such as the initiatives undertaken by ICARDA. Finally, this contribution highlights the importance of these resources for boosting barley productivity, addressing climate change impacts, and meeting the growing food demands in a rapidly changing agriculture. The understanding and utilizing the rich genetic diversity of barley can contribute to sustainable agriculture and ensure the success of this vital crop for future generations globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Understanding the genetic and molecular function of nitrate sensing and acquisition across crop species will accelerate breeding of cultivars with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).Here, we performed a genome‐wide scan using wheat and barley accessions characterized under low and high N inputs that uncovered the NPF2.12 gene, encoding a homolog of the Arabidopsis nitrate transceptor NRT1.6 and other low‐affinity nitrate transporters that belong to the MAJOR FACILITATOR SUPERFAMILY.Next, it is shown that variations in the NPF2.12 promoter correlated with altered NPF2.12 transcript levels where decreased gene expression was measured under low nitrate availability. Multiple field trials revealed a significantly enhanced N content in leaves and grains and NUE in the presence of the elite allele TaNPF2.12TT grown under low N conditions. Furthermore, the nitrate reductase encoding gene NIA1 was up‐regulated in npf2.12 mutant upon low nitrate concentrations, thereby resulting in elevated levels of nitric oxide (NO) production. This increase in NO correlated with the higher root growth, nitrate uptake, and N translocation observed in the mutant when compared to wild‐type.The presented data indicate that the elite haplotype alleles of NPF2.12 are convergently selected in wheat and barley that by inactivation indirectly contribute to root growth and NUE by activating NO signaling under low nitrate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A panel of 114 genetically diverse barley lines were assessed in the greenhouse and field for resistance to the pathogen Puccinia hordei, the causal agent of barley leaf rust. Multi-pathotype tests revealed that 16.6% of the lines carried the all-stage resistance (ASR) gene Rph3, followed by Rph2 (4.4%), Rph1 (1.7%), Rph12 (1.7%) or Rph19 (1.7%). Five lines (4.4%) were postulated to carry the gene combinations Rph2+9.am, Rph2+19 and Rph8+19. Three lines (2.6%) were postulated to carry Rph15 based on seedling rust tests and genotyping with a marker linked closely to this gene. Based on greenhouse seedling tests and adult-plant field tests, 84 genotypes (73.7%) were identified as carrying APR, and genotyping with molecular markers linked closely to three known APR genes (Rph20, Rph23 and Rph24) revealed that 48 of the 84 genotypes (57.1%) likely carry novel (uncharacterized) sources of APR. Seven lines were found to carry known APR gene combinations (Rph20+Rph23, Rph23+Rph24 and Rph20+Rph24), and these lines had higher levels of field resistance compared to those carrying each of these three APR genes singly. GWAS identified 12 putative QTLs; strongly associated markers located on chromosomes 1H, 2H, 3H, 5H and 7H. Of these, the QTL on chromosome 7H had the largest effect on resistance response to P. hordei. Overall, these studies detected several potentially novel genomic regions associated with resistance. The findings provide useful information for breeders to support the utilization of these sources of resistance to diversify resistance to leaf rust in barley and increase resistance durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding programs in developing countries still cannot afford the new genotyping technologies, hindering their research. We aimed to assemble an Association Mapping panel to serve as CGIAR Barley Breeding Toolbox (CBBT), especially for the Developing World. The germplasm had to be representative of the one grown in the Developing World; with high genetic variability and be of public domain. For it, we genotyped with the Infinium iSelect 50K chip, a Global Barley Panel (GBP) of 530 genotypes representing a wide range of rowtypes, end-uses, growth habits, geographical origins and environments. 40,342 markers were polymorphic with an average polymorphism information content of 0.35 and 66% of them exceeding 0.25. The analysis of the population structure identified 8 subpopulations mostly linked to geographical origin, four of them with significant ICARDA origin. The 16 allele combinations at 4 major flowering genes (HvVRN-H3, HvPPD-H1, HvVRN-H1 and HvCEN) explained 11.07% genetic variation and were linked to the geographic origins of the lines. ICARDA material showed the widest diversity as revealed by the highest number of polymorphic loci (99.76% of all polymorphic SNPs in GBP), number of private alleles and the fact that ICARDA lines were present in all 8 subpopulations and carried all 16 allelic combinations. Due to their genetic diversity and their representativity of the germplasm adapted to the Developing World, ICARDA-derived lines and cultivated landraces were pre-selected to form the CBBT. Using the Mean of Transformed Kinships method, we assembled a panel capturing most of the allelic diversity in the GBP. The CBBT (N=250) preserves good balance between row-types and good representation of both phenology allelic combinations and subpopulations of the GBP. The CBBT and its genotypic data is available to researchers worldwide as a collaborative tool to underpin the genetic mechanisms of traits of interest for barley cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in Morocco is still limited to food and feed despite the amplified demand by local industries for imported malt. This study aims to evaluate 36 barley elite lines for major grain physicochemical parameters and malt quality traits. Analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were performed. The results showed significant genotypic variation among genotypes for individual grain and malt traits. High broad sense heritability was obtained for all traits except for plump grain percentage, malt friability, and germination capacity. Starch, malt extract, Kolbach index, grain area, and test weight correlated significantly and negatively with barley protein. Malt extract correlated positively with Kolbach index and starch, but a negative correlation with soluble protein and malt protein was found. Based on 12 characters, 77% of the total genotypic variation was explained by the three first principal components following PCA and four clusters were depicted based on HCA. Genotypes of high interest with desirable levels of quality standards were identified to be used as a malt quality traits donor while designing crossing programs. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/03610470.2021.1978036. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research aims to identify the efficient combination of drought-tolerance selection criteria and associated quantitative trait loci. A panel of 197 bread wheat genotypes was evaluated for yield- and drought-tolerance-related traits in two environments (favorable and semiarid) for 2 years (2015–2016). Grain number, biomass, number of fertile spikes per plant and ground cover exhibited a significant correlation with grain yield and constitute potential secondary selection criteria for yield under drought conditions. About 73 significant marker–trait associations were detected along various chromosomal positions. The markers "wsnp_Ex_Rep_c67786_66472676" and "ExcalibuR_c24593_1217" exhibited important genetic gains associated with yield increase under drought (11 and 7%, respectively). The markers "KukRi_c94792_127" and "wsnp_Ex_c298_580660" showed a significant correlation with grain yield, biomass and grain number and were associated with a significant increase in yield performance at the semiarid site (+6 and +7%, respectively). The ground cover was found associated with grain yield and biomass through the markers "wsnp_Ex_Rep_c67786_66472676" (+11%) and "KukRi_c49927_151" (+10%). One marker "TduRuM_contig25432_1377" on chromosome 5B at 20 cM was consistently correlated with the number of fertile spikes across both environments. Further research should be considered to validate the efficiency of these markers to undertake selection for drought tolerance under various environments and genetic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding hybrids with maximum heterosis requires efficient cross-pollination and an improved male sterility system. Renewed efforts have been made to dissect the phenotypic variation and genetic basis of hybrid floral traits, although the potential of tailoring the appropriate flower design on seed setting is less known. To this end, elite wheat genotypes were crossed using a chemical hybridizing agent at different doses. A total of 23 hybrids were developed from a partial diallel design; and planted in an alpha lattice design with their parents at two locations in Morocco, for two years, to evaluate for yield components, heterosis and combining abilities. The 13.5 L ha−1 dose induced a maximum level of sterility (95%) and seed set showed large phenotypic variation and high heritability. In parallel, seed set showed tight correlation with pollen mass (0.97), visual anther extrusion (0.94) and pollen shedding (0.91) (p < 0.001), allowing direct selection of the associated traits. Using the combined data, mid-parent heterosis ranges were −7.64–14.55% for biomass (BM), −8.34–12.51% for thousand kernel weight (TKW) and −5.29–26.65% for grain yield (YLD); while best-parent heterosis showed ranges of −11.18–7.20%, −11.35–11.26% and −8.27–24.04% for BM, TKW and YLD, respectively. The magnitude of general combining ability (GCA) variance was greater than the specific combining ability (SCA) variance suggesting a greater additive gene action for BM, TKW and YLD. The favorable GCA estimates showed a simple method to predict additive effects contributing to high heterosis and thus could be an effective approach for the selection of promising parents in early generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erratic weather patterns associated with increased temperatures and decreasing rainfall pose unique challenges for wheat breeders playing a key part in the fight to ensure global food security. Within rain fed winter wheat areas of Turkey and Iran, unusual weather patterns may prevent attaining maximum potential increases in winter wheat genetic gains. This is primarily related to the fact that the yield ranking of tested genotypes may change from one year to the next. Changing weather patterns may interfere with the decisions breeders make about the ideotype(s) they should aim for during selection. To inform breeding decisions, this study aimed to optimize major traits by modeling different combinations of environments (locations and years) and by defining a probabilistic range of trait variations [phenology and plant height (PH)] that maximized grain yields (GYs; one wheat line with optimal heading and height is suggested for use as a testing line to aid selection calibration decisions). Research revealed that optimal phenology was highly related to the temperature and to rainfall at which winter wheat genotypes were exposed around heading time (20 days before and after heading). Specifically, later winter wheat genotypes were exposed to higher temperatures both before and after heading, increased rainfall at the vegetative stage, and reduced rainfall during grain filling compared to early genotypes. These variations in exposure to weather conditions resulted in shorter grain filling duration and lower GYs in long-duration genotypes. This research tested if diversity within species may increase resilience to erratic weather patterns. For the study, calculated production of a selection of five high yielding genotypes (if grown in five plots) was tested against monoculture (if only a single genotype grown in the same area) and revealed that a set of diverse genotypes with different phenologies and PHs was not beneficial. New strategies of progeny selection are discussed: narrow range of variation for phenology in families may facilitate the discovery and selection of new drought-resistant and avoidant wheat lines targeting specific locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic gains in quality traits were assessed in grain samples from 4 field experiments involving 16 bread wheat varieties representative of those most widely cultivated in Spain during the 20th century. The allelic composition at three glutenin loci ( Glu-A1 , Glu-B1 , and Glu-D1 ) was obtained by PCR-based DNA markers and published references. From 1930 to 2000 grain protein content decreased by −0.030% y −1 , or in relative terms by −0.21% y −1 , but the protein produced per hectare increased by 0.39% y −1 . Alveographic tests revealed significant changes in dough rheological properties. Dough strength ( W ) and tenacity ( P ) increased at relative rates of 1.38% y −1 and 0.99% y −1 , respectively, while dough extensibility ( L ) decreased by −0.46% y −1 , resulting in an increase of 1.45% y −1 in dough equilibrium ( P / L ). The rise in protein quality could be related to the replacement of the null allele by subunits 1 or 2* at Glu-A1 and the prevalence of subunits 7 + 8 and 5 + 10 at Glu-B1 and Glu-D1 loci, respectively, in the most recent varieties. Dough extensibility was affected by water input during the crop cycle, this relationship being partially explained by the presence of the 5 + 10 HMW glutenin subunit. Fermentation tolerance was improved in the most modern varieties. Collapse during fermentation was avoided only in doughs with a W ≥ 159 J × 10 −4 and a P / L ≥ 0.56 mm H 2 O mm −1 , levels achieved by most of the modern varieties. The over-strong and unbalanced rheological properties of some modern varieties resulted in highly porous doughs, and no clear advances in dough maximum height during fermentation were attained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to provide an overview on the recent advances in the selective area growth (SAG) of () nanostructures by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy, focusing on their potential as building blocks for next generation LEDs. The first three sections deal with the basic growth mechanisms of SAG and the emission control in the entire ultraviolet to infrared range, including approaches for white light emission, using disks and thick segments on axial nanocolumns. SAG of axial nanostructures is developed on both /sapphire templates and -buffered (111). As an alternative to axial nanocolumns, section 4 reports on the growth and characterization of / core-shell structures on an ordered array of top-down patterned microrods. Finally, section 5 reports on the SAG of , with and without insertion, on semi-polar (11-22) and non-polar (11-20) templates. Upon SAG the high defect density present in the templates is strongly reduced as indicated by a dramatic improvement of the optical properties. In the case of SAG on non-polar (11-22) templates, the formation of nanostructures with a low aspect ratio took place allowing for the fabrication of high-quality, non-polar pseudo-templates by coalescence of these nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Empiric antimicrobial therapy is important in the management of intra-abdominal infections and must be broad enough to cover all likely organisms because inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poor patient outcomes and the development of bacterial resistance. The overuse of antimicrobials is widely accepted as a major driver of some emerging infections (such as C. difficile), the selection of resistant pathogens in individual patients, and for the continued development of antimicrobial resistance globally. The growing emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and the limited development of new agents available to counteract them have caused an impending crisis with alarming implications, especially with regards to Gram-negative bacteria. An international task force from 79 different countries has joined this project by sharing a document on the rational use of antimicrobials for patients with IAIs. The project has been termed AGORA (Antimicrobials: A Global Alliance for Optimizing their Rational Use in Intra-Abdominal Infections). The authors hope that AGORA, involving many of the world's leading experts, can actively raise awareness in health workers and can improve prescribing behavior in treating IAIs.

Abstract: This study evaluates the changes caused by breeding in the genotype×environment interaction of the bread wheat varieties most widely cultivated in Spain during the 20th century. A set of 27 varieties was tested in 8 environments representative of the bread wheat growing areas in the country. Minimum temperature and thermal time from sowing to heading were the main environmental traits determining genotype×environment (GE) interactions for yield. Landraces were the least productive and showed specific adaptation to environments with low minimum temperatures before heading and high relative air humidity after heading. Yield consistency was low in landraces due to large environmental effects on the number of spikes and grain weight. Old-bred varieties (released between 1945 and 1955) were the first step towards breeding for wide adaptation due to the lower dependence of their final spike number and grain weight on water availability during grain filling. Differences in the adaptation pattern of the varieties introduced since the 1960s were caused by their growth habit. Winter types were more widely adapted than spring ones, mostly because they had a more consistent number of grains per spike. Grain weight of winter varieties was enhanced in environments with high relative humidity during grain filling. Spring varieties had more grains per spike in environments with high minimum temperatures and thermal time before heading. The number of grains per spike was the yield component that most closely followed the pattern of adaptation observed for grain yield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are a good source of useful alleles for climate change adaptation. Here, 19 durum wheat, 24 barley, and 24 lentil elites incorporating CWR in their pedigrees were yield tested against commercial checks across 19 environments located in Morocco, Ethiopia, Lebanon, and Senegal. For each crop, the combined analysis of variance showed that genotype (G), environment (E), and genotype x environment (G×E) effects were significant for most of the traits. A selection index combining yield potential (G) and yield stability (G×E) was used to identify six CWR-derived elites for each crop matching or superior to the best check. A regression analysis using a climate matrix revealed that grain yield was mostly influenced by the maximum daily temperature and soil moisture level during the growing stages. These climatic factors were used to define five clusters (i.e., E1 to E5) of mega-environments. The CWR-derived elites significantly outperformed the checks in E1, E2, and E4 for durum wheat, and in E2 for both barley and lentil. The germplasm was also assessed for several food transformation characteristics. For durum wheat, one accession (Zeina) originating from T. araraticum was significantly superior in mixograph score to the best check, and three accessions originating from T. araraticum and T. urartu were superior for Zn concentration. For barley, 21 accessions originating from H. spontaneum were superior to the checks for protein content, six for Zn content, and eight for β-glucan. For lentil, ten accessions originating from Lens orientalis were superior to the check for protein content, five for Zn, and ten for Fe concentration. Hence, the results presented here strongly support the use of CWR in breeding programs of these three dryland crops, both for adaptation to climatic stresses and for value addition for food transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flowering time is a critical stage for crop development as it regulates the ability of plants to adapt to an environment. To understand the genetic control of flowering time, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify the genomic regions associated with the control of this trait in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.). A total of 96 landraces and 288 modern lines were evaluated for days to heading, growing degree days, and accumulated day length at flowering across 13 environments spread across Morocco, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Senegal. These environments were grouped into four pheno-environments based on temperature, day length, and other climatic variables. Genotyping with a 35K Axiom array generated 7652 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in addition to 3 KASP markers associated with known flowering genes. In total, 32 significant QTLs were identified in both landraces and modern lines. Some QTLs had a strong association with already known regulatory photoperiod genes, Ppd-A and Ppd-B, and vernalization genes Vrn-A1 and VrnA7. However, these loci explained only 5% to 20% of variance for days to heading. Seven QTLs overlapped between the two germplasm groups in which Q.ICD.Eps-03 and Q.ICD.Vrn-15 consistently affected flowering time in all the pheno-environments, while Q.ICD.Eps-09 and Q.ICD.Ppd-10 were significant only in two pheno-environments and the combined analysis across all environments. These results help clarify the genetic mechanism controlling flowering time in durum wheat and show some clear distinctions to what is known for common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entre los profesionales sanitarios de la Edad Moderna, los médicos constituyeron un grupo socioprofesional singular dada su obligatoria formación universitaria. Con el propósito de contribuir al estudio social de la medicina de aquella época, el presente trabajo da cuenta del número de médicos que obtuvo su grado de Bachiller o Doctor en la Universidad de Orihuela a lo largo del siglo XVIII. También aporta datos sobre su procedencia geográfica y comprende una relación nominal de ellos con sus respectivas fechas de graduación.

Roots are crucial for adaptation to drought stress. However, phenotyping root systems is a difficult and time-consuming task due to the special feature of the traits in the process of being analyzed. Correlations between root system architecture (RSA) at the early stages of development and in adult plants have been reported. In this study, the seminal RSA was analysed on a collection of 160 durum wheat landraces from 21 Mediterranean countries and 18 modern cultivars. The landraces showed large variability in RSA, and differences in root traits were found between previously identified genetic subpopulations. Landraces from the eastern Mediterranean region, which is the driest and warmest within the Mediterranean Basin, showed the largest seminal root size in terms of root length, surface, and volume and the widest root angle, whereas landraces from eastern Balkan countries showed the lowest values. Correlations were found between RSA and yield-related traits in a very dry environment. The identification of molecular markers linked to the traits of interest detected 233 marker-trait associations for 10 RSA traits and grouped them in 82 genome regions named marker-train association quantitative trait loci (MTA-QTLs). Our results support the use of ancient local germplasm to widen the genetic background for root traits in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: In patients with severe, necrotizing pancreatitis, it is common to administer early, broad-spectrum antibiotics, often a carbapenem, in the hope of reducing the incidence of pancreatic and peripancreatic infections, although the benefits of doing so have not been proved., Methods: A multicenter, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study set in 32 centers within North America and Europe., Participants: One hundred patients with clinically severe, confirmed necrotizing pancreatitis: 50 received meropenem and 50 received placebo., Interventions: Meropenem (1 g intravenously every 8 hours) or placebo within 5 days of the onset of symptoms for 7 to 21 days., Main Outcome Measures: Primary endpoint: development of pancreatic or peripancreatic infection within 42 days following randomization. Other endpoints: time between onset of pancreatitis and the development of pancreatic or peripancreatic infection; all-cause mortality; requirement for surgical intervention; development of nonpancreatic infections within 42 days following randomization., Results: Pancreatic or peripancreatic infections developed in 18% (9 of 50) of patients in the meropenem group compared with 12% (6 of 50) in the placebo group (P = 0.401). Overall mortality rate was 20% (10 of 50) in the meropenem group and 18% (9 of 50) in the placebo group (P = 0.799). Surgical intervention was required in 26% (13 of 50) and 20% (10 of 50) of the meropenem and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.476)., Conclusions: This study demonstrated no statistically significant difference between the treatment groups for pancreatic or peripancreatic infection, mortality, or requirement for surgical intervention, and did not support early prophylactic antimicrobial use in patients with severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis.