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In Rio Grande do Sul, the main rice producer State in Brazil, low temperatures can occur during germination and seedling establishment, and in some cases, during the reproductive stage. When low temperatures occur in the early developmental stages cause delay in germination, resulting in a non-homogeneous growing. In reproductive stage, low temperatures cause spikelet sterility, directly interfering with plant yield. Researchers have shown that some phenolic compounds such as proanthocyanidins and anthocyanin are associated with low temperature tolerance in plants due to their antioxidant capacity. The red and black color in the seeds of some rice genotypes is conferred by the phenolic compounds proanthocyanidins and anthocyanin, respectively. Therefore, tis study aimed to verify whether rice genotypes with red or black seeds are more tolerant to low temperatures during germination. In this study, five rice genotypes were tested, two present seeds without pigmentation and with contrasting response to low temperature tolerance (BRS Bojuru - tolerant and BRS Pampeira - sensitive), two genotypes with red seeds (BRS 902, SCS 119 Rubi) and one black seed genotype (SCS 120 Ônix). As expected, the genotypes with pigmented seeds had a greater total phenolic compounds content. However, under low temperature conditions, the genotypes with pigmented seed showed a similar response to the sensitive genotype. Therefore, the presence of proanthocyanidins and anthocyanin in the seed of the studied genotypes does not provide tolerance to low temperatures during germination.

Rice production (Oryza sativa L.) is among the most economically important activities in the world. However, soil and salinity coming from irrigation water reduce rice yield. Therefore, the identification and/or development of salt-tolerant rice genotypes is a strategy to minimize this problem. The development of new genotypes depends on the presence of genetic diversity, and understanding the heritability of a desired trait can help in the selection process. Thus, this study aimed to identify superior genotypes, analyze the genetic diversity and estimate the heritability for salinity tolerance at the seedling stage in rice genotypes used in Brazil. For this, seedlings of 69 genotypes were kept in hydroponic solution with 40 mM NaCl (4 dSm-1) for seven days. Shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight, and root dry weight) were evaluated and the results were converted into relative performance. Tolerant and moderately salt-tolerant genotypes were identified at the seedling stage, which can be used in breeding programs and can be cultivated in high salinity areas. Principal component analysis showed the presence of genetic diversity for salinity response. Finally, it was shown that most of the observed variation is of genetic origin, which can make the breeding process less difficult.

Wheat is a staple food for a large part of the world's population and faces a continuous demand for increased productivity. The presence of genetic variability allows the success in developing cultivars with higher yield. The understanding of the genetic variability available is crucial for their effective use in breeding programs. Inheritance of wheat yield components is complex, due to polygenic control and the strong influence of the environment. Therefore, an accurate heritability estimation can accelerate the selection gains towards increasing wheat yield. Thus, this study aimed to characterize agronomic traits related to yield in a collection of 99 wheat accessions used in Brazil. In addition, the heritability of these traits was estimated. The studied accessions showed variability for yield, which can be explained by the presence of variability in most yield components. Cluster analysis showed that there is variability in wheat genotypes, however, the introduction of new sources of variability in crossing blocks or the induction of mutations is suggested. The broad-sense heritability for grain yield was considered high, as well as for most of the studied agronomic traits, suggesting that it is possible to obtain genetic gain with selection in this environment. However, for greater accuracy, genetic gain values should be estimated and considered when designing selection strategies. Hectoliter weight showed low heritability, demonstrating the complexity of selection for this trait. In summary, this study demonstrates the presence of genetic variability and high heritability for agronomic traits, enabling genetic gain in breeding programs using these wheat accessions.

Genes of tolerance for herbicide has become one of the options more used in world level for the weed control. This study had as objective to evaluated crosses between tolerant irrigated rice plants and sensitive to herbicides of the imidazolinone chemical group, through the evaluation of F2 populations. Five genotypes of irrigated rice were crossed. Three of these parents are sensitive to the herbicide: BRS Querencia, BRS Fronteira and BRS Pampa and two genotypes, BRS Sinuelo CL and Puita INTA CL, tolerant to the herbicide. F1 seeds were obtained in greenhouse, and generation advance was performed in Embrapa Rice and Beans, resulting in the F2 population. F2 plants in the stage V4 received herbicide applications of (Only®) at a dose of 75 and 25 g a.i. L−1, and Dash® in dose of 0.5% v/v. A second application was performed after one week. The degree of phytotoxicity was scored as dead leaves and phytotoxicity intensity, percent survival of leaves and the relative growth. The results showed that the F2 hybrids, resulting of the crosses between the cultivars carriers of the gene of herbicide tolerance of the imidazolinone (Only®) class and conventional irrigated rice cultivars, are viable, thus enabling the establishment of herbicide-tolerant irrigated rice populations, with greater capacity to fight the red rice and with characteristics of agronomic interest. F2 progenies descending from crosses with the cultivar Puita INTA CL presented more tolerance when compared with progenies descending from crosses with the cultivar BRS Sinuelo CL.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the cereal most produced in the world, due to its wide scope and utilization in human and animal diet. This study aims to evaluate the agronomic performance of intervarietal maize hybrids, as well as the linear associations, interrelations of cause and effect, and the genotypes dispersion through canonical variates. The experiment was conducted in the agricultural year of 2014/2015. The crosses that originated the hybrids were carried out on the growing season of 2013/2014 and hybrids evaluated on 2014/2015. The hybrids were arranged in randomized blocks, being 13 treatments with five repetitions. The measured characters were: plant height, spike insertion height, stem diameter, spike diameter, spike length, spike mass, number of rows of grains per spike, number of grains per row, cob diameter, cob mass, spike grains mass, mass of a thousand grains, grain length and grain yield. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and mean values compared by the Tukey test at 5% of probability. The Pearson’s linear correlation analysis and path analysis were performed using grain yield as a dependent character. Furthermore, the analysis of canonical variables was carried out. The hybrid H5: G3 X G4 revealed higher grain yield, spike grains mass, number of grains per row and spike diameter. Grain yield of intervarietal hybrids presented positive correlations with the traits such as stem diameter, spike diameter, spike length, number of grains per row, mass of a thousand grains, grain length and spike grains mass. Spike diameter and spike length presented higher direct effects on grain yield of intervarietal hybrids. The canonical variates revealed the formation of five phenotypically distinct groups of intervarietal hybrids.

The morphological characterization allows one to estimate and evaluate the genetic distance among different varieties, identifying heterotrophic groups by means of clustering methods. The objectives of the study were to characterize improved open-pollinated varieties (VPAs) and maize landraces based on the main quantitative agronomic traits and to estimate the variability and similarity between them. Sixteen maize varieties from the southern region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil were evaluated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance. For the characterization, the Tukey averages comparison test was performed. The similarity among the varieties was tested using the Tocher optimization method. The differences detected indicate the presence of genetic variability among the studied varieties. According to the Tocher grouping, it was found that some populations have the potential to be selected as parents in breeding programs, maximizing the variability obtained from their crosses. For certain traits, maize landraces do not differ from improved varieties and show high similarity.

The objective of this work was to analyze components of variances and heritabilities, estimate selection gain, and evaluate the different selection pressures for physical quality attributes of grains of families of segregating generations of irrigated rice (Oryza sativa), through the REML/BLUP methodology. The experiment was conducted in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where selections were made in the F3, F4, and F5 segregating generations, in the 2015/2016, 2016/2017, and 2017/2018 crop seasons, in eight segregating populations (families) from different crosses. Intrinsic physical quality attributes, genetic parameters, and response to selection were evaluated using different selection pressures. The obtained estimates showed genetic gains for the characters related to grain quality, mainly for total chalky area, vitreous whiteness, total whiteness, ratio between vitreous whiteness and total whiteness, and percentage of whole grains and broken grains, in selections in early generations. The used families show satisfactory results, being superior to the control cultivars. For most characters, the estimates of broad-sense heritability are considered intermediate, together with the other parameters, showing the possibility of genetic selection for grain quality attributes. The response to selection with a pressure of 10% is very promising for rice grain quality attributes. Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar componentes de variâncias e herdabilidades, estimar o ganho de seleção e avaliar as diferentes pressões de seleção para atributos físicos de qualidade de grãos de famílias de gerações segregantes de arroz (Oryza sativa) irrigado, por meio da metodologia REML/BLUP. O experimento foi conduzido no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, onde foram realizadas seleções nas gerações segregantes F3, F4 e F5, nas safras 2015/2016, 2016/2017 e 2017/2018, em oito populações segregantes (famílias) oriundas de diferentes cruzamentos. Foram avaliados atributos físicos de qualidade intrínsecos, parâmetros genéticos e resposta à seleção, tendo-se utilizado diferentes pressões de seleção. Foram obtidas estimativas que apresentaram ganhos genéticos para os caracteres de qualidade dos grãos, principalmente para área calcárea total, alvura vítrea, alvura total, relação entre alvura vítrea e alvura total, e percentual de grãos inteiros e quebrados, em seleções nas primeiras gerações. As famílias utilizadas apresentam resultados satisfatórios, sendo superiores às cultivares-controle. Para a maioria dos caracteres, as estimativas de herdabilidade em sentido amplo são consideradas intermediárias, junto com os demais parâmetros, o que mostra a possibilidade de seleção genética para os atributos de qualidade do grão. A resposta à seleção com pressão de 10% é muito promissora para os atributos de qualidade de grãos de arroz.

The main aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic correlation of yield component traits using several environmental stratifications methods. We also aimed to propose cause and effect of relationships for grain yield components in soybean genotypes under several environmental conditions. The tests were conducted in the agricultural year of 2013/2014 in four growing sites in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The experimental arrangement was randomized blocks in factorial scheme (11 x 4), consisting eleven soybean genotypes in four environments with four repetitions each. All the growing environments Tapera-RS, Derrubadas-RS and Frederico Westphalen-RS were classified as favorable for soybean cultivation. The traits such as total number of pods per plant, number of branches and number of pods with 2-3 grains showed significant linear correlations with grain yield in both methods of analysis. The path analysis was applied under favorable and unfavorable environments to accurately estimate the direct and indirect effect of traits on soybean grain yield. The mass of a thousand grains and plant height were highly associated with grain yield but mostly influenced by environmental effects. The total number of pods should be prioritized for selecting superior soybean genotypes due to its direct and indirect effects on grain yield. It has shown constant in all environmental conditions. The direct effects of number of branches and number of pods (with one grain) presented distinct effects on yield in favorable and unfavorable environments.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the consistency of the methods of Annicchiarico, Lin & Binns, Wricke, and factor analysis in identifying eucalyptus clones with stability, adaptability, and high productive potential. Eight-four clones, with three years of age, from the genetic breeding program of the company CMPC Celulose Riograndense were used. Three field experiments were carried out in a randomized complete block design, in an 84x3 factorial arragement, with 20 replicates of one plant per plot. The clones were evaluated as to diameter at breast height, plant height, and volume of wood. The methods of Annicchiarico and Lin & Binns are highly correlated with each other, and their use together with the method of Wricke is a sound strategy for the evaluation of eucalyptus clones. The factor analysis identified broadly adaptable clones, and some of them were the same ones identified by the methods of Annicchiarico and Lin & Binns. The use of the mean classification of the clones, along with the factor analysis, is efficient to identify the most adapted, stable, and productive ones among a high number of genotypes. Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a consistência dos métodos de Annicchiarico, Lin & Binns, Wricke e de análise fatorial na identificação de clones de eucalipto com estabilidade, adaptabilidade e alto potencial produtivo. Foram utilizados 84 clones, com três anos de idade, provenientes do programa de melhoramento genético da empresa CMPC Celulose Riograndense. Três experimentos de campo foram realizados em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 84x3, com 20 repetições de uma planta por parcela. Os clones foram avaliados quanto a diâmetro à altura do peito, altura da planta e volume de madeira. Os métodos de Annicchiarico e Lin & Binns são altamente correlacionados entre si, e seu uso em conjunto com o método de Wricke é uma estratégia apropriada para avaliação de clones de eucalipto. A análise fatorial identificou clones amplamente adaptáveis, e alguns deles foram os mesmos identificados pelos métodos de Annicchiarico e Lin & Binns. O uso da classificação média dos clones, juntamente com a análise fatorial, é eficiente para identificar os mais adaptados, estáveis e produtivos, entre um elevado número de genótipos.

The stay-green character has been related to greater stress tolerance and yield through longer activity of the photosynthetic apparatus. Association of this character with grain yield may be linked to a network of features other than the grain mass. This study aimed to shed light on the actual contribution of stay-green character in Brazilian wheats and the associations between grain yield components in different environmental conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with three replications in the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. Sibling lines with and without the stay-green character were evaluated analyzing the phenotypic correlation and path analysis separately by year and maturity group. Under favorable growing conditions, the contribution of stay-green character in wheat is obtained by the increased ear fertility and number of grains. In a more restrictive scenario, it favors an increase in grain mass by longer filling time at the end of the cycle. RESUMO: O caráter stay-green tem sido relacionado à maior tolerância a estresses e a produtividade pela manutenção mais prolongada do aparato fotossintético. A relação deste caráter com a produtividade de grãos talvez esteja associada a uma rede de características que não somente a massa de grãos. O objetivo do estudo é trazer à luz a real contribuição do caráter stay-green em trigos brasileiros, na relação entre os caracteres definidores da produtividade de grãos, em diferentes condições de ambiente. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados com três repetições, nos anos de 2003, 2004 e 2005. Foram avaliadas linhagens-irmãs com presença e ausência do caráter stay-green, analisando a correlação fenotípica e trilha separadamente por ano e grupo de maturação. Em condições favoráveis de cultivo, a contribuição do caráter stay-green em trigo se dá pelo aumento da fertilidade de espiga, incrementando o número de grãos. Num cenário mais restritivo, favorece a massa de grãos pelo maior tempo de enchimento no final do ciclo.

To obtain superior genotypes, the use of natural genetic variability is essential, aiming to select parents that will make future crossings blocks. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the genetic variability and dissimilarity using multivariate analyzes in common black bean accessions native to southern Brazil. The experiment was conducted in the 2014/2015 in Frederico Westphalen – RS. The experimental design was augmented blocks (RCBD) with four repetitions (totally 149 treatments), in which 147 black common bean accessions were evaluated. Two commercial cultivars were used as witnesses: BRS Esplendor and BRS Supremo. The phenotypic traits such as days to flowering, plant height at flowering, days to maturity, plant height at maturity, insertion of the first pod, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, mass of seeds per pod, number of branches, mass of seeds per plant, seed length, seed width, seed flattening, seed brightness, presence of halo, color of the halo were measured. The distributions of phenotypic frequencies indicate genetic variability among the 149 genotypes of common black bean. The Tocher optimization method presents the formation of eight groups of genotypes. The dendrogram formed by the standardized Euclidean distance was efficient in the stratification of the accessions for their genetic distance. The relative contribution evaluated by Singh method shows that the characters days to flowering and seed brightness are those that best discriminate the genotypes. The multivariate techniques of Tocher optimization and the standardized Euclidean distance show similar responses, proving to be viable tools for the choice of parents in a breeding program.

The aim of this study was to determine the phenotypic adaptability and stability of the soybeans grown in different environments of Rio Grande do Sul through bissegmented regression analysis, factor analysis and AMMI. The experiment was held in 2013/2014 season in a randomized block design factorial (six environments cultivation × 20 genotypes of soybean), arranged in three replications. The results showed that methods of adaptability and stability have similar responses to the rank of environments. The Tenente Portela - RS, Arroio Grande - RS lowland and coxilha were favorable environments, while Santa Rosa - RS and Campos Borges -RS have been recognized unfavorable for soybean genotypes. Differential responses were obtained for the Sarandi - RS environment, where the factor analysis and regression bissegmented revealed that this is a favorable environment, while the method AMMI indicated negative scores and unfavorable. Genotypes TMG 7161 RR and NA5909 RR were indicated as high productivity and recommended for favorable environments for both methods. To reconcile bissegmented regression, factor analysis and AMMI accurately predicted the best genotypes and environments for soybean.

The chemical analysis of market-available white oat cultivars allows for their optimized use for processing, consumption, and in blocks of crosses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the per...

The growing demand for fossil-based energy sources has increased oil pollution worldwide. Oil pollution is harmful because 75% of its components are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are molecules known to present carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects. Mangrove areas are commonly affected by petroleum accidents, making these ecosystems particularly sensitive to oil pollution. In order to elucidate the molecular response of a petroleum mixture on plants, the global gene expression analysis of 10-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana exposed to the water soluble fraction of the marine fuel MF380 (WSF-MF380) was evaluated by a 24 h time-course microarray. The microarray results revealed that 340 genes were modulated by WSF-MF380 stress; these genes were distributed in 12 clusters according to their expression profile. Different classes of biological processes were overrepresented, such as the response to heat, hypoxia, oxidative and osmotic stresses. The expression pattern of five transcription factors and 16 possible targets with enriched cis-regulatory elements was further investigated by qPCR at three selected time-points, revealing that the expression of selected target genes are in accordance with the expression profile of their possible regulator. We further demonstrate that WSF-MF380 stress gives rise to a high induction of genes at the initial time-point t2 h, indicating a rapid molecular response in plants. At t2 h, many HSP genes were induced, showing a similar expression profile in WSF-MF380 and heat stresses. In contrast to the initial induction, many iron deficiency genes, such as bHLH38, bHLH39, bHLH100 and bHLH101, were down regulated from t3 h to t24 h, with no GUS activity observed in the roots of pbHLH38:GUS transgenic A. thaliana after 16 h of exposure. Taken together, these analyses demonstrate that WSF-MF380 exposure seems to encompass a general response to abiotic stresses in plants, which could be an evidence of the complex chemical composition of the oil.

Looking at the new demands of the global agricultural scenario, the search for more productive, efficient and stress adapted genotypes has attracted attention of plant breeders regarding plants with improved physiological characteristics. Therefore, the stay-green trait has taken proeminence as an important strategy to overcome the current yield plateaus allied with yield adaptability and stability. This review has aimed to bring light the main aspects of the stay-green character, showing their employment potential of plant breeding.

This study evaluated the metabolism of proline in rice based on the expression pattern of genes involved in biosynthesis and catabolism of amino acid and determined the correlation with the proline content produced under stress. In stage V4, genotypes with a differentiated response to salinity and low-temperature stresses were exposed separately to two test conditions: 150 mM NaCl and 13 °C. Proline increased in both genotypes and stresses. The expression of P5CS1 was increased in both genotypes and conditions, while P5CS2 was responsive in the sensitive genotype under salinity. High correlations between proline content/P5CS1, proline content/P5CS2, P5CS1/P5CR, and P5CS2/P5CR were observed for the tolerant genotype under salt stress. The correlation between proline content/PDH was 0.42 and −0.13 (tolerant genotype) and −0.54 and 0.15 (sensitive genotype) under salinity and cold, respectively. P5CDH was positively correlated with proline content under salinity for both genotypes. Under salt stress, there was a positive correlation between proline content/OAT in the tolerant genotype. It was concluded that the increase in proline content is greater for the tolerant genotype. Under salt stress, the levels of transcript genes are more correlated with the proline content in the tolerant genotype, while at 13 °C, the correlation of the sensitive genotype was higher.

Improvement of quality-related traits of grains is a constant concern in white oat breeding programs, which challenges breeders to understand their dynamics. The performance of different genetic combinations must be thoroughly evaluated to make high nutritional quality cultivars available. This study aimed to estimate the heterosis on F1 and F2 generations, vigor loss, due to inbreeding, and correlation between the grain chemical components to understand the dynamics of these traits, considering two segregating oat progenies. The populations Albasul × UPF 15 (population 1) and IAC 7 × UFRGS 19 (population 2) were developed. Both populations showed transgressive segregant individuals. The combination Albasul × UPF 15 provided significant heterosis for traits β-glucan total and soluble fiber contents, while the population obtained by crossing IAC 7 × UFRGS 19 generated significant gain by heterosis for total fiber, insoluble fibers and non-structural carbohydrate contents. Considering the F2 average for each population, one can observe that population 1 presents higher β-glucan and lipid contents than population 2. On the other hand, population 2 has higher protein content than population 1. In both populations, the non-structural carbohydrate content is strongly and negatively correlated whith protein, total and insoluble fibers. Correlations between total fibers and lipids and between total fibers and insoluble fibers were both positive and high in both populations.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important species for food production worldwide, besides being an excellent genetic model among the grasses. Cold is one of the major abiotic factors reducing rice yield, primarily affecting germination and reproduction phases. Currently, the RNAseq technique allows the identification of differential expressed genes in response to a given treatment, such as cold stress. In the present work, a transcriptome (RNAseq) analysis was performed in the V3 phase for contrasting genotypes Oro (tolerant) and Tio Taka (sensitive), in response to cold (13°C). A total of 241 and 244 M readings were obtained, resulting in the alignment of 25.703 and 26.963 genes in genotypes Oro and Tio Taka respectively. The analyses revealed 259 and 5579 differential expressed genes in response to cold in the genotypes Oro and Tio Taka respectively. Ontology classes with larger changes were metabolic process ~27%, cellular process ~21%, binding ~30% and catalytic activity ~22%. In the genotype Oro, 141 unique genes were identified, 118 were common between Oro and Tio Taka and 5461 were unique to Tio Taka. Genes involved in metabolic routes of signal transduction, phytohormones, antioxidant system and biotic stress were identified. These results provide an understanding that breeding for a quantitative trait, such as cold tolerance at germination, several gene loci must be simultaneously selected. In general, few genes were identified, but it was not possible to associate only one gene function as responsible for the cultivar tolerance; since different genes from different metabolic routes were identified. The genes described in the present work will be useful for future investigations and for the detailed validation in marker assisted selection projects for cold tolerance in the germination of rice.

Abiotic stresses caused by excessive cold, iron, and salt are among the main growth and yield-limiting factors of rice. Among the metabolic processes, photosynthesis stands out for being closely related to crop yields, causing a yield decline by reduced photosynthetic capacity in plants under abiotic stresses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differential expression of chloroplast genes involved in photosynthesis by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantify gas exchanges in leaves of rice plants exposed to cold, iron, and salt stress for 24 h. Of all genes expressed in each stress, cold had the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to light and chloroplast reactions, with 535 mostly down-regulated genes. Salt and iron stress was associated with 309 and 115 genes, respectively, involved in light reactions and chloroplast. The three stresses had transcripts with GOs related to light reactions, all with more than ten different GO terms. With regard to chloroplast, cold and salt stress had 12 terms of GO, and iron stress has 9 terms of GO. For gas exchange, only the parameter net assimilation rate differed significantly between stresses, with the lowest mean under cold stress. The results showed that cold stress affects photosynthesis most drastically, both at the molecular and the physiological level, and despite decreases in the net assimilation rate, changes under iron and salt stress were minor, which may be related to the tolerance of cultivar BRS Querencia.

Abiotic and biotic stress conditions cause extensive losses to maize production, mainly due to protein dysfunction in these conditions. In higher plants, the occurrence of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) in response to different environmental stresses is a universal phenomenon and has been well documented. Many studies have demonstrated that most HSPs are involved in many regulatory pathways, act as molecular chaperones for other cell proteins, and have strong cytoprotective effects. Although many functional roles for HSPs are known, the mechanisms for these multiple functions are not entirely understood. Here we reviewed the correlation among HSP genes/proteins and plant tolerance, especially maize, in different environmental stresses. Due to the low availability of information regarding the expression of HSP genes in response to different stresses in maize, we decided to mine databases in order to generate new insights related to this topic.

Standard white oat genotypes were subjected to different methods and aluminum (Al) levels under hydroponic conditions to verify the relationship between plantlet characteristics and their Al tolerance using multivariate analyses. A completely randomized design with three replications was used, adopting three evaluation protocols: “complete nutrient solution” with 0, 8, 16, and 32 mg L−1 of Al supplied as aluminum sulfate [Al2(SO4)3·18H2O]; “complete nutrient solution” with 0, 8, 16 and 32 mg L−1 of Al supplied as aluminum chloride (Al2Cl3•6H2O); and the “minimum nutrient solution” with 0, 1, 3, and 5 mg L−1 of Al supplied as Al2Cl3•6H2O. The performance of white oat plantlet genotypes subjected to excess Al in hydroponic conditions is greatly associated with root length, where the nutrient solution composition and the Al sources interfere in these associations. The study based on the joint analysis of characteristics at plantlet level does not allow an efficient discrimination of Al-tolerant and Al-sensit...

The goal of this work was to evaluate the response of 25 rice genotypes to the toxic effect of acetate, which is commonly produced in low‐drainage and organic‐matter‐rich soils. The work was performed in hydroponics with four acetate doses. The experimental design was random blocks with three replications on a factorial scheme. The variables root (RL) and shoot (SL) length, number of roots (NR), and root (RDM) and shoot (SDM) dry matter were measured. Analyses of variance, relative performance, and regression adjustments were used. Only the dose × genotype interaction effect for SL, NR, and SDM were not significant. Among the variables analyzed, RL was influenced the most by the acetate treatments. The regressions established for this variable revealed 6 tolerant and 19 sensitive genotypes. Most of the tolerant genotypes were irrigated japonica.

O sucesso na obtenção de altas produtividades de soja depende da utilização de sementes de qualidade. Muitos problemas que comprometem a qualidade fisiológica das sementes podem ser relacionados às características do tegumento. Inúmeros trabalhos afirmam que sementes de soja com tegumento semipermeável à água apresentam maior tolerância a patógenos e pragas, menor susceptibilidade aos danos mecânicos, às adversidades climáticas e à deterioração por umidade. A inclusão das características de tegumento semipermeável nas cultivares atuais pode minimizar problemas relacionados à qualidade de sementes. Neste contexto, aliar as técnicas da biologia molecular com a bioinformática é uma importante estratégia para identificação dos genes envolvidos com o tegumento e com a fisiologia de sementes. O objetivo desse trabalho foi descrever e avaliar uma estratégia de utilização de ferramentas da bioinformática, para a integração in silico de informações de experimentos in vitro de marcadores moleculares, contra dados armazenados em bancos de dados genômicos e prever pela descrição funcional se estes marcadores podem estar associados a diferentes características do tegumento da soja. Foram utilizados 24 conjuntos de primers microssatélites, avaliados anteriormente e que amplificaram fragmentos polimórficos entre os genótipos de soja CD-202 (tegumento amarelo, permeável e susceptível à deterioração) e uma linhagem TP (tegumento preto, semipermeável e resistente a deterioração). Os resultados desta análise indicam como promissor o uso destes marcadores para estudos relacionados ao tegumento e à qualidade de sementes de soja. A estratégia da mineração de marcadores moleculares a partir da integração in silico de sequências de marcadores moleculares ainda anônimos, bancos de dados genômicos e bancos contendo seqüências com descrições funcionais dos genes demonstra ser promissora, pois, possibilita prever as funções para estes genes e verificar a associação destes com rotas bioquímicas e metabólicas responsáveis pelas características que se deseja analisar em rotinas in vitro. Success in obtaining high soybean productivities depends on the use of high. quality seed. Many problems that damage the seed physiological quality can be related to the seed coat traits. Several studies state the existence of soybean seeds with a semi-permeable coat, which are more resistant to water penetration and less susceptible to mechanical damage, climatic adversities and moisture deterioration. The inclusion of the traits for semi-permeable coat in modern cultivars could minimize problems related to seed quality. In this context, molecular biology techniques in association with bioinformatics are an important alternative to identify genes involved in soybean seed coat and physiological quality. The objective of this study was to describe and to evaluate a strategy using bioinformatics tools, to integrate in silico information with in vitro experiments of molecular markers against data available in genomic databases, and provide information as to whether these markers could be associated with different soybean seed coat traits. Twenty four microssatelite primer sets previously tested and which amplified polymorphic fragments between soybean genotypes CD-202 (yellow seed coat, permeable and susceptible to deterioration) and TP (black seed coat, semi-permeable and resistant to deterioration) were used. The results indicated as promising the use of these molecular markers for studies related to soybean seed coat and quality. The strategy of molecular markers mining from in silico integration of yet anonymous molecular marker sequences and database containing gene sequences with functional descriptions, seems to be promising, as it allowed to predict the functions of these genes and to verify their association with metabolic and biochemical pathways involved in characteristics which are interesting to in vitro analyzes.

The objective of this work was to characterize the performance of elite wheat genotypes from different Brazilian breeding programs for traits associated with grain yield and preharvest sprouting. The study was conducted in 2010 and 2011 in the municipality of Capão do Leão, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Thirty-three wheat genotypes were evaluated for traits related to preharvest sprouting and grain yield. The estimate of genetic distance was used to predict potential combinations for selection of plants with high grain yield and tolerance to preharvest sprouting. The combined analysis of sprouted grains and falling number shows that the TBIO Alvorada, TBIO Mestre, Frontana, Fundacep Raízes, Fundacep Cristalino, and BRS Guamirim genotypes are tolerant to preharvest sprouting. Combinations of TBIO Alvorada and TBIO Mestre with Fundacep Cristalino show high potential for recovering superior genotypes for high grain yield and tolerance to preharvest sprouting. Resumo:O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar o desempenho de genótipos elite de trigo de diferentes programas de melhoramento do Brasil, para caracteres associados à produtividade de grãos e à germinação na pré-colheita. O estudo foi conduzido em 2010 e 2011 no Município de Capão do Leão, RS, em delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. Foram avaliados 33 genótipos de trigo quanto aos caracteres relacionados à germinação em pré-colheita e ao rendimento de grãos. A estimativa da distância genética foi utilizada para predizer combinações potenciais na seleção de plantas com alta produtividade de grãos e tolerância à germinação na pré-colheita. A análise combinada de grãos germinados e número de queda mostra que os genótipos TBIO Alvorada, TBIO Mestre, Frontana, Fundacep Raízes, Fundacep Cristalino e BRS Guamirim apresentam tolerância à germinação em pré-colheita. As combinações de TBIO Alvorada e TBIO Mestre com Fundacep Cristalino mostram alto potencial na recuperação de genótipos superiores para elevada produtividade de grãos e tolerância à germinação em pré-colheita.

Stresses can cause large yield reductions in cultivated plants. The response to these stresses occurs via a plethora of signalling pathways, where a large number of genes is induced or repressed. Among the environmental stress responsive genes, there are the members of the ethylene response factors (ERF) gene family. The mRNA levels of different ERF are regulated by many hormones and molecules produced under different stress conditions. In this study, with the goal of identifying the response of rice ERF genes to environmental stress, it was analysed the transcriptional expression profile of 114 of these genes under stress by anoxia, salt and Magnaporthe grisea. Also, aiming to characterize how the regulation of ERF genes occurs, the amount of known cis regulatory elements in the promoter region of these genes and their association with the expression profiles under the tested conditions were also assessed. The results indicate that some ERF members present the same specific expression profiles under different environmental stresses, while others do not. Within the ERF family, the regulation of gene expression is complex for some genes which have many cis elements in their promoters, but simple for others, demonstrating high levels of divergence among them. The findings demonstrate the importance of the study of each ERF separately, since it is not possible to establish general rules for regulation and probably for the function of these genes.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o desempenho per se e os parâmetros genéticos de caracteres de interesse, em linhagens de trigo que expressam ou não o caráter "stay‑green". O experimento foi conduzido em 2003, 2004 e 2005, em delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. Foram avaliadas 32 linhagens irmãs de trigo, 15 com e 17 sem o caráter "stay‑green". As linhagens portadoras desse caráter apresentaram maior produtividade de grãos, maior número de grãos por espiga e menor massa de mil grãos. Além disso, as herdabilidades da produtividade e da massa de grãos foram maiores nessas linhagens, o que revelou menor influência de variações ambientais sobre a expressão desses caracteres. O caráter "stay‑green" contribui para o aumento da produtividade e da estabilidade produtiva do trigo.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a climacteric fruit, i.e., during ripening an increase in ethylene synthesis and high rate of respiration are observed. Low oxygen levels might inhibit or block ethylene biosynthesis and therefore retard the ripening process. Despite commercial applications of low oxygen treatments, the precise mode of action of low oxygen in fruit tissues and ripening is not well understood. In order to delineate the molecular responses to low oxygen stress in fruits, hypoxia-responsive tomato genes encoding heat shock factors, heat shock proteins, and enzymes involved in fermentation and ethylene synthesis pathways were analyzed. In this study, tomato fruit stored under hypoxia conditions showed that HSP17.7 and HSP21 genes were highly induced by low oxygen level, indicating their primary role in maintaining cellular homeostasis after this stress.

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a germinação de 12 genótipos de arroz submetidos ao estresse por ácido acético, composto fitotóxico produzido em solos com drenagem deficiente e alto teor de matéria orgânica. Foram realizados os testes de primeira contagem da germinação (PCG) e germinação (G) dos genótipos submetidos às concentrações de 0mM, 4mM, 8mM e 12mM de ácido acético. As sementes de cada genótipo foram colocadas em papel germitest, os quais foram embebidos com as soluções-tratamento e acondicionados em sacos individuais. A germinação foi executada em câmara a 25°C e as contagens realizadas aos sete (PCG) e aos 14 dias (G). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi fatorial inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições de 50 sementes por genótipo. As regressões estabelecidas para as variáveis revelaram três genótipos com estabilidade de germinação frente ao estresse por ácido acético. The objective of this research was to evaluate the germination of 12 rice genotypes under acetic acid stress, a phytotoxic compound produced in low drainage soils with high organic matter content. The tests were conducted with the first count of germination (PCG) and germination (G) of the genotypes subjected to 0mM, 4mM, 8mM and 12mM acetic acid concentrations. The seed of each genotype was placed in germitest paper that was embedded with treatment solutions and packaged in individual bags. The germination was performed at 25°C and the counts were carried out at 7 (PCG) and 14 days (G). A factorial random block design was performed with four replications of 50 seeds per genotype. The regressions set for the variables showed three genotypes with germination stability under acetic acid stress.

A estimativa da distância genética entre cultivares pode ser útil em um programa de melhoramento para o direcionamento de hibridações e no conhecimento do germoplasma disponível. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi o de estimar a distância genética entre as constituições genéticas de trigo adaptadas para a região Sul do Brasil de modo a apontar combinações promissoras com genótipos que expressam o caráter "stay-green". Foram avaliados 37 genótipos de trigo em campo experimental e mensurados quatorze caracteres morfológicos. Os métodos de agrupamento com base nas técnicas de Tocher, MDS e UPGMA foram eficientes para discriminar a distância genética entre os genótipos testados. O direcionamento de hibridações com linhagens de trigo do tipo de maturação "stay-green", de elevado potencial de rendimento, com cultivares elite pode fornecer populações promissoras na obtenção de genótipos superiores. Estimates of genetic distance among cultivars can be useful in an improvement program for directing crosses and evaluating the available germoplasm. This work was aimed at estimating the genetic distance among the genetic constitutions of wheat adapted in the South of Brazil in order to verify promising combinations with genotypes that express the stay-green trait. 37 wheat genotypes were evaluated in experimental field and measured fourteen morphological characters. The clustering methods based on the techniques of Tocher, MDS and UPGMA were efficient to discriminate the genetic distance among the tested genotypes. Directed crosses between high yield stay-green wheat lines and elite cultivars can provide promising populations for obtaining superior genotypes.

The palm tree family (Arecaceae) is constituted by approximately 3000 species mainly distributed in the tropics and subtropics. As a source of a variety of products they contribute to the world and local economies, and also to peoples lifestyles. Historically their use has been based on wild populations, but also on local domestication. Very few species are subject of plant breeding programs and are cultivated in the world. This is the case of the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), in which investment and development consortiums invest high sums. Another kind of crop is the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), which was domesticated thousand of years ago and whose success is based in the export of a fine product with worldwide recognition. In this case the production is based on traditional varieties and has very incipient breeding programs. A third group of palms includes those species from which products are obtained and manufactured for local development. The objective of this literature review is to contribute in the analysis of opportunities and weaknesses to investing in domestication and plant breeding programs in those palm trees with a recognized productive value.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of intervarietal corn (Zea mays) hybrids with topcross crosses between landrace populations, and to confirm whether genetic dissimilarity between populations is correlated with the heterosis of the intervarietal hybrids in the field. Nine topcross hybrids were evaluated with their tester 'BRS Planalto', and the following landrace populations were used as parents: Argentino Branco, Dente de Ouro, Amarelão, Criolão, Caiano Rajado, Branco Oito Carreiras, Branco Roxo Índio, Cateto Branco, and Argentino Amarelo. The tester 'BRS Planalto' and the topcross hybrids Branco Oito Carreiras x 'BRS Planalto' and Criolão x 'BRS Planalto' showed higher per se potential for grain yield. The topcross hybrid Branco Oito Carreiras x 'BRS Planalto' showed a better performance for number of grains per row, grain weight, and ear diameter, whereas Criolão x 'BRS Planalto' displayed a better performance for the number of grains per row and ear length. Greater estimates of genetic distance did not necessarily result in greater heterosis values and were exclusively correlated with grain ear length. Therefore, it is not possible to predict the effects of high heterosis on grain yield, based on the genetic distance between the populations involved in the crosses. Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho de híbridos de milho (Zea mays) intervarietais, a partir de cruzamentos topcross entre populações crioulas, além de confirmar se a dissimilaridade genética entre as populações é correlacionada à heterose dos híbridos intervarietais no campo. Nove híbridos topcross foram avaliados com seu testador 'BRS Planalto', e as seguintes populações crioulas foram utilizadas como genitores: Argentino Branco, Dente de Ouro, Amarelão, Criolão, Caiano Rajado, Branco Oito Carreiras, Branco Roxo Índio, Cateto Branco e Argentino Amarelo. O testador 'BRS Planalto' e os híbridos topcross Branco Oito Carreiras x 'BRS Planalto' e Criolão x 'BRS Planalto' apresentaram maior potencial per se quanto ao rendimento de grãos. O topcross Branco Oito Carreiras x 'BRS Planalto' apresentou melhor desempenho quanto a número de grãos por fileira, massa de grãos da espiga e diâmetro de espiga, enquanto o Criolão x 'BRS Planalto' apresentou melhor desempenho quanto a número de grãos por fileira e comprimento de espiga. As maiores estimativas de distância genética não implicaram, necessariamente, altos valores de heterose, e tiveram correlação apenas com o comprimento da espiga. Portanto, não é possível predizer os efeitos de alta heterose sobre o rendimento de grãos, com base na distância genética entre as populações envolvidas nos cruzamentos.