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The fast adaptation to different growing conditions of a fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, led to its becoming one of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) disease causal agents in regions with a temperate climate. Methods currently used to determine sunflower resistance require laborious manual inoculation and confirmation of pathogen appearance, due to the late stage of testing. The paper proposes a cut-stem method for inoculating sunflower plants in the controlled conditions and the possibility of early-stage disease evaluation. A set of 15 sunflower inbred lines was inoculated using M. phaselolina isolate in the growth chamber and the obtained data were analysed using Cut-stem Disease Severity (CSDS) and compared with disease severity obtained from field experiments using traditional inoculation methods (toothpick, Unwounded Stem Base Inoculation (USBI) and non-inoculated plants). The results showed that, based on CSDS, inbred lines infected with the cut-stem inoculation method significantly differed regarding resistance to M. phaseolina. None of the inbred lines exhibited complete resistance but three lines could be proposed as a source of resistance to this pathogen. Ranking of inbred lines which was based on resistance to M.phaseolina was similar in all inoculation methods and in non-inoculated plants. There were highly significant correlations between the values obtained from growth chamber experiment and disease severity scores from field evaluations. Thus, the obtained results indicate that the cut-stem method could potentially complement field testing methods and be valuable tool in sunflower breeding for resistance to M. phaseolina. The accepted peer-reviewed version is available here [http://fiver.ifvcns.rs/handle/123456789/2971] Online access to this article has been shared by the authors via Springer Nature SharedIt: [https://rdcu.be/cSBoz]

Key message This review illustrates how far we have come since the emergence of GE technologies and how they could be applied to obtain superior and sustainable crop production. Abstract The main challenges of today’s agriculture are maintaining and raising productivity, reducing its negative impact on the environment, and adapting to climate change. Efficient plant breeding can generate elite varieties that will rapidly replace obsolete ones and address ongoing challenges in an efficient and sustainable manner. Site-specific genome editing in plants is a rapidly evolving field with tangible results. The technology is equipped with a powerful toolbox of molecular scissors to cut DNA at a pre-determined site with different efficiencies for designing an approach that best suits the objectives of each plant breeding strategy. Genome editing (GE) not only revolutionizes plant biology, but provides the means to solve challenges related to plant architecture, food security, nutrient content, adaptation to the environment, resistance to diseases and production of plant-based materials. This review illustrates how far we have come since the emergence of these technologies and how these technologies could be applied to obtain superior, safe and sustainable crop production. Synergies of genome editing with other technological platforms that are gaining significance in plants lead to an exciting new, post-genomic era for plant research and production. In previous months, we have seen what global changes might arise from one new virus, reminding us of what drastic effects such events could have on food production. This demonstrates how important science, technology, and tools are to meet the current time and the future. Plant GE can make a real difference to future sustainable food production to the benefit of both mankind and our environment.

The genetic variability of 13 rapeseed genotypes created in Serbia was assessed at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, in three consecutive years. The genotypes were evaluated and classified based on 10 quantitative traits (plant height, height to the first branch, stem width, number of lateral branches, number of leaves, number of pods, seed yield per plant, 1000 seed weight, oil content and protein content), using principal component analysis (PCA) and two-way cluster analysis. The first four PCs with eigenvalues >1 contributed to 83% of the total explained variance. The PC analysis revealed that plant height, height to the first branch, number of lateral branches and number of leaves contributed maximum to the total divergence of the material. The genotypes were classified in two main clusters: the first cluster comprised three genotypes, while the other genotypes belonged to the second cluster which can further be divided to two subclusters. One genotype was not classified in these two clusters. The selected genotypes that have desirable traits may be used in hybridization programs for improvement of seed yield and traits that contribute to seed yield most. Genetička varijabilnost 13 genotipova uljane repice stvorenih u Srbiji, analizirana je u Institutu za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo u Novom Sadu, tokom tri uzastopne godine. Genotipovi su procenjeni i klasifikovani na osnovu 10 kvantitativnih osobina (visina bilјke, visina do prve grane, širina stablјike, broj bočnih grana, broj listova, broj ljuski, prinos semena po bilјci, masa 1000 semena, sadržaj ulјa i sadržaj proteina), koristeći analizu glavnih komponenti i dvosmernu klaster analizu. Prve četiri PC ose doprinele su 83% od ukupne objašnjene varijanse. PC analiza je pokazala da su visina bilјke, visina do prve grane, broj bočnih grana i broj listova maksimalno doprineli ukupnoj varijabilnosti materijala. Genotipovi su klasifikovani u dva glavna klastera: prvi klaster se sastojao od tri genotipa, dok su ostali genotipovi pripadali drugom klasteru koji se dalјe može podeliti na dva podklastera. Jedan genotip klasifikovan je izvan oba klastera. Odabrani genotipovi koji imaju poželјne osobine mogu se koristiti u programima hibridizacije za pobolјšanje prinosa semena i osobina koje najviše doprinose prinosu semena.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly associated with fertility restoration of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) PET1 by the restorer gene

In rapeseed, there is a constant need for increasing its genetic diversity, particularly through breeding of hybrid varieties in order to produce genotypes with improved seed yield, as well as other important agronomic traits. However, to create commercial hybrids, the knowledge of the genetic diversity of the parents is prerequisite, considering that the hybrid's performance greatly depends on the choice of parental lines. There is a lack of information about using the genetic distance to determine the extent of heterosis in spring rapeseed in Europe. The goals of this research were to determine the genetic variability of rapeseed breeding material for important agricultural traits, to analyse the differences in grouping of the parental genotypes based on their genetic distances determined by morphological traits and molecular markers and to estimate the correlation of the differently established parental genetic distances with hybrid performance, heterosis, general combining ability of both parents and specific combining ability in crosses. This will provide novel information for parental selection in order to develop a better approach for prediction of heterosis in spring rapeseed hybrid breeding program. The field trial included ten spring rapeseed genotypes that were crossed in a half diallel fashion thus making 45 hybrid combinations. Distances between parents were calculated based on data from 14 analysed phenotypic traits and 64 SSR markers. The obtained results showed that the parental genetic distance based on phenotypic traits was better in predicting heterosis and combining ability in comparison with the distance estimated by SSR analysis. Although the obtained results revealed that the genetic distance based on molecular markers had no correlation with mid-parent and high-parent heterosis, further studies are needed with a larger number and different types of markers to draw the final conclusion.

Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are recognized as the best potential source of traits for crop improvement. However, successful crop improvement using CWR relies on identifying variation in genes controlling desired traits in plant germplasms and subsequently incorporating them into cultivars. Epigenetic diversity may provide an additional layer of variation within CWR and can contribute novel epialleles for key traits for crop improvement. There is emerging evidence that epigenetic variants of functional and/or agronomic importance exist in CWR gene pools. This provides a rationale for the conservation of epigenotypes of interest, thus contributing to agrobiodiversity preservation through conservation and (epi)genetic monitoring. Concepts and techniques of classical and modern breeding should consider integrating recent progress in epigenetics, initially by identifying their association with phenotypic variations and then by assessing their heritability and stability in subsequent generations. New tools available for epigenomic analysis offer the opportunity to capture epigenetic variation and integrate it into advanced (epi)breeding programmes. Advances in -omics have provided new insights into the sources and inheritance of epigenetic variation and enabled the efficient introduction of epi-traits from CWR into crops using epigenetic molecular markers, such as epiQTLs.

Sunflower, a relevant crop for oil production in temperature regions, is subjected to various biotic stresses. Significance of a particular stress agent, both spatially and temporally, is determined by the environmental limitations and the pest population variability. This chapter provides a review of the major sunflower diseases and pests, with an emphasis on their distribution and description of the damage they may cause. Besides, we discuss different strategies used in sunflower breeding for biotic stress resistance, strategy that is reliable, durable, cost effective and with low negative impact on environment, for pest and disease control. During a long history of sunflower cultivation, several major breakthroughs in breeding for resistance to diseases and pests were made. Recent breakthrough in sunflower genomics and availability of genome data of both sunflower and its pathogens opens up the new possibilities for introduction of biotic stress resistance into cultivated sunflower. In the light of changes made over the history and the recent findings we discuss new tools available for designing sunflower crop resilient to biotic stresses.

The Pannonian Plain, as the most productive region of Southeast Europe, has a long tradition of agronomic production as well as agronomic research and plant breeding. Many research institutions from the agri-food sector of this region have a significant impact on agriculture. Their well-developed and fruitful breeding programmes resulted in productive crop varieties highly adapted to the specific regional environmental conditions. Rapid climatic changes that occurred during the last decades led to even more investigations of complex interactions between plants and their environments and the creation of climate-smart and resilient crops. Plant phenotyping is an essential part of botanical, biological, agronomic, physiological, biochemical, genetic, and other omics approaches. Phenotyping tools and applied methods differ among these disciplines, but all of them are used to evaluate and measure complex traits related to growth, yield, quality, and adaptation to different environmental stresses (biotic and abiotic). During almost a century-long period of plant breeding in the Pannonian region, plant phenotyping methods have changed, from simple measurements in the field to modern plant phenotyping and high-throughput non-invasive and digital technologies. In this review, we present a short historical background and the most recent developments in the field of plant phenotyping, as well as the results accomplished so far in Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia. Current status and perspectives for further simultaneous regional development and modernization of plant phenotyping are also discussed.

Sunflower is considered more tolerant and adaptable to abiotic stresses than many other crops. It can be successfully grown in marginal soils and in semiarid conditions. Hence, sunflower crop stands a very good chance of surviving a changing environment with its broad genetic base and the use of emerging—omics technologies. In the future, it will be necessary to improve sunflower crop productivity under different abiotic stresses occurring individually or simultaneously Future work in sunflower genetics and breeding for abiotic stress tolerance should be directed to the research and exploitation of the available genetic resources, as useful sources of genes for resilience. An integrated multidisciplinary approach based on genetics and—omics, physiology, and modelling, along with the application of modern breeding tools, should be used for designing of novel sunflower varieties, more resilient for abiotic stresses and extreme environmental conditions that are becoming more frequent due to climate change. In this chapter, we present a review on how sunflower could be adapted to abiotic stresses, respective traits, genetic resources, and tools for their introduction into the cultivated sunflower, thus making sunflower tolerant to the extreme climatic conditions.

Bearing in mind that the sunflower production in Serbia is extensive, it is very important to select a hybrid that will achieve stable and high seed and oil yields in different enviromental conditions. The objective of the study was to identify the most stable sunflower hybrids for seed and oil yield using AMMI model analysis. Nine newly developed early, medium early and medium late hybrids were tested. Hybrids were grown in different locations across Northern Serbia during two growing seasons (2013-2014). Selected locations are geographically close, but environmentally different in terms of soil, rainfalls and temperature, thus creating a specific microclimate conditions for sunflower growing. Pooled analysis of variance for seed and oil yield showed that the main effects of hybrids, environments and their interaction were highly significant. The agro-ecological environment E3 is most favourable for achieving high seed and oil yields, but E9 was the most stable. According to results of AMMI model, the most stable hybrids for the seed and oil yield, i.e. the lowest interaction with the enviroment, were NS2, NS8 and NS9. The obtained results indicate that hybrids can be recommended for production in different environments in Serbia; NS2 hybrid as early-growing, stable for oil yield; NS8 and NS9, medium-late hybrids, high productivity potential and suitable for all production systems. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR31025]

In recent years, overcoming the negative impact of climate change on the productivity of cultivated plants and the creation of tolerant genotypes have become one of the strategic goals in agriculture. In that context, IFVCNS breeding teams work intensely on finding innovative solutions to the main problems and challenges facing science and agriculture in the 21st century - climate change, environmental protection and sustainable crop production. In climate-smart crop breeding programmes IFVCNS researchers use innovative and high-throughput solutions for the exploitation of the existing and creation of the new genetic variability of field crops, creation of superior genotypes and transfer and implementation of new knowledge and technologies.

The most of the research work on camelina has been carried out in northern America and continental Europe. Two breeding groups (IFVCNS and BOKU) and one group focusing on the agronomy (DISTAL) just recently started research activities focusing on the development of new genotypes more adapted for southern regions of Europe. Common field trials, with 2 camelina lines selected by IFVCNS and 6 lines selected by BOKU were established at Bologna, Italy and at Rimski Šančevi, Serbia. Newly developed camelina lines were found to be highly adapted to Bologna environment, being able to achieve sustained seed yield in spite of delayed sowing and higher temperatures during pod filling period.

As an esthetic trait, ray floret color has a high importance in the development of new sunflower genotypes and their market value. Standard methodology for the evaluation of sunflower ray florets is based on International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) guidelines for sunflower. The major deficiency of this methodology is the necessity of high expertise from evaluators and its high subjectivity. To test the hypothesis that humans cannot distinguish colors equally, six commercial sunflower genotypes were evaluated by 100 agriculture experts, using UPOV guidelines. Moreover, the paper proposes a new methodology for sunflower ray floret color classification - digital UPOV (dUPOV), that relies on software image analysis but still leaves the final decision to the evaluator. For this purpose, we created a new Flower Color Image Analysis (FloCIA) software for sunflower ray floret digital image segmentation and automatic classification into one of the categories given by the UPOV guidelines. To assess the benefits and relevance of this method, accuracy of the newly developed software was studied by comparing 153 digital photographs of F-2 genotypes with expert evaluator answers which were used as the ground truth. The FloCIA enabled visualizations of segmentation of ray floret images of sunflower genotypes used in the study, as well as two dominant color clusters, percentages of pixels belonging to each UPOV color category with graphical representation in the CIE (International Commission on Illumination) L*a*b* (or simply Lab) color space in relation to the mean vectors of the UPOV category. Precision (repeatability) of ray flower color determination was greater between dUPOV based expert color evaluation and software evaluation than between two UPOV based evaluations performed by the same expert. The accuracy of FloCIA software used for unsupervised (automatic) classification was 91.50% on the image dataset containing 153 photographs of F-2 genotypes. In this case, the software and the experts had classified 140 out of 153 of images in the same color categories. This visual presentation can serve as a guideline for evaluators to determine the dominant color and to conclude if more than one significant color exists in the examined genotype.

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Although the anatomy of the sunflower achene has been extensively studied, not enough attention is given to the research of the pericarp characteristics as potentially important parameters in the breeding programme. Therefore, we considered that it was important to make very detail comparative analysis of morpho-anatomical characteristics of achene as well as miromorphological and n-alkane characteristics of epicuticular wax of the 18 wild perennial Helianthus species. For anatomical analyses cross-sections were obtained from the middle part of pericarp using cryotechnique procedure. Micromorphological observation, morphological and anatomical analysis of pericarp were performed using Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The composition of the epicuticular n-alkanes was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. Results showed differences in the distribution of phytomelanin pigment among the species. Denser phytomelanin network in the species H. salicifolius, H. resinous, H. tuberosus, and H. hirsutus may be connected with better resistance to insects and mechanical damages. Species H. resinosus, H. giganteus, and H. hirsutus are characterized by the highest percentage of cuticle and sclerenchyma thickness in the pericarp which can be a predictor of mechanical resistance to biotic and abiotic factors. Species H. strumosus, H. maximiliani, and H. grosseserratus are characterized with thin pericarp, poorly developed cuticle and epicuticle wax, as well as thin sclerenchyma tissue. In the pericarp waxes, C29 was the dominant alkane but several samples had n-alkanes longer than C33. These long-chain n-alkanes may be related to drought tolerance in some species. Obtained results of pericarp characteristics can be useful for improving technical and technological properties of the achene as well as for preservation of collection of wild sunflower species.

Plant genetic resources are a link between agriculture, environment and trade, so their conservation requires cooperation from different sectors. The existing diversity in genetic resources is the foundation in breeding for new challenges or new markets in the future. The number of crop genetic resources in Serbia is obscure because there is no national inventory. It is thought that there are about 15,000 seed accessions and 3500 accessions of fruit trees and grape in collections of different national institutes and stakeholders. In the National Plant Gene Bank, there are more than 4000 accessions of nearly 250 plant species. Crops kept in ex situ collections are used in breeding programs and interspecific crosses, for selection and introduction of desired traits through pre-breeding programs. Serbia as a state participates in all national and international efforts for preservation, management and use of plant genetic resources. Additionally, Serbia has also established a set of national regulations related to plant genetic resources and their use in breeding. Since Serbia is one of Europe’s most important crop producers, especially in maize (11% of EU-27 production), soya (35%), sunflowers (6%) and sugar beet (2.5%), this paper discusses certain issues and achievements in the use of plant genetic resources in cereal and oil crops improvement in Serbia, as well as national and international regulations affecting their exploitation.

Broomrape is a root parasitic plant causing yield losses in sunflower production. Since sunflower is an important oil crop, the development of broomrape-resistant hybrids is the prime breeding objective. Using conventional plant breeding methods, breeders have identified resistant genes and developed a number of hybrids resistant to broomrape, adapted to different growing regions worldwide. However, the spread of broomrape into new countries and the development of new and more virulent races have been noted intensively. Recent advances in sunflower genomics provide additional tools for plant breeders to improve resistance and find durable solutions for broomrape spread and virulence. This review describes the structure and distribution of new, virulent physiological broomrape races, sources of resistance for introduction into susceptible cultivated sunflower, qualitative and quantitative resistance genes along with gene pyramiding and marker assisted selection (MAS) strategies applied in the process of increasing sunflower resistance. In addition, it presents an overview of underutilized biotechnological tools, such as phenotyping, -omics, and genome editing techniques, which need to be introduced in the study of sunflower resistance to broomrape in order to achieve durable resistance.

Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses influencing performance of crops. Certain stress-related conditions can appear and slow down germination, seedling development and in some cases cause loss of life durability of seed. Assuming that drought in the substrate affects corn seed performance, such conditions were simulated in this study in order to examine their effects on seed germination and length in seven corn hybrids. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 has been used in laboratory studies for simulation of drought conditions. Different osmotic potentials of PEG solutions were used (control; -0.1, -0.3, -0.6 and -0.9 MPa). Germination percentage decreased as osmotic potential increased at PEG solution. Suša je jedan od najvažnijih abiotskih stresova koji utiču na razvoj ratarskih kultura. Određeni uslovi koji su povezani s pojedinim stresovima mogu dovesti do usporavanja klijanja, razvoja ponika, a u nekim slučajevima i do gubitka životne sposobnosti semena. Pod pretpostavkom da nedostatak vode u supstratu utiče na karakteristike semena kukuruza, simulirani su uslovi suše u ovoj studiji sa ciljem da se ispita njihov uticaj na klijavost semena i razvoj ponika sedam hibrida kukuruza. Polietilen glikol (PEG) se koristi u laboratorijskim istraživanjima za simulaciju uslova suše. Koristili smo različite osmotske potencijale u rastvoru PEG-a (kontrola, -0,1, -0,3, -0,6 i -0,9 MPa). Procenat klijavosti je opadao sa smanjenjem osmotskog potencijala u rastvoru. Osetljivost korena i nadzemnog dela se povećava sa smanjenjem osmotskog potencijala. Na potencijalu od -0,6 i -0,9 MPa, nadzemni deo semena kukuruza nije se razvio.

20 p.-3 fig., Although epigenetic modifications have been intensely investigated over the last decade due to their role in crop adaptation to rapid climate change, it is unclear which epigenetic changes are heritable and therefore transmitted to their progeny. The identification of epigenetic marks that are transmitted to the next generations is of primary importance for their use in breeding and for the development of new cultivars with a broad-spectrum of tolerance/resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this review, we discuss general aspects of plant responses to environmental stresses and provide an overview of recent findings on the role of transgenerational epigenetic modifications in crops. In addition, we take the opportunity to describe the aims of EPI-CATCH, an international COST action consortium composed by researchers from 28 countries. The aim of this COST action launched in 2020 is: (1) to define standardized pipelines and methods used in the study of epigenetic mechanisms in plants, (2) update, share, and exchange findings in epigenetic responses to environmental stresses in plants, (3) develop new concepts and frontiers in plant epigenetics and epigenomics, (4) enhance dissemination, communication, and transfer of knowledge in plant epigenetics and epigenomics, This finalization of the review was funded by COST Action CA19125—EPIgenetic mechanisms of Crop Adaptation to Climate cHange.

Lanik (Camelina sativa L.) is a relict agricultural oilseed crops from Brassicaceae family. It has several agronomic advantages relative to the other crops, including short vegetation (85- 100 days), low requirements for water and nutrients, great adaptability to different environmental conditions and resistance to insect attack and disease-causing agents. The aim of this work was to do preliminary characterization of Camelina sativa through plant height. The obtained information of germplasm genetic variability will be helpful in making decisions in future crosses. Field exam were performed using 54 hexaploid genotype of Camelina sativa, and 2 of them are result of genotype Serbian Selection (NS Slatka and NS Zlatka). The experimental plot was alpha lattice in four (4) replications in Novi Sad. Phenotyping of Camelina sativa for plant height was consisted of two statistical analysis. The first is descriptive statistics of plant height, and the second analysis was a cluster analysis (Cluster Analysis). Analyzing parameters through basic statistics for individual clusters it is evident that there is a statistically significant difference between the clusters. ANOVA was applied only to confirm the accuracy of the group. A statistically significant difference was found between but not within clusters. Genotypes of cluster 5, with small average plant height, are selected as genotypes of particular importance. Lanik (Camelina sativa L.) je uljana biljna vrsta iz porodice kupusnjača (Brassicaceae), koja poslednjih godina postaje posebno interesantna zbog svoje raznovrsne upotrebe i skromnih agroekoloških zahteva gajenja. Sadržaj ulja u semenu lanika je od 30% do 50%. Ulje lanika ima jedinstven sastav masnih kiselina sa 30-40% alfa-linoleinske kiseline (omega-3 masne kiseline), oko 15% eikozenoične kiseline i sa oko 3% eruka kiseline. Kvalitet ulja lanika omogućava njegovo korišćenje u proizvodnji biogoriva, biomaziva, u farmaceutskoj i kozmetičkoj industriji i ulja pogodnog za ljudsku ishranu. Poseduje nekoliko agronomskih prednosti u odnosu na druge kulture, uključujući kratku vegetaciju (85-100 dana), niske potrebe za vodom i nutritijentima, veliku prilagodljivost različitim agroekološkim uslovima i tolerantnost na napade insekata i prouzrokovače ekonomski važnih bolesti. Istraživanja u oplemenjivanju i tehnologiji gajenja lanika intenzivirana su poslednjih godina u zemljama Europske unije, Kanadi i SAD. Cilj ovog rada je bio uraditi fenotipizaciju lanika kroz visinu stabljike (biljke) kako be se dobila jasnija slika o genetičkoj varijabilnosti korišćene germplazme kao potencijalnog izvora poželjnih gena u budućim programima oplemenjivanja. U radu je korišćeno 54 genotipa heksaploidnog lanika, od čega su 2 genotipa rezultat srpske selekcije (NS Zlatka i NS Slatka). Ogled je postavljen po alfa latis sistemu (alpha lattice) u tri (3) ponavljanja, na lokalitetu Rimski šančevi (45.323 s.g.š. i 19.848 i.g.d.). U rezultatima su prikazani osnovni parametri lanika za visinu stabljike dok je grupisanje ispitivanih genotipova po ovoj osobini prikazano dendrogramom klaster analize (Sluster Analysis). Prosečna visine stabljike za ceo ogled iznosila je 67,95 cm. Najniži je bio genotip G8 (51,53 cm), a najviši genotip G51 (78,63 cm). Minimalna prosečna visina biljke je iznosila 30,0 cm, dok je maksimalna 81,1 cm. Na osnovu klaster analize genotipovi su se grupisali u pet različitih klastera. Klaster pod rednim brojem 4 izdvaja genotipove niskog rasta (58,74 cm), dok klaster pod rednim brojem 5 grupiše visoke genotipove (73,83 cm). Visina stabljike lanika utiče na mnoge osobine, a prvenstveno na samu arhitekturu biljke i prinos semena i ulja. Zato je veoma važno postojanje genetičke varijabilnosti visine stabljike, kao i poznavanje datog svojstva germplazme koja se koristi ili se uvodi u programe oplemenjivanja ove, relativno nove uljane biljke.

Phytoextraction is an efficient and cheap way to extract copper from soils in riparian zones. In this work five genotypes of the endangered tree species Populus nigra L. were tested for their copper tolerance and accumulation in vitro when cultivated on media with three Cu concentrations: 10 -3 , 10 -4 and 10 -7 M (buffered with citric acid/Na-citrate buffer, pH 3 before sterilization). After five-weeks cultivation of rooted shoots, the highest increases in morphological and biomass parameters were observed at 10 -7 M Cu 2+ . As the medium with 10 -3 M Cu 2+ exhibited a toxic effect, the effect of 10 -4 M Cu 2+ and pH 3 was used for further genotype evaluation. According to the measured morphological and parameters of photosynthetic pigment contents, the best performance was achieved by the genotype Populus nigra cl. DN3. The highest copper accumulation on the same medium was achieved by genotype Populus nigra cl. BN5. The obtained data point to the considerable potential of the applied method in the evaluation of Populus nigra genotypes for use in projects of copper phytoextraction. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS170210014V Received: February 10, 2017; Revised: April 6, 2017; Accepted: April 26, 2017; Published online: May 15, 2017 How to cite this article: Vuksanovic V, Kovacevic B, Katanic M, Orlovic S, Miladinovic D. In vitro evaluation of copper tolerance and accumulation in Populus nigra . Arch Biol Sci. 2017;69(4):679-87.

This article is part of the Research Topic: Advances in Oil Crops Research—Classical and New Approaches to Achieve Sustainable Productivity.-- Edited by: Dragana Miladinović, Johann Vollmann, Leire Molinero-Ruiz and Mariela Torres., The world production of main oil crops is steadily increasing, mainly due to population growth and increased use of oil crops in bio-fuel production and in edible vegetable oils. From the perspective of sowing area in the world, oil crops are only preceded by cereals in importance. Edible or industrial oils are extracted from seeds, fruits or mesocarp, and nuts of both annual and perennial species. Oil can be obtained from about 40 different crops, but soybean, sunflower, olive tree, and rapeseed have a major importance in the total world trade. The purpose of the Research Topic “Advances in Oil Crops Research—Classical and New Approaches to Achieve Sustainable Productivity” is to provide the reader compiled information of the latest research results about different aspects of oil crops. This research topic incorporates 23 publications including 19 research papers, three review articles, and one perspective.

Sunflower has been proposed as a potential crop model for an adaptation to a changing environment and special attention should be paid to testing hybrids under different environments. Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model (AMMI) supplemented with genotype main effects and genotype by environment interaction effects (GGE) were used for dissection of genotype by environment interaction and evaluation of hybrids and testing environments. The research included 24 sunflower hybrids grown across twelve environments. AMMI analysis identified four significant interaction principal components (IPC), while in GGE biplot the first two IPCs accounted together for 44.59%. Environmental factors contributed the largest proportion in the total variation of seed yield (67.40%), followed by interaction and genotypes. High yielding hybrids H1, H14 and H11 showed specific adaptation to environments E10 and E1, respectively. The average environment coordination (AEC) view of GGE biplot indicated H17 as the most desirable genotype regarding seed yield. From the results of this study it can be concluded that MET trials are important not just for evaluation of stability and choosing the most stable genotypes, but also the genotypes that will perform well in low yielding environments and be able to take advantage of the favourable environmental conditions.

Due to its ability to grow in different agroecological conditions and its moderate drought tolerance, sunflower may become the oil crop of preference in the future, especially in the light of global environmental changes. In the field conditions, sunflower crop is often simultaneously challenged by different biotic and abiotic stresses, and understanding the shared mechanisms contributing to two or more stresses occurring individually or simultaneously is important to improve crop productivity under foreseeable complex stress situations. Exploitation of the available plant genetic resources in combination with the use of modern molecular tools for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and application of genomic selection (GS) could lead to considerable improvements in sunflower, especially with regard to different stresses and better adaptation to the climate change. In this chapter we present a review of climate-smart (CS) traits and respective genetic resources and tools for their introduction into the cultivated sunflower, thus making it the oil crop resilient to the extreme climatic conditions and well-known and emerging pests and diseases. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

The study assessed the genetic variability among Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. isolates originating from six different countries (Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Ukraine and Serbia), collected mostly from sunflower, but also maize, soybean, flax, common bean and zebra plant. RAPD analysis was based on 154 polymorphic bands obtained with 14 OPA primers. RAPD markers OPA-02–OPA-05, OPA-07–OPA-13 and OPA-18–OPA-20 were found to be suitable for measuring the genetic relatedness and detecting variability in M. phaseolina populations. Cluster analysis revealed high genetic diversity of M. phaseolina isolates within the same country of origin, but clear differentiation according to the isolates’ host plant and geographical origin was not observed. Contingency analysis and corrected contingency coefficients enabled determination of RAPD markers associated with geographical origin of isolates, as well as markers specific for non-sunflower isolates. Marker OPA 10_1750 was found to be highly specific for the isolates from Turkey, while two markers, OPA 3_1250 and OPA 9_800, could be used for differentiation of isolates originating from sunflower from isolates originating from other host plants.

Isoflavones are a group of phytoestrogens, naturally-occurring substances important for their role in human health. Legumes, particularly soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), are the richest source of isoflavones in human diet. Since there is not much current data on genetics of isoflavones in soybean, particularly in the aglycone form, elucidation of the mode of inheritance is necessary in order to design an efficient breeding strategy for the development of high-isoflavone soybean genotypes. Based on the isoflavone content in 23 samples of soybeans from four different maturity groups (00, 0, I and II), three crosses were made in order to determine the inheritance pattern and increase the content of total isoflavones and their aglycone form. Genotype with the lowest total isoflavone content (NS-L-146) was crossed with the low- (NS Zenit), medium (NS Maximus), and high- (NS Virtus) isoflavone genotypes. There were no significant differences in the total isoflavone content (TIF) between F2 populations, and there was no transgression among genotypes within the populations. Each genotype within all three populations had a higher TIF value than the lower parent (NS-L-146), while genotypes with a higher TIF value than the better parent were found only in the NS-L-146 × NS Zenit cross. However, significant differences in the aglycone ratio (ratio of aglycone to glycone form of isoflavones) were found between the populations. The highest aglycone ratio was found in the NS-L-146 × NS Maximus cross. The results indicate that the genetic improvement for the trait is possible.

© 2019, Springer Nature B.V. Broomrape (Orobanche cumana) is a parasitic weed that causes substantial yield losses in sunflower. In this study, four biparental genetic populations comprised of between 96 and 150 F 3 families were phenotyped for resistance to broomrape race G. Bulk segregant analyses (BSA) combined with genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology was used to verify previously identified genes and map new resistance QTLs. Resistance had a polygenic basis, and numerous QTLs were found in all mapping populations. Contributing components to resistance that were common to all populations mapped to two major QTLs on chromosome 3, which were designated or3.1 and or3.2. QTL or3.1 was positioned in a genomic region where a previous broomrape resistance gene Or5 has been mapped, while QTL or3.2 was identified for the first time in the lower region of the same chromosome. Following the identification of major QTLs for resistance using the BSA-seq approach, all plants from three F 2 populations were genotyped using newly developed CAPS markers nearest to the QTL peak for or3.2, which confirmed the association of these markers with broomrape race G resistance. The results of this study will bring us a step closer to understanding the mechanisms underlying resistance of sunflower to highly virulent broomrape races, and the molecular markers developed herein will be highly useful for sunflower breeding programs.

Path coefficient analysis was applied to gain information on direct and indirect effects of studied traits (seed oil content, kernel oil content, seed protein content, kernel protein content, head diameter, kernel ratio and plant height) on sunflower seed yield. Traits which exhibit the highest effects on seed yield will be used as a selection criterion in confectionary sunflower breeding. The research was conducted during three vegetation seasons on 22 experimental confectionary sunflower hybrids, created in breeding program the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops. Among the largest number of examined traits, significant and highly significant correlations were found. With the analysis of simple correlation coefficients a low interdependence was determined between, kernel protein content, plant heights with seed yield. Negative but weak correlation was determined between kernel oil content, seed protein content, kernel ratio with seed yield. Established a negative strong correlation of head diameter (-0.190*) and negative very strong correlation of seed oil content (-0.351**) with seed yield. The seed oil content had a very strong direct negative effect on seed yield (DE=-0.831**). The head diameter, plant height, seed protein content had weak negative direct effect on seed yield. Kernel protein content and kernel oil content has demonstrated a weak direct positive effect on seed yield. Path coefficient analysis for seed yield showed very strong direct effect for kernel ratio (DE=0.487*) on seed yield, it shows that the kernel ratio is important selection criterion for confectionary sunflower breeding. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 31025: Development of new varieties and production technology improvement of oil crops for different purposes]

A rapid laboratory test for detection of tribenuron-methyl resistant sunflower genotypes was developed. Four homozygous and four heterozygous tribenuron-methyl resistant hybrids, as well as a susceptible one were grown on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of herbicide (2.0 µM, 2.5 µM, 3.0 µM, 3.5 µM and 4.0 µM) and with pH either 7 or 8. The effect of medium pH and herbicide concentration on above-ground part and root mass of sunflower seedlings was observed. The test enabled visual discrimination between resistant and susceptible genotypes in 5 days, and discrimination between homozygous and heterozygous resistant genotypes in 12 days. All tested herbicide concentrations and morphological parameters were found to be suitable for discrimination of tribenuron-methyl susceptible genotypes. The best pH and herbicide concentration combination and morphological parameter for discrimination between homozygous and heterozygous resistant sunflower genotypes were 3.0 µM at pH 7 and root mass, respectively. Razvijen je brzi laboratorijski test za detekciju genotipova suncokreta otpornih na tribenuron metil. Po četiri hibrida suncokreta homozigotno i heterozigotno otporna na tribenuron metil, kao i jedan neotporan hibrid su gajeni na MS podlozi sa pH vrednošću ili 7 ili 8 i sa različitim koncentracijama herbicida Express 50X, čija je aktivna materija tribenuron-metil (2.0 µM, 2.5 µM, 3.0 µM, 3.5 µM i 4.0 µM). Ispitivan je uticaj pH i koncentracije herbicida u podlozi na masu nadzemnog dela i korena klijanaca testiranih hibrida. Vizuelne razlike između otpornih i neotpornog hibrida su uočene nakon 5 dana kulture, dok su se razlike između homozigotnih i heterozigotnih otpornih hibrida pojavile nakon 12 dana kulture. Sve testirane koncentracije herbicida i testirani morfološki parametri su se pokazali kao dobri za identifikaciju neotpornih genotipova. Najbolja kombinacija pH i koncentracije herbicida za razlikovanje homozigotnih od heterozigotnih otpornih genotipova je bila 3.0 µM na pH 7, a morfološki parametar masa korena.

Rapeseed is one of the most important sources of edible oil, raw material for industry, as well as feed. The yield and quality of rapeseed have significantly been improved in recent decades as a result of intensive breeding and optimized production technology. The application of Mendel's rules in introducing monogenic traits has also contributed to success in rapeseed breeding. Rule 1, which refers to the uniformity of F1 generation, is now the basis of widespread development of rapeseed hybrids. Rule 2, dealing with genetic segregation in the F2 generation, is the basis for understanding the process of breeding lines. Rule 3, regarding the independent segregation of genes and traits, while exempting linked traits, is the basis of combining different desirable properties by selection. In the last few decades, the systematic use of Mendel's rules has contributed to the improvement of many properties of rapeseed, including tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress, yield and seed quality. Particular progress has been made in breeding for resistance to diseases, including the identification of molecular markers for marker-assisted selection. The next objective of rapeseed breeding is to create varieties with improved tolerance to environmental stress (e.g. frost, heat, and drought). Based on Mendel's rules, classical breeding methods and the latest developments in the field of molecular genetics and breeding, future progress is expected in the field of rapeseed breeding with an emphasis on polygenic, quantitative traits such as biomass, seed, and oil yield.

The aim of this research is to characterize wild annual sunflowers on the basis of achene micro-morphology. Plant material was grown up on an experimental field of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad during 2015. Achene samples were hand-collected at the time of physiological maturity. Morphological measurements of achenes were performed using stereoscopic microscope Leica MZ16 with Leica DFC 320 Camera. The micro-morphological diversity of achenes was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Obtained results indicated the presence of some quantitative and qualitative differences in achene characteristics among analyzed species, such as in their size, color, carpopodium and stylopodium shape, and distribution of trichomes on the achene surface. The carpopodium of examined species was asymmetrical at the maturity. Differences in the cuticle and wax ornamentation in different parts of the achenes, on the anticlinal walls of epidermal cells, were identified. The SEM analysis revealed the presence of non-glandular, multicellular bi-seriate trichomes (twin hairs) on the achene surface. This trichome type consisted of two elongated, parallel cells of different length. Considering the distribution of trichomes among the apical, median and basal regions of the fruit, most of the species demonstrated greater trichome density in the apical part. Cilj istraživanja u ovom radu je karakterizacija jednogodišnjih vrsta suncokreta na osnovu mikromorfoloških parametara ahenije. Biljni materijal uzgajan je na eksperimentalnom polju Instituta za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo u Novom Sadu. Uzorci ahenija sakupljani su ručno tokom 2015. godine, u vreme fiziološke zrelosti. Morfološka merenja izvršena su primenom stereoskopskog mikroskopa Leica MZ16 sa Leica DFC 320 kamerom. Mikromorfološke karakteristike analizirane su pomoću skening elektronskog mikroskopa (SEM). Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na prisustvo kvalitativnih i kvantitaivnih razlika između analiziranih vrsta, u parametrima kao što su veličina i boja ahenije, karakteristike karpopodijuma i stilopodijuma, kao i distribucija trihoma. Pronađena je razlika u ornamentici kutikule i voska antiklinih zidova epidermalnih ćelija na različitim delovima ahenije. SEM analiza ukazala je na prisustvo nežlezdanih, višećelijskih, biserijatnih trihoma (twin hairs). Navedeni tip trihoma sastoji se od dve izdužene, paralelne ćelije različite dužine. Imajući u vidu različitu raspodelu trihoma na apikalnom, medijalnom i bazalnom delu, većina vrsta se karakteriše najvećom gustinom trihoma u apikalnom delu ahenije.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) belongs to the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. It is primarily grown for seeds used for bird feed or as edible oil. Stamens are used in traditional medicine and nutrition. Breeding for high resistance to dry growing conditions has initiated intensive studies of this plant species in recent years. Six safflower genotypes of different geographical origins (Ukraine, Italy, Turkey) were collected and added to the collection of less cultivated oil plant species of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad. Phenotypic observations during two growing seasons revealed that analysed genotypes differed in flower colour (yellow, orange, red), in the presence of spines, and in seed oil and protein content. Oil and protein content differed between years and genotypes, indicating large influence of genotype and environmental conditions on variations of these quantitative traits that are negatively correlated. Genetic variability of the analysed genotypes was tested by use of molecular markers. Given that sunflower and safflower belong to the same family, the possibility of applying SSR markers developed for sunflower for molecular analysis of safflower was analysed. The obtained results proved that sunflower markers can be successfully transferred to safflower. Future studies should include larger number of markers in order to identify polymorphic and informative ones. Significant variations within a relatively small number of the analysed safflower genotypes justify further work on the evaluation of the collection, taking into account both genetic and environmental factors. Šafranjika (Carthamus tinctorius L.) pripada porodici Asteraceae (Composita). Gaji se prvenstveno za dobijanje semena koje se koristi za ishranu ptica ili proizvodnju jestivog ulja. Prašnici se koriste u tradicionalnoj medicini i ishrani. Visoka otpornost na sušne uslove gajenja inicirala je poslednjih godina intenzivnija istraživanja ove biljne vrste. Za kolekciju manje gajenih uljanih biljnih vrsta Instituta za ratarstvo i povrtarstvo, prikupljeno je šest genotipova šafranjike različitog geografskog porekla (Ukrajina, Italija, Turska). Fenotipskim opažanjem u toku dve vegetacione sezone utvrđeno je da se genotipovi među sobom razlikuju u boji cveta (žuta, narandžasta, crvena), u prisustvu bodlji, kao i sadržaju ulja i proteina u semenu. Sadržaj ulja i proteina se razlikovao između godina i genotipova, što ukazuje na veliki uticaj i genotipa i spoljašnje sredine u variranju ovih kvantitativnih svojstava koja se nalaze u negativnoj korelaciji. Genetička varijabilnost genotipova je ispitana molekularnim markerima. S obzirom na to da suncokret i šafranjika pripadaju istoj porodici, proučavana je mogućnost upotrebe SSR markera suncokreta za molekularnu analizu šafranjike. Dobijeni rezultati pokazali su da se markeri suncokreta mogu uspešno koristiti za šafranjiku i da buduća istraživanja treba da sadrže veći broj markera u cilju identifikovanja polimorfnih i informativnih markera. Značajne razlike u relativno malom broju analiziranih genotipova šafranjike opravdavaju dalji rad na evaluaciji kolekcije, uzimajući u obzir i uslove sredine i genetičku varijabilnost.