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Clubroot caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae is a devastating disease of Cruciferous crops. Developing cultivars with clubroot resistance (CR) is the most effective control measure. For the two major Brassica vegetable species B. rapa and B. oleracea, several commercial cultivars with unclear CR pedigrees have been intensively used as CR donors in breeding. However, the continuous occurrence of CR-breaking makes the CR pedigree underlying these cultivars one of the breeders' most urgent concerns. The complex intraspecific diversity of these two major Brassica vegetables has also limited the applicability of CR markers in different breeding programs. Here we first traced the pedigree underlying two kinds of CR that have been widely applied in breeding by linkage and introgression analyses based on public resequencing data. In B. rapa, a major locus CRzi8 underlying the CR of the commercial CR donor 'DegaoCR117' was identified. CRzi8 was further shown to have been introgressed from turnip (B. rapa ssp. rapifera) and that it carried a potential functional allele of Crr1a. The turnip introgression carried CRbc, sharing the same coding sequence with the CRb that was also identified from chromosome C07 of B. oleracea CR cultivars with different morphotypes. Within natural populations, variation analysis of linkage intervals of CRzi8, PbBa8.1, CRb, and CRbc yielded easily resolved InDel markers (> 20 bp) for these fundamental CR genes. The specificity of these markers was tested in diverse cultivars panels, and each exhibited high reliability in breeding. Our research demonstrates the value of the practice of applying resequencing big data to solve urgent concerns in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of pagoda mustard greens is currently still limited, while market demand is increasing. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the yield of pagoda mustard plants through hydroponic with optimization of nutrition and media. This study aimed to determine the plant responses to the application of AB Mix nutrient concentration and growing media types, as well as the effects of their interaction on the growth and yield of pagoda mustard greens. The research was conducted in June-July 2022 at a Screen House in Ciwidey, Bandung, at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level. The research used a factorial completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The first factor was the concentration of AB Mix nutrients 1,050; 1,150; and 1,250 ppm, and the second factor was the growing media rockwool, cocopeat, sponge, and rice husk charcoal. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and further tested using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) at the 5% level. The results showed that AB Mix nutrient with a concentration of 1,250 ppm or rockwool planting media was able to increase the growth and yield of pagoda mustard greens, but there was no interaction between the two treatment factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgreens, vegetable or herb seedlings consumed at a young growth stage, are considered to be a functional food with high concentrations of mineral nutrients and healthy beneficial bioactive compounds. The production of microgreens has been increasing in recent years. Vegetable growers are interested in growing microgreens as a new specialty crop due to their high market value, popularity, and short production cycles. However, there is a lack of research-based crop-specific recommendations for cultural practices including fertilization, pre-sowing seed treatments, and their effects on nutritional facts of microgreens. Ten microgreen species were evaluated for their shoot growth and mineral nutrient concentrations as affected by one-time post-emergence fertilization and pre-sowing seed soaking in two repeated experiments, from November 2018 to January 2019, in a greenhouse. The microgreen species varied in fresh and dry shoot weights, shoot height, visual rating, as well as macro- and micro-nutrient concentrations. Fertilization with a general-purpose soluble fertilizer (20-20-20 with micronutrients) at a rate of 100 mg•L-1 nitrogen (N) increased fresh shoot weight, and macro- and micro-nutrient concentrations in one or both experiments, with the exception of decreasing concentrations of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn). Seed soaking consistently decreased fresh or dry shoot weight and nutrient concentrations when there was a significant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The Brassica rapa hairy root based expression platform, a turnip hairy root based expression system, is able to produce human complex glycoproteins such as the alpha—L—iduronidase (IDUA) with an activity similar to the one produced by Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. In this article, a particular attention has been paid to the N‐ and O‐glycosylation that characterize the alpha‐L‐iduronidase produced using this hairy root based system. This analysis showed that the recombinant protein is characterized by highly homogeneous post translational profiles enabling a strong batch to batch reproducibility. Indeed, on each of the 6 N‐glycosylation sites of the IDUA, a single N‐glycan composed of a core Man3GlcNAc2 carrying one beta(1,2)‐xylose and one alpha(1,3)‐fucose epitope (M3XFGN2) was identified, highlighting the high homogeneity of the production system. Hydroxylation of proline residues and arabinosylation were identified during O‐glycosylation analysis, still with a remarkable reproducibility. This platform is thus positioned as an effective and consistent expression system for the production of human complex therapeutic proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among various abiotic stresses affecting the crop production, drought is the most serious constraint for global agriculture as it affects more than 75% of the world's land area. It exerts many-fold effects at whole plant level in rapeseed and mustard. Its effects on plant phenology, growth and development, physiological processes, source-sink relations and plant reproduction processes depend on the severity of drought. An understanding of the various physiological traits controlling/ regulating crop responses to drought is required to develop drought resistant varieties of rapeseed and mustard. In this review, we have attempted to amass scattered information at one platform, and suggested as to how these can be integrated towards the ultimate aim of developing drought tolerant varieties in oilseed Brassica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Oilseed rape suffers from serious waterlogging in many regions of the world limiting the cultivation area for rapeseed. Due to the man‐induced climate change, the risk of severe waterlogging events and associated therewith the damage of rapeseed plants will increase, even in Europe and North America. To investigate the effects of waterlogging on growth, yield and seed quality, rapeseed was cultivated throughout its vegetation period and waterlogged for 14 days at two different growth stages: at stem elongation (BBCH 31) or at floral bud appearance (BBCH 55). The experiments revealed that waterlogging at BBCH 31 affected plant growth and nutrient accumulation and finally resulted in lower yields. Waterlogging at BBCH 55 seriously impaired main racemes, but due to an increased production of secondary racemes, yield losses were lower than after waterlogging at BBCH 31. Oil quality was not affected by any waterlogging treatment under the chosen experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed deterioration is a serious problem in developing countries where seeds are stored in places usually without a proper control of humidity and temperature. In this investigation, an effort was made to identify crops as well as varieties of brassica spp. tolerance to ageing and predicting loss of seed viability at regular interval through standard germination under laboratory condition. Analysis of variance showed that mean squares due to crops, ageing periods and crop× ageing period were significant for % seed germination. Result revealed that standard germination declined from 95.63 to 37.54% in toria, 92 to 28.96 in yellow sarson, and 93.79 to 30.92% in mustard. Similar changes in germination % were observed at 9 and 12 months of observation. After 6 months, germination % declined from 95.13 to 35.50% in toria, 91.87 to 28% in yellow sarson and 93.33 to 29% in mustard. Analysis of variance showed significant differences for %seed germination due to varieties, ageing period and interaction of varieties × ageing periods. At varietal level AP2, AP3 and AP4 aged seed, Bhawani (82.66%, 68.16% and 28.17%) showed higher seed germination % respectively than other three varieties of toria. In case of yellowsarson and mustard least deterioration for standard germination were observed in B-9 and Kranti respectively. This study indicates that toria seeds have better storability than yeloowsarson and mustard. At varietal level good storage potential was found in Bhawani, B-9 and Krantivariety of toria, yellow sarson and mustard respectively than other three varieties of studied crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oilseed brassicas (OSB) contribute 28.6% to the total oilseed production in India, sharing 27.8% in its oilseed economy. Despite phenomenal increases in production after the launch of Technology Mission on Oilseeds, a gap of 9 million tonnes (MT) edible oils remains between current production (8 MT) and demand (17 MT). This gap could be abridged by enhancing existing OSB productivity from 1.25 t ha −1 to at least world's average (1.97 t ha −1 ). Among the various biotic stresses that OSB experience, weeds including Aesphodelus tenuifolius, Anagallis spp., Chenopodium spp., Argemone mexicana , and Orobanche aegyptica , cause yield reductions from 30% to complete crop failure. Weeds pose serious concerns for the ecosystem stability and socio-economic development of small and marginal farms, particularly in semi-arid regions. Conventional manual weeding has become impractical due to labour shortages and escalating costs. Commonly used dinitroaniline herbicides could improve economic returns, but they are not effective against a wide spectrum of weeds. Multi-tactic approaches, integrating tillage, improved crop husbandry, host-plant resistance, breeding herbicide-tolerant cultivars, innovations in farm implements, and use of broad-spectrum herbicides are vital to overpass the existing 78% technological gap for weed control in OSB producing areas of India. Integrating these different weed control methods may enhance mustard yield by 20–200%, besides improving quality and environmental sustainability. This review summarizes the advances made so far in weed management strategies, and identifies new areas of research that can make an important contribution towards realizing the production goal of 24 MT oilseeds in India by 2020 AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belowground biodiversity is essential for soil functioning, but the effect of belowground biodiversity loss on food safety is unknown. We investigated the loss of soil microbial diversity on insecticides accumulation in Brassica. We manipulated soil biodiversity using the dilution-to-extinction approach in a Brassica-soil-insecticide system, monitored microbial communities via high-throughput sequencing, and identified potential functional microbes. Compared with unsterilized soil, the richness of functional bacteria was reduced by 14.1%, 36.2%, 51.6% and 73.2%, respectively, in the corresponding sterilized soil inoculated with 1-, 10 −2 -, 10 −4 - and 10 −6 -fold diluted soil suspension. The acetamiprid and imidacloprid concentrations increased significantly in Brassica tissues grown in sterilized soil inoculated with 10 −6 -fold diluted suspension. A bacterial group predominated in functional microbes of soils inoculated with 1-, 10 −2 - or 10 −4 -fold diluted suspension, but the relative abundance declined in soil inoculated with a 10 −6 -fold diluted suspension. Our findings revealed that undesirable impacts by the loss of soil biodiversity at an intermediate level on the accumulation of soil contaminant in plants could be alleviated by microbial functional redundancy through disproportionally complementary growth of specific functional microbial taxa, but severe loss of soil biodiversity would threaten food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yield is one of the most important yet complex crop traits. To improve our understanding of the genetic basis of yield establishment, and to identify candidate genes responsible for yield improvement in Brassica napus, we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for seven yield-determining traits [main inflorescence pod number (MIPN), branch pod number (BPN), pod number per plant (PNP), seed number per pod (SPP), thousand seed weight, main inflorescence yield (MIY), and branch yield], using data from 520 diverse B. napus accessions from two different yield environments. In total, we detected 128 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 93 of which were revealed as novel by integrative analysis. A combination of GWAS and transcriptome sequencing on 21 haplotype blocks from samples pooled by four extremely high-yielding or low-yielding accessions revealed the differential expression of 14 crucial candiate genes (such as Bna.MYB83, Bna.SPL5, and Bna.ROP3) associated with multiple traits or containing multiple SNPs associated with the same trait. Functional annotation and expression pattern analyses further demonstrated that these 14 candiate genes might be important in developmental processes and biomass accumulation, thus affecting the yield establishment of B. napus. These results provide valuable information for understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying the establishment of high yield in B. napus, and lay the foundation for developing high-yielding B. napus varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the conventional and organic farming on the bio-physical, physiological and some nutritional aspects of ready-to-use ‘Riccia di San Marzano’ and ‘Cima grande ’ cima di rapa genotypes, at harvest (T 0 ) and after 7 (T 7 ) and 14 (T 14 ) days of cold storage. At harvest, the organic product had better overall appearance, higher chlorophyll and β-carotene concentrations and lower glucosinolate levels compared with the conventionally grown product. During the storage period the weight loss was lower in the organic product likely due to reduced respiration activity, particularly in ‘Riccia di San Marzano’ . The lower respiratory rate of the organic sprouts could had been involved in a better color retention during the shorter storage time, however after 14 days they showed a sharper loss of visual quality and, in particular, the development of off-odors. These differences were probably due to a higher N:S ratio in plant nutrition under the organic cultivation system. Vitamin C, ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid and flavonol concentrations as well as tissue electrolyte leakage were all affected by the storage time and not by cultivation systems. Vitamin C concentration dramatically slowed down during the T 0 -T 7 period, while flavonols progressively increased by 1.5 times during storage, thus leading to an enhancement of total antioxidant capacity of the product. ‘Riccia di San Marzano’ compared to ‘Cima grande’ was richer in antioxidant compounds and, under organic cultivation system, also in nitrates. Stored ‘Riccia di San Marzano’ showed a decrease in nitrate concentration and an increase in antioxidant activity. With the organic farming, cima di rapa visual quality resulted improved both at harvest and after 7 days of storage, while after 14 days a high development of off-odors occurred. The choice of cultivation system seems not to have modified the antioxidant proprieties of raw or processed product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) and three self-incompatible (SI) lines of cabbage were used as females for crossing with four cabbage testers (males) as per line × tester mating design during 2012-13 to produce the F1 seeds of 28 hybrids. These hybrids were evaluated in Randomized Block Design with two standard checks Varun and KGMR-1 at the Vegetable Research Farm, CSKHPKV Palampur (mid-hills, sub-temperate with high rainfall) during 2013-14. Based on the performance, the hybrids CMS GAP x E-1-3 and II-12-4-10 x SC 2008-09 were either at par with the standard check 1 (Varun) and standard check 2 (KGMR-1) or significantly superior to both the checks for marketable head yield and most of the component traits. The hybrids which involved CMS lines as one of the parents have excelled in their performance for majority of the characters viz., plant spread, non-wrapper leaves, polar diameter, days to harvest, head shape index and head compactness, whereas for the characters viz., gross head weight, net head weight, equatorial diameter and marketable head yield per plot the hybrids developed using SI system excelled. Among the top five hybrids, four were of CMS system and one was of SI system. So, CMS system was considered more effective for production of F1 hybrids by using the genetic material used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. (juncea) canola has potential to become an alternative oilseed crop, but the yield stability and harvestability in northern latitudes is largely unknown. In this study, we determined seed yield and yield stability, seed shattering characteristics, and harvestability in comparison with conventional B. napus L. (napus) canola and B. juncea mustard. Six Brassica crops were tested at eight site-years in western Canada from 2010 to 2011. Plants were harvested using straight combining on both "early" and "late" dates. Two hybrid napus canola cultivars produced seed yield averaging 2180 kg ha-1, which was 33% greater than hybrid juncea canola, 22% greater than 'Clearfield' juncea canola, and 80% greater than conventional juncea canola. The early compared with the late harvest reduced shattering yield loss by 16% for napus canola and 8% for the rest of the brassicas. At two sites, plants lost an average of 10,170 seeds m-2 from maturity to harvest, which translates to a seed yield loss of 366 kg ha-1; at the remaining sites, plants lost 2260 seeds m-2, which translates to a yield loss of 82 kg ha-1. We conclude that hybrid juncea canola can be used to diversify oilseed cropping systems, but the currently available juncea canola cultivars with the seed yield 27% lower than hybrid napus canola may limit its largescale adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur deficiency in plants has severe impacts on both growth and nutrient composition. Fumigation with sub-lethal concentrations of H2S facilitates the supply of reduced sulfur via the leaves while sulfate is depleted from the roots. This restores growth while sulfate levels in the plant tissue remain low. In the present study this system was used to reveal interactions of sulfur with other nutrients in the plant and to ascertain whether these changes are due to the absence or presence of sulfate or rather to changes in growth and organic sulfur. There was a complex reaction of the mineral composition to sulfur deficiency, however, the changes in content of many nutrients were prevented by H2S fumigation. Under sulfur deficiency these nutrients accumulated on a fresh weight basis but were diluted on a dry weight basis, presumably due to a higher dry matter content. The pattern differed, however, between leaves and roots which led to changes in shoot to root partitioning. Only the potassium, molybdenum and zinc contents were strongly linked to the sulfate supply. Potassium was the only nutrient amongst those measured which showed a positive correlation with sulfur content in shoots, highlighting a role as a counter cation for sulfate during xylem loading and vacuolar storage in leaves. This was supported by an accumulation of potassium in roots of the sulfur-deprived plants. Molybdenum and zinc increased substantially under sulfur deficiency, which was only partly prevented by H2S fumigation. While the causes of increased molybdenum under sulfur deficiency have been previously studied, the relation between sulfate and zinc uptake needs further clarification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study the effect of organic and inorganic fertilization on the development and yield of three Brassica species was examined. The experiment was conducted at Servota, Trikala during 2012-2013 growing season. Three brassica were studied [Broccoli: Grande F1, Cauliflower: Rex F1, Cabbage: Torpedo F1], whereas fertilization was implemented with the application of organic and inorganic fertilizers with plants getting the same amounts of nutrients at both occasions. Seeds from the three species were sown in seed trays containing peat and young seedlings were transplanted directly in the soil within an unheated plastic greenhouse. At the day of harvest plant features regarding plant development, such as the number of leaves, flower heads and main and second order shoots, total plant fresh weight, fresh weight of leaves and main and second order flower head and shoots, were recorded. From the results it is suggested that the fertilization method did not affected marketable yield for any of the studied species. The only features that were affected by fertilization method was leaf fresh and dry weight for cabbage and leaf dry weight for cauliflower, as well as shoot fresh weight for the same species. In conclusion, the fertilization method (organic or inorganic) does not affect yield of the studied species as soon as the plant nutrient requirements are covered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the responses of trials conducted on Indian mustard crops as the check its effects of sulphur uptake and assimilation and weed management in Uttar Pradesh, India. Topics include dry matter production, reduction in weed density, and its effects on crop growth. Also discussed are the common weed species such as Anagallis arvensis, Chenopodium album, and Convolvulus arvensis.

Background: Flowering time, plant height and seed yield are strongly influenced by climatic and day-length adaptation in crop plants. To investigate these traits under highly diverse field conditions in the important oilseed crop Brassica napus, we performed a genome-wide association study using data from diverse agroecological environments spanning three continents. Methods: A total of 158 European winter-type B.napus inbred lines were genotyped with 21,623 unique, single-locus single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers using the Brassica 60 K-SNP Illumina® Infinium consortium array. Phenotypic associations were calculated in the panel over the years 2010–2012 for flowering time, plant height and seed yield in 5 highly diverse locations in Germany, China and Chile, adding up to 11 diverse environments in total. Results: We identified 101 genome regions associating with the onset of flowering, 69 with plant height, 36 with seed yield and 68 cross-trait regions with potential adaptive value. Within these regions, B.napus orthologs for a number of candidate adaptation genes were detected, including central circadian clock components like CIRCADIAN CLOCK- ASSOCIATED 1 (Bna.CCA1) and the important flowering-time regulators FLOWERING LOCUS T (Bna.FT) and FRUITFUL (Bna.FUL). Discussion: Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of candidate regions suggested that selection of genes involved in post-transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of flowering time may play a potential role in adaptation of B. napus to highly divergent environments. The classical flowering time regulators Bna.FLC and Bna.CO were not found among the candidate regions, although both show functional variation. Allelic effects were additive for plant height and yield, but not for flowering time. The scarcity of positive minor alleles for yield in this breeding pool points to a lack of diversity for adaptation that could restrict yield gain in the face of environmental change. Conclusions: Our study provides a valuable framework to further improve the adaptability and yield stability of this recent allopolyploid crop under changing environments. The results suggest that flowering time regulation within an adapted B. napus breeding pool is driven by a high number of small modulating processes rather than major transcription factors like Bna.CO. In contrast, yield regulation appears highly parallel, therefore yield could be increased by pyramiding positively associated haplotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassica is a key agricultural genus, containing oilseed and vegetable crops sharing three major genomes (A, B and C) distributed in diploid (genome: AA, BB and CC) and allotetraploid (genome: AABB, AACC and BBCC) species. Interspecific hybridisation between Brassica species is an important way to combine valuable characters of different species. In the present study, interspecific hybrids between tuber mustard (AABB) and red cabbage (CC) were obtained with the aid of embryo culture. The results showed that ovules at five different maturity levels (7, 9, 10, 13 and 14 days after pollination), which were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 3 % sucrose, 0.2 % active carbon and 400 mg/L glutamine, showed varying seed survival rates. A total of 15 (5 %) seeds were obtained, with ovules cultured at 14 days after pollination yielding the most seeds. Subsequently, eight (53 %) of the seeds did not germinate into normal plants. Furthermore, the putative hybrids were confirmed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and flow cytometry analysis, and only one (14 %) of the seven plants was confirmed to be a true tri-genomic hybrid (genome: ABC). Then the nodal segments of the true hybrid were treated with liquid medium supplemented with colchicine to obtain an allohexaploid, as confirmed by flow cytometry analysis and morphological observation. The synthesized hybrid showed unique phenotypes in comparison with the parents, such as in stem colour and leaf margin. The synthesized Brassica tri-genomic vegetable germplasm with A, B and C genomes has potential as a source of new crops for agriculture as well as a basis for further investigation of the mechanisms of Brassica evolution and adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) efficiency of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) line-cultivars (cvs.), defined as high grain yield under N limitation, has been primarily attributed to maintained N uptake during reproductive growth (N uptake efficiency) in combination with delayed senescence of the older leaves accompanied with maintained photosynthetic capacity (functional stay-green). However, it is not clear whether genotypic variation in N starvation-induced leaf senescence is due to leaf-inherent factors and/or governed by root-mediated signals. Therefore, the N-efficient and stay-green cvs. NPZ-1 and Apex were reciprocally grafted with the N-inefficient and early-senescing cvs. NPZ-2 and Capitol, respectively and grown in hydroponics. The senescence status of older leaves after 12 days of N starvation assessed by SPAD, photosynthesis and the expression of the senescence-specific cysteine protease gene SAG12-1 revealed that the stay-green phenotype of the cvs. NPZ-1 and Apex under N starvation was primarily under the control of leaf-inherent factors. The same four cultivars were submitted to N starvation for up to 12 days in a time-course experiment. The specific leaf contents of biologically active and inactive cytokinins (CKs) and the expression of genes involved in CKS homeostasis revealed that under N starvation leaves of early-senescing cultivars were characterized by inactivation of biologically active CKs, whereas in stay-green cultivars synthesis, activation, binding of and response to biologically active CKs were favoured. These results suggest that the homeostasis of biologically active CKs was the predominant leaf-inherent factor for cultivar differences in N starvation-induced leaf senescence and thus N efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of a new polymeric slow release fertilizer (PRF) on Chinese cabbage growth and soil nutrients. The experiment comprised three kinds of fertilizer (common compound fertilizer, 21% and 45% solubility of PRF in 25°C water, all fertilizers with N:P2O5:K2O = 10:5.7:20) and three fertilizer levels (0, 21.6 and 43.2 g m−2). Results showed that the high water-soluble PRFs (PRFHH and PRFHL) fit nutrient requirements of Chinese cabbage, and the high fertilization level significantly increased yield and improved quality of Chinese cabbage. Although the PRFHL treatment at 21.6 g fertilizer m−2had one-half less supplied nutrient than that of common compound fertilizer treatment (43.2 g fertilizer m−2), the yield of Chinese cabbage with PRFHH and PRFHL was 8.0% more. The soluble sugar, vitamin C and leaf chlorophyll contents of Chinese cabbage can be effectively improved with PRFHH (43.2 g m−2), PRFHL (21.6 g m−2) and PRFLH (low water-soluble PRF, 43.2 g m−2). The PRF treatment reduced the nitrate content and improved soil capacity of supplying nutrient effectively, and there were no changes in values of pH and electrical conductivity of soil. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The modification of erucic acid content in seeds is one of the major goals for quality breeding in oil-yielding Brassica species. However, few low erucic acid (LEA) resources are available, and novel LEA genetic resources are being sought. Fatty acid elongase 1 (FAE1) is the key gene that controls erucic acid synthesis. However, the mechanism for erucic acid synthesis in B. rapa lacks systematic study. Here, we isolated zero erucic acid lines from 1981 Chinese landraces of B. rapa and found that the formation of LEA is not attributable to variations in FAE1 coding sequences, as reported for B. napus, but may be attributable to the decrease in FAE1 expression. Moreover, the FAE1 promoter sequences of LEA and high erucic acid materials shared 95% similarity. Twenty-eight bases deletions (containing a 24-base AT-rich region) were identified approximately 1300 bp upstream from the FAE1 start codon in the LEA accessions. The genotype with the deletions cosegregated with the LEA trait in the segregating population. This study isolated an LEA B. rapa resource that can be exploited in Brassica cultivation. The promoter variations might modify the expression level of FAE1, and the results shed light on novel regulation mechanisms for erucic acid synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland soil and leafy vegetables accumulate more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in suburban sites. In this study, 13 sampling areas were selected from vegetable fields in the outskirts of Xi’an, the largest city in northwestern China. The similarity of PAH composition in soil and vegetation was investigated through principal components analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA), rather than discrimination of PAH congeners from various sources. The toxic equivalent quantity of PAHs in soil ranged from 7 to 202 μg/kg d.w., with an average of 41 μg/kg d.w., which exceeded the agricultural/horticultural soil acceptance criteria for New Zealand. However, the cancer risk level posed by combined direct ingestion, dermal contact, inhalation of soil particles, and inhalation of surface soil vapor met the rigorous international criteria (1×10−6). The concentration of total PAHs was (1052±73) μg/kg d.w. in vegetation (mean±standard error). The cancer risks posed by ingestion of vegetation ranged from 2×10−5 to 2×10−4 with an average of 1.66×10−4, which was higher than international excess lifetime risk limits for carcinogens (1×10−4). The geochemical indices indicated that the PAHs in soil and vegetables were mainly from vehicle and crude oil combustion. Both the total PAHs in vegetation and bioconcentration factor for total PAHs (the ratio of total PAHs in vegetation to total PAHs in soil) increased with increasing pH as well as decreasing sand in soil. The total variation in distribution of PAHs in vegetation explained by those in soil reached 98% in RDA, which was statistically significant based on Monte Carlo permutation. Common pollution source and notable effects of soil contamination on vegetation would result in highly similar distribution of PAHs in soil and vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cauliflower mosaic virus (Ca MV) with a high incidence and widespread distribution on Brassica crops in Iran reduces the yield and quality of these crops. The complete sequences of three open reading frames ( ORFs) 2, 4 and 6 coding for aphid transmission ( AT), coat protein ( CP) and inclusion body protein/translation transactivator ( TAV) genes, respectively, were determined for two Iranian Ca MV isolates from Kerman (south Iran). They induced latent or mild mottle (L/ MMo) infection in Brassica oleracea var. capitata so are considered as the (L/ MMo) biotype. Clear recombination breakpoints were detected between ORF2 and ORF6 in two Kerman isolates using concatenate fragments. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three Iranian Ca MV subpopulations in which the two Kerman isolates in the new subgroup C were added to the two previously reported Iranian subpopulations A (central and west Iran) and B (north-east Iran). Also three regions of pairwise identity were detected which representing: 97.1-100, 93.8-97.1 and 90.6-93.8% for subgroups A, C and B, respectively. Our analysis showed the high variability of Iranian Ca MV population and provided valuable new information for understanding the diversity and evolution of caulimoviruses. Furthermore, star phylogeny was found in the subgroup C with overall lack of nt diversity and high haplotype diversity as evidence of a recent population expansion after a genetic bottleneck although this may have been modified subsequently by clinal genetic drift. The appearance of new genetic types demonstrates a high potential of risks and should be considered in the planning of efficient control programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The InfoCrop v.2.0, model was calibrated and validated with the field experimental data having four dates of sowing (Oct 15th& 25th and Nov 5th& 15th) and five nitrogen levels (0, 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg N ha-1) conducted during 2013-15 at Hisar (29°10È N and 75°46È E). The model performance was evaluated using RMSE, MAE and MBE and it was observed that InfoCrop model could predict the growth parameters leaf area index, nitrogen uptake, biomass and seed yield with reasonably good accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of breeding programs in Brassica species is essential for crop improvement. Field experiments were performed at the Experimental Station Farm, Alexandria University, Egypt, to assess the efficiency of the breeding programs simple recurrent selection, mass selection, and selfing with selection on improving yield and root quality of turnip (B. rapaL. var.rapa) from 2006 to 2009. The estimated coefficients of variation for plant weight, leaf number, leaf length, leaf area, and root weight, in a relatively large population of the turnip cv. Balady, reflected enough variability for selection and improvement. Generally, the results indicated that estimated values of the phenotypic correlation coefficients, for the possible pairs among traits, exemplified that 19 of the possible 91 relationships appeared significant and desirable for selection. Simple recurrent selection indicated superior influence on improving plant weight, leaf number, leaf dry matter, root weight, root diameter, and total yield, more than the other breeding methods. Root firmness in all selected populations decreased, reflecting reductions of root fiber, which increases root quality. There was high efficiency for the selection method to improve yield and root quality of turnip. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Asynchronousflowering ofBrassica napus(canola) leads to seeds and siliques at varying stages of maturity as harvest approaches. This range of maturation can result in premature silique dehiscence (pod shattering), resulting in yield losses, which may be worsened by environmental stresses. Therefore, a goal for canola crop improvement is to reduce shattering in order to maximize yield. We performed a comprehensive transcriptome analysis on the dehiscence zone (DZ) and valve ofArabidopsisandBrassicasiliques in shatter resistant and sensitive genotypes at several developmental stages. Among knownArabidopsisdehiscence genes, we confirmed that homologs ofSHP1/2,FUL,ADPG1,NST1/3andINDwere associated with shattering inB. junceaandB. napus. We noted a correlation between reduced pectin degradation genes and shatter-resistance. Tension between lignified and non-lignified cells in the silique DZ plays a major role in dehiscence. Light microscopy revealed a smaller non-lignified separation layer in relatively shatter-resistantB. juncearelative toB. napusand this corresponded to increased expression of peroxidases involved in monolignol polymerization. Sustained repression of auxin biosynthesis, transport and signaling inB. juncearelative toB. napusmay cause differences in dehiscence zone structure and cell wall constituents. Tension on the dehiscence zone is a consequence of shrinkage and loss of flexibility in the valves, which is caused by senescence and desiccation. Reduced shattering was generally associated with upregulation of ABA signaling and down-regulation of ethylene and jasmonate signaling, corresponding to more pronounced stress responses and reduced senescence and photosynthesis. Overall, we identified 124 cell wall related genes and 103 transcription factors potentially involved in silique dehiscence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major issues with brassica oil seed production is the water requirement of the brassica crop. To address the problem, field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of potassium (K) and water deficiency levels on canola ( Brassica napus L.). Analysis of the data revealed that application of K, irrigation and interactions between irrigation and cultivar (I x C), irrigation and potassium (I x K), potassium and cultivar (K x C), and irrigation and cultivar and potassium (I x C x K) had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on shoot proline content, relative water content, plant fresh weight and grain yield. Potassium application, irrigation and interaction between I x C, K x C, and I x C x K had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on shoot sugar content. Water deficiency increased shoot proline and sugar contents and decreased relative water content. Potassium application increased shoot proline level in a dose dependent manner. Minimum proline and sugar contents and maximum relative water content, plant fresh and dry weight and yield were obtained when 100% irrigation was applied. Maximum grain yield was obtained upon application of 100% irrigation in combination with 120 kg ha−1 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An on-farm test for canola (Brassica napusL. andB rapaL.) seed vigor would help ensure that canola growers plant only high-quality seed. A rapid, 24-h color test based on ethanol emission by partially imbibed canola seed is described. Test results were compared to seed vigor measured as 2-d radicle protrusion (R2) and to standard germination (SG, normal seedlings). Color development was insensitive to variations in seed pesticide treatments, sample size (1-4 g), incubation temperature (19-26°C), incubation period (24-30 h), and initial seed moisture (5%-10%). The test partitioned seed samples into deteriorated and non-deteriorated categories for hybrid, open-pollinated,B. napusandB. rapaseeds with 84%–100% accuracy. The test was 86% accurate at classifying samples by R2 and 70% accurate at classifying sample by SG. Precision of repeat determinations was sufficient to permit single assays. Although further study is required, the assay appears to have promise as a practical on-farm seed vigor test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation was conducted to assess drought-tolerance in two Brassica species namely Brassica nap us with varieties Sheetal and Neelam and Brassica carinata with varieties Jayanti and Kiran on the basis of inherent stress tolerance characters viz. plant dry weight (g/plant), root length (cm), leaf area (cm²/plant), relative water content (%), harvest index(%) and drought susceptibility index (DSI). The experiment was designed by imposing water stress at branch initiation stage (45 DAS), floral bud initiation (60 DAS) and pod formation stage (100 DAS). All the treatments affected the performance of the varieties of Brassica napus and Brassica carinata. Variety Jayanti of Brassica carinata and variety Sheetal of Brassica nap us exhibited significantly long root length compared to unstressed plants and less reduction in dry weight, leaf area, relative water content and harvest index. However, root length of variety Jayanti of Brassica carinata and Sheetal of Brassica napus exceeds that of unstressed plants in all the treatments of stress. It was observed that relatively higher amount of reduction in harvest index in Kiran (50 %) and Neelam (75 %) was observed however Jayanti and Sheetal are with minimum DSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification and greater production of Brassica vegetable and oilseed crops over the past two decades have increased the pest status of the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L., and it is now estimated to cost the world economy US$4-5 billion annually. Our understanding of some fundamental aspects of DBM biology and ecology, particularly host plant relationships, tritrophic interactions, and migration, has improved considerably but knowledge of other aspects, e.g., its global distribution and relative abundance, remains surprisingly limited. Biological control still focuses almost exclusively on a few species of hymenopteran parasitoids. Although these can be remarkably effective, insecticides continue to form the basis of management; their inappropriate use disrupts parasitoids and has resulted in field resistance to all available products. Improved ecological understanding and the availability of a series of highly effective selective insecticides throughout the 1990s provided the basis for sustainable and economically viable integrated pest management (IPM) approaches. However, repeated reversion to scheduled insecticide applications has resulted in resistance to these and more recently introduced compounds and the breakdown of IPM programs. Proven technologies for the sustainable management of DBM currently exist, but overcoming the barriers to their sustained adoption remains an enormous challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study was conducted at farmer's salt-affected field (ECe=12.3 dS m-1; pH=9.7; SAR=46.2) in Hafizabad to test growth and yield response of six Brassica cultivars (BARD-I, Dunkled, Rainbow, BRS-II, Sultan Raya and cv. 95102-5) under saline sodic conditions. Data on growth and yield parameters were collected randomly (average of five plants per replication) at the time of crop maturity. Ionic concentration in plant tissues and oil content in seeds were also determined. Comparatively more number of branches and pods per plant were produced by cultivar Dunkled closely followed by BARD-I while maximum seed yield (241.7 and 235.1 kg ha-1) was obtained from Dunkled and Sultan Raya, respectively which was statistically at par. However, BRS-II and Rainbow showed significantly more percent oil contents in their seeds but genotype Dunkled showed minimum Na+ and K+ concentration in their tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of the present research was to study inhibition of lipoxygenase activity by rapeseed native polyphenols and the interactions between those compounds and the enzyme. The enzyme and polyphenolic compounds (polyphenols, phenolic acids) were extracted from rapeseed ( Brassica napus) varieties Aviso and PR45DO3. The total phenolic compounds concentration in tested rapeseed was 1,485-1,691 mg/100 g d.m. (dry matter) and the free phenolic acids content in both rapeseed varieties was about 76 μg/100 g d.m. The isolated proteins showed lipoxygenase activity. Prooxidant properties of phenolic compounds in the presence of lipoxygenase and linoleic acid were observed rather in the case of extracts containing a relatively high concentration of miscellaneous polyphenols. Antioxidant properties were recorded in the case of phenolic acid extracts which contain only 1.4-1.9% of phenolics present in raw phenolic extracts. We propose that the prooxidant effect of phenolic compounds comes from quinone and oxidized polyphenols formation. The observed antioxidant activity of phenolic acid extracts is probably due to their ability to scavenge free radicals formed from linoleic acid. However, reduction of lipoxygenase ferric to ferrous ions, which prevent the activation of the enzyme and inhibited its activity, was also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Best agricultural practices can be adopted to increase crop productivity and lower carbon footprint of grain products. The aims of this study were to provide a quantitative estimate of the carbon footprint of selected oilseed crops grown on the semiarid northern Great Plains and to determine the effects of N fertilization and environments on the carbon footprint. Materials and methods: Five oilseed crops, Brassica napus canola, Brassica rapa canola, Brassica juncea canola, B. juncea mustard, and Sinapis alba mustard, were grown under the N rates of 0, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg N ha at eight environsites (location × year combinations) in Saskatchewan, Canada. Straw and root decomposition and various production inputs were used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints. Results and discussion: Emissions from the production, transportation, storage, and delivery of N fertilizer to farm gates accounted for 42% of the total greenhouse gas emissions, and the direct and indirect emission from the application of N fertilizer in oilseed production added another 31% to the total emission. Emissions from N fertilization were nine times the emission from the use of pesticides and 11 times that of farming operations. Straw and root decomposition emitted 120 kg COeq ha, contributing 10% to the total emission. Carbon footprint increased slightly as N rates increased from 0 to 50 kg N ha, but as N rates increased from 50 to 250 kg N ha, carbon footprint increased substantially for all five oilseed crops evaluated. Oilseeds grown at the humid Melfort site emitted 1,355 kg COeq ha, 30% greater than emissions at the drier sites of Scott and Swift Current. Oilseeds grown at Melfort had their carbon footprint of 0.52 kg COeq kg of oilseed, 45% greater than that at Scott (0.45 kg COeq kg of oilseed), and 25% greater than that at Swift Current (0.45 kg COeq kg of oilseed). Conclusions: Carbon footprint of oilseeds was a function of the rate of N fertilizer, and the intensity of the functionality varied between environments. Key to lower carbon footprint in oilseeds is to improve N management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study related to the thermal time requirements of genotypes of Brassica plant species at Hisar, India. It mentions that a quick rise in the air temperatures during reproductive stage shortenes seed filling period. It also mentions that fertilization, irrigation and management practices are recommended in the packages of practices for mustard crop in Hisar, India. It also mentions importance of optimum sowing time in achieving potential yield of any crop.

This study was conducted in Bundi district of Rajasthan to analyse the yield and economics of mustard under front line demonstrations. The results of study revealed that mustard yield under demonstrations was substantially higher over local check. FLD participating farmers fetched better price of their produce as compared to the control group (local checks) during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]