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Abstract Buckwheat is an important nutritional and nutraceutical crop; however, owing to its low yield and productivity, its potential has not been harnessed on account of its cultivation in low-input marginal farming systems, where its productivity is limited by various abiotic stresses, including water stress. Roots play a critical role in plant growth, development, and tolerance to drought stress. The present study was the first comprehensive attempt to understand the root system architecture (RSA) of buckwheat using root morphology and in-depth features of RSA through root scanning. A total of 117 diverse genotypes of buckwheat, comprising both common and Tartary buckwheat, were cultivated in polyvinyl chloride columns in the greenhouse. The study revealed substantial variability for all the root and shoot traits of buckwheat. Comparative analysis indicated that Tartary buckwheat has better root features compared to common buckwheat. The correlation analysis showed the surface area, medium root length, and medium root volume were positively correlated and branching frequency and root shoot ratio were negatively correlated. The study identified potential genotypes with robust RSA that can be used for the development of climate-resilient buckwheat varieties.

Abstract The North Western Himalayan region, particularly the Kashmir valley, harbors a rich diversity of rice landraces, yet systematic studies on climate resilience are lacking. The present study was aimed at investigating the root traits and their interplay with shoot morphological and physiological traits under drought stress using seven indica and three japonica rice varieties released by SKUAST-Kashmir and their possible role in adaptive capacity to different environments. Significant variability was observed in root and shoot traits across the varieties. Root traits exhibited a wide phenotypic range, including rooting depth, fresh and dry weight, diameter, length, volume, surface area, and length density. Associations between root and shoot traits were identified, with notable correlations such as shoot weight with root shoot ratio, shoot length with root dry weight, diameter, and surface area, and tiller number with various root traits. Additionally, physiological traits like canopy temperature depression showed significant correlations with root depth and surface area. Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis grouped japonica type varieties together with a notable outlier, Chenab, due to its superior root traits among indica varieties. These findings emphasize the substantial contribution of root traits to productivity and advocate for their integration into varietal development processes. In view of the increasing evidences in crop plants about their role of root traits in defining plant productivity and reproductive fitness, study of root traits could provide valuable insights into the patterns of crop adaptation to diverse areas and growing environments.

Abstract Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) is an important nutritional and nutraceutical‐rich pseudo‐cereal crop. Despite its obvious potential as a functional food, buckwheat has not been fully harnessed due to its low yield, self‐incompatibility, increased seed cracking, limited seed set, lodging, and frost susceptibility. The inadequate availability of genomics resources in buckwheat is one of the major reasons for this. In the present study, genome‐wide association mapping (GWAS) was conducted to identify loci associated with various morphological and yield‐related traits in buckwheat. High throughput genotyping by sequencing led to the identification of 34,978 single nucleotide polymorphisms that were distributed across eight chromosomes. Population structure analysis grouped the genotypes into three sub‐populations. The genotypes were also characterized for various qualitative and quantitative traits at two diverse locations, the analysis of which revealed a significant difference in the mean values. The association analysis revealed a total of 71 significant marker–trait associations across eight chromosomes. The candidate genes were identified near 100 Kb of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), providing insights into several metabolic and biosynthetic pathways. The integration of phenology and GWAS in the present study is useful to uncover the consistent genomic regions, related markers associated with various yield‐related traits, and potential candidate genes having implications for being utilized in molecular breeding for the improvement of economically important traits in buckwheat. Moreover, the identified QTLs will assist in tracking the desirable alleles of target genes within the buckwheat breeding populations/germplasm.

Abstract Temperatures below or above optimal growth conditions are among the major stressors affecting productivity, end‐use quality, and distribution of key staple crops including rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and maize (Zea mays L.). Among temperature stresses, cold stress induces cellular changes that cause oxidative stress and slowdown metabolism, limit growth, and ultimately reduce crop productivity. Perception of cold stress by plant cells leads to the activation of cold‐responsive transcription factors and downstream genes, which ultimately impart cold tolerance. The response triggered in crops to cold stress includes gene expression/suppression, the accumulation of sugars upon chilling, and signaling molecules, among others. Much of the information on the effects of cold stress on perception, signal transduction, gene expression, and plant metabolism are available in the model plant Arabidopsis but somewhat lacking in major crops. Hence, a complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which staple crops respond to cold stress remain largely unknown. Here, we make an effort to elaborate on the molecular mechanisms employed in response to low‐temperature stress. We summarize the effects of cold stress on the growth and development of these crops, the mechanism of cold perception, and the role of various sensors and transducers in cold signaling. We discuss the progress in cold tolerance research at the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome levels and highlight how these findings provide opportunities for designing cold‐tolerant crops for the future.

Rice is the principal food grain crop of the world, grown on over 164 million hectares. Water is an important production constraint in food crops. Till recently, crop breeding efforts have mainly focused on the shoot, whereas most of the major drivers of the yield gap directly influence the root system, thereby implicating the plant's resource acquisition efficiency. Despite the substantial experimental evidence for the importance of root traits in drought tolerance, lesser efforts have been directed towards drought-adaptive root traits based on the selection index in rice. The above-ground components are easy to phenotype, and lesser efforts towards root traits stem mainly from the phenotyping bottlenecks of reliable recovery and evaluation of root traits. Moreover, greater phenotypic plasticity of root traits in response to changes in soil resource status, and lack of less costly screening techniques for roots is still a challenge, leading to comparatively lesser information about the potential role of roots in developing drought-resilient rice varieties. Root phenes are not as high in number as is the huge shopping list of above-ground traits and exploring the natural variation of root traits could assist rice improvement programs in developing varieties with desired root phenes for target environments. More importantly, elucidation of the relationship of root traits with the physiological and biochemical responses contributing to grain yield is also imperative. In this paper, we discuss the potential role of roots in determining the resilience of rice varieties for future farming systems based on evidence from root phenotyping, the relationship of root phenes with physiological efficiency and yield under water stress in rice.

Rice is one of the most important staple plant foods that provide a major source of calories and nutrients for tackling the global hunger index especially in developing countries. In terms of nutritional profile, pigmented rice grains are favoured for their nutritional and health benefits. The pigmented rice varieties are rich sources of flavonoids, anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin that can be readily incorporated into diets to help address various lifestyle diseases. However, the cultivation of pigmented rice is limited due to low productivity and unfavourable cooking qualities. With the advances in genome sequencing, molecular breeding, gene expression analysis and multi-omics approaches, various attempts have been made to explore the genetic architecture of rice grain pigmentation. In this review, we have compiled the current state of knowledge of the genetic architecture and nutritional value of pigmentation in rice based upon the available experimental evidence. Future research areas that can help to deepen our understanding and help in harnessing the economic and health benefits of pigmented rice are also explored.

Wheat is highly affected by stripe rust disease, particularly under cooler environments, and the losses can reach up to 100 percent depending on the intensity of infection and the susceptibility of the genotype. The most effective method to manage this disease is the use of resistant varieties. In the present study, 192 wheat genotypes were evaluated for stripe rust resistance under field conditions and also in a laboratory using molecular markers. These lines included pre-breeding germplasm developed for rust resistance and some high-yielding commercially grown wheat varieties. Out of 192 genotypes, 53 were found to be resistant, and 29 showed moderate resistance reaction under field conditions, whereas the remaining genotypes were all either moderately susceptible or susceptible. Under controlled conditions, out of 109 genotypes, only 12 were found to be resistant to all the six virulent/pathogenic pathotypes. Additionally, a selection of 97 genotypes were found resistant in field screening and were subjected to molecular validation using the markers linked to major R-genes, viz., Yr5, Yr10, Yr15 and Yr17. Nine genotypes possessed the Yr5 gene, twelve had the Yr10 gene, fourteen had the Yr15 gene and thirty-two had the Yr17 gene. The resistance genes studied in the current study are effective in conferring resistance against stripe rust disease. The genotypes identified as resistant under both field and controlled conditions can be used as sources in stripe rust resistance breeding programs.

Rice blast is considered one of the most important fungal diseases of rice. Although diseases can be managed by using resistant cultivars, the blast pathogen has successfully overcome the single gene resistance in a short period and rendered several varieties susceptible to blast which were otherwise intended to be resistant. As such, chemical control is still the most efficient method of disease control for reducing the losses caused due to diseases. Field experiments were conducted over two successive years, 2018 and 2019, in temperate rice growing areas in northern India. All the fungicides effectively reduced leaf blast incidence and intensity, and neck blast incidence under field conditions. Tricyclazole proved most effective against rice blast and recorded a leaf blast incidence of only 8.41%. Among the combinations of fungicides, azoxystrobin + difenoconazole and azoxystrobin + tebuconazole were highly effective, recording a leaf blast incidence of 9.19 and 10.40%, respectively. The chemical combination mancozeb + carbendazim proved less effective in controlling the blast and it recorded a disease incidence of 27.61%. A similar trend was followed in neck blast incidence with tricyclazole, azoxystrobin + difenoconazole, and azoxystrobin + tebuconazole showing the highest levels of blast reductions. It is evident from the current study that the tested fungicide combinations can be used as alternatives to tricyclazole which is facing the challenges of fungicide resistance development and other environmental concerns and has been banned from use in India and other countries. The manuscript may provide a guideline of fungicide application to farmers cultivating susceptible varieties of rice.

Trichoderma is the most commonly used fungal biocontrol agent throughout the world. In the present study, various Trichoderma isolates were isolated from different vegetable fields. In the isolated microflora, the colony edges varied from wavy to smooth. The mycelial forms were predominantly floccose with hyaline color and conidiophores among all the strains were highly branched. Based on morphological attributes, all the isolates were identified as Trichoderma harzianum. The molecular identification using multilocus sequencing ITS, rpb2 and tef1α, genes further confirmed the morphological identification. The average chitinase activity varied from 1.13 units/mL to 3.38 units/mL among the various isolates, which increased linearly with temperature from 15 to 30 °C. There was an amplified production in the chitinase production in the presence of Mg+ and Ca2+ and Na+ metal ions, but the presence of certain ions was found to cause the down-regulated chitinase activity, i.e., Zn2+, Hg2+, Fe2+, Ag+ and K+. All the chitinase producing Trichoderma isolates inhibited the growth of tested pathogens viz., Dematophora necatrix, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum and Pythium aphanidermatum at 25% culture-free filtrate concentration under in vitro conditions. Also, under in vivo conditions, the lowest wilt incidence and highest disease control on Fusarium oxysporum was observed in isolate BT4 with mean wilt incidence and disease control of 21% and 48%, respectively. The Trichoderma harzianum identified in this study will be further used in formulation development for the management of diseases under field conditions.

DH (Doubled haploid) is the immortal mapping population and an outcome of single meiotic cycle, contributed from male partner. An improved procedure was developed for high frequency androgenesis in japonica genotypes, K-332 and GS-88 and their F1s. A total of 207 fertile, green, di-haploid plants were generated from K-332 × GS-88 hybrids using the improved anther culture protocol. The investigation was carried out to evaluate callus induction potential and regeneration response for the genotypes and the derived F1s on N6 media and modified N6 media (N6M). Whereas, N6 failed to induce callusing, agarose solidified N6M media supplemented with 4% maltose, growth regulators; NAA (2 mg/l), 2, 4-D (0.5 mg/l), Kinetin (0.5 mg/l), and silver nitrate induced high calli percentage of 27.6% in F1s, 9.5% and 6.7% in GS-88 and K-332 respectively. Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 3% sucrose, and the hormonal combination BAP (2 mg/l), Kinetin (1 mg/l) and NAA (1 mg/l) induced high green shoot regeneration rates (0-60.0%). The effect of cold pre-treatment at 4°C and the stage of anther collection and their interaction was studied. The effect of cold pre-treatment (CP) of collected boots at 4°C (for CP2: 2, CP4: 4, CP6: 6 and CP8: 8 days) at different stages of panicle emergence (BES4-6: 4-6, BES7-10: 7-10, BES11-13: 11-13, BES>13: more than 13 inches was worked out in relation to the effect on response of calli induction, albino regeneration, green plant regeneration and number of shoots/green calli. CP referred to the number of days for which the collected boots were incubated before they were inoculated. BES was the length (inches) between flag leaf and penultimate leaf at the time of boot collection. We concluded that CP6 and BES7-10 showed better response to callus proliferation and regeneration of plantlets across genotypes. The appropriate pre-treatment, stage of anther collection and favourable media composition resulted in high calli induction and green plant regeneration rates in recalcitrant japonica genotypes. The modified N6 media resulted into efficient callus induction and is expected to be useful for studies which aim at rapid generation of mapping populations for genetic studies.

Modern genome editing (GE) techniques, which include clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) and LAGLIDADG homing endonucleases (meganucleases), have so far been used for engineering disease resistance in crops. The use of GE technologies has grown very rapidly in recent years with numerous examples of targeted mutagenesis in crop plants, including gene knockouts, knockdowns, modifications, and the repression and activation of target genes. CRISPR/Cas9 supersedes all other GE techniques including TALENs and ZFNs for editing genes owing to its unprecedented efficiency, relative simplicity and low risk of off-target effects. Broad-spectrum disease resistance has been engineered in crops by GE of either specific host-susceptibility genes (S gene approach), or cleaving DNA of phytopathogens (bacteria, virus or fungi) to inhibit their proliferation. This review focuses on different GE techniques that can potentially be used to boost molecular immunity and resistance against different phytopathogens in crops, ultimately leading to the development of promising disease-resistant crop varieties.

O dinamismo social e econômico nos países BRICS, combinado com sua ascensão diplomática e política, tem sustentado a mudança na balança global de poder. Embora a transformação dos BRICS, do conceito para a prática, precise ser tratada com seriedade, com o processo de cúpula estendida, ilustrativo de um novo status encontrado para os países emergentes no sistema internacional, devemos reconhecer que os membros dos BRICS (China, Índia, Brasil, Rússia e África do Sul) têm tantas diferenças quanto pontos em comum em termos de suas perspectivas nacionais. Com tais contradições no pano de fundo, explicamos o desenvolvimento institucional informal dos BRICS. Este artigo argumenta que a chave para o sucesso institucional dos BRICS tem sido seu desenvolvimento de uma diplomacia "de clube". Tal abordagem é testada, entretanto, quando o foco da atenção é deslocado das demandas exteriorizadas para a ação coletiva enquanto grupo. Desenvolvemos um arcabouço conceitual da dinâmica de clube observada nos BRICS, com base em três elementos-chave: status internacional, alianças fracas e tamanho do quadro de membros. Utilizamos a criação recente do Novo Banco de Desenvolvimento para testar ainda mais nosso arcabouço. Em termos de conclusão, o artigo aponta para as tensões entre o estilo de clube que permite aos BRICS projetar confiança a respeito de sua ascensão, e a necessidade de alongar este modelo no próximo estágio da evolução. Ao elevar-se para além de um grupo de lobby para o papel de um fórum, com poder próprio de agência autônoma, a entrega instrumental dos BRICS, com respeito à proposta do Banco de Desenvolvimento, é crucial.

Buckwheat is an important nutritional and nutraceutical crop; however, owing to its low yield and productivity, its potential has not been harnessed on account of its cultivation in low-input marginal farming systems, where its productivity is limited by various abiotic stresses, including water stress. Roots play a critical role in plant growth, development, and tolerance to drought stress. The present study was the first comprehensive attempt to understand the root system architecture (RSA) of buckwheat using root morphology and in-depth features of RSA through root scanning. A total of 117 diverse genotypes of buckwheat, comprising both common and Tartary buckwheat, were cultivated in polyvinyl chloride columns in the greenhouse. The study revealed substantial variability for all the root and shoot traits of buckwheat. Comparative analysis indicated that Tartary buckwheat has better root features compared to common buckwheat. The correlation analysis showed the surface area, medium root length, and medium root volume were positively correlated and branching frequency and root shoot ratio were negatively correlated. The study identified potential genotypes with robust RSA that can be used for the development of climate-resilient buckwheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North Western Himalayan region, particularly the Kashmir valley, harbors a rich diversity of rice landraces, yet systematic studies on climate resilience are lacking. The present study was aimed at investigating the root traits and their interplay with shoot morphological and physiological traits under drought stress using seven indica and three japonica rice varieties released by SKUAST-Kashmir and their possible role in adaptive capacity to different environments. Significant variability was observed in root and shoot traits across the varieties. Root traits exhibited a wide phenotypic range, including rooting depth, fresh and dry weight, diameter, length, volume, surface area, and length density. Associations between root and shoot traits were identified, with notable correlations such as shoot weight with root shoot ratio, shoot length with root dry weight, diameter, and surface area, and tiller number with various root traits. Additionally, physiological traits like canopy temperature depression showed significant correlations with root depth and surface area. Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis grouped japonica type varieties together with a notable outlier, Chenab, due to its superior root traits among indica varieties. These findings emphasize the substantial contribution of root traits to productivity and advocate for their integration into varietal development processes. In view of the increasing evidences in crop plants about their role of root traits in defining plant productivity and reproductive fitness, study of root traits could provide valuable insights into the patterns of crop adaptation to diverse areas and growing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which characterized 25 traditional rice varieties for culinary quality and physico-chemical parameters in accordance with Standard Evaluation System for Rice (SES) of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Topics include list of rice landraces of Kashmir Valley, India used for grain and cooking quality characterization, physico-chemical traits, and cooking quality traits.