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Marketed as a healthier alternative to bread wheat, spelt (Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta) is in increasing demand from consumers and bakers in Switzerland. The Swiss spelt landscape is currently dominated by two varieties—Ostro and Oberkulmer Rotkorn—considered as references for Swiss "typical" spelt. However, these two varieties are rather old and deliver low yields; the market therefore needs improved spelt varieties with higher agronomic potential while keeping the essential attributes of typical spelt. As spelt and winter wheat can be interbred, modern spelt varieties often result from crosses between the two. It has therefore become increasingly difficult to distinguish between typical spelt and modern wheat-spelt intercrosses. This project aims to clarify the phenotypic distinction between typical spelt and modern wheat-spelt intercrosses in the Swiss context. To do this, we performed field trials with 50 spelt varieties, including typical and modern cultivars from Switzerland and Central Europe. We measured agronomic, rheological and nutritional parameters of each variety. In addition, these cultivars were genotyped using a 25 K Illumina Wheat SNP array. This allowed us to identify which phenotypic parameters were associated with genetic proximity to typical spelt. Swiss typical spelt varieties were characterized by highly extensible doughs, later phenology, low harvest index, high thousand kernel weights, and lower Zeleny/protein ratio. By linking phenotypic characteristics, easily measurable in fields, to the underlying genetic information of each variety, these results will help to better classify spelt varieties in Switzerland and pave the way for more clarity and transparency on the Swiss spelt market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to explore the diverse phenotypic characteristics of moso bamboo in China and pinpoint essential characteristics of moso bamboo. In this study, 63 grids were selected using the grid method to investigate 28 phenotypic traits of moso bamboo across the entire distribution area of China. The results suggest that the phenotypic traits of moso bamboo exhibit rich diversity, with coefficients of variation ranging from 5.87% to 36.57%. The phenotypic traits of moso bamboo showed varying degrees of correlation. A principal component analysis was used to identify seven main phenotypic trait indicators: diameter at breast height (DBH), leaf area (LA), leaf weight (LW), branch-to-leaf ratio (BLr), leaf moisture content (Lmc), wall-to-cavity ratio (WCr), and node length at breast height (LN), which accounted for 81.64% of the total information. A random forest model was used, which gave good results to validate the results. The average combined phenotypic trait value (D-value) of most germplasm was 0.563. The highest D-value was found in Wuyi 1 moso in Fujian (0.803), while the lowest D-value was observed in Pingle 2 moso in Guangxi (0.317). The clustering analysis of phenotypic traits classified China's moso bamboo germplasm into four groups. Group I had the highest D-value and is an important candidate germplasm for excellent germplasm screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences is the property of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Northwest A & F University - Natural Science Edition is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Northwest A&F University (Natural Science Edition) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Nowadays, most of the Ethiopian barley landraces had been lost from farmer’s field and exclusively found ex-situ conserved at the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI). Those ex-situ conserved are generally believed to be representative of the original population and possess high genetic diversity and important unique genes that are useful for tackling the various biotic and abiotic stresses in the face of the current climate change. Thus, this research was aimed at testing the performance of 150 ex-situ conserved landraces that had been collected from Arsi and Bale highlands, Southeastern Ethiopia. The landraces were tested at multiple test locations over two years (2021 and 2022). Results All the tested landraces showed a good germination rate regardless of their long storage duration. In addition, performance of all the qualitative traits revealed a varying frequency for each character state. For example, most of the accessions (51.3%) had six kernel row numbers (KRN). All the remaining accessions had two rows (28.7%) and irregular KRN with variable lateral florets (20%). Likewise, some of the quantitative traits considered showed a significant variation among the landraces. However, there observed a significant variation for all the interaction effects in some of the traits considered signifying the importance of considering environment effects while targeting genetic selection and improvement of ex-situ conserved germplasms. The phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) were considerably high to medium in most of the traits considered including seed yield per hectare (SYPH) but with no associated higher genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV). Moreover, all the traits showed a far greater phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) to that of genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) once again suggesting the pronounced effect of environmental factors to the variation. This was far supported by the significantly higher absolute magnitudes in phenotypic correlation compared to their corresponding genotypic correlation in most of the traits. Low estimates of heritability and genetic advance observed in all the traits considered except seed yield per hectare indicate importance of the trait for selection in Ethiopian barley improvement programs. Clustering patterns of the accessions, in narrow sense, revealed the existence of low divergence among the samples. Conclusion Ethiopian barley landraces are promising candidates for further yield improvement and conservation. However, further regular testing and screening should be conducted for the ex-situ conserved landraces because of the current erratic climate change. In addition, more robust molecular marker systems could be used to clearly reveal the extents of genetic diversity and to facilitate the breeding and conservation of Ethiopian barley landraces.

There are few reports related to the presence of Spiranthes spiralis in the Oltenia region in southern Romania. This study develops the information concerning the presence of this type of orchid in Gorj County. The studies on the populations of this orchid species have been conducted in the Natura 2000 site of the Community ROSCI0045 Jiului Corridor. In the researched territory, during the investigations, twelve populations of Spiranthes spiralis were sampled for the first time. In 2022–2023, we studied the distribution of this species and assessed its population densities. Our observations indicate that it is a relatively widespread species in the studied area and its populations are more abundant in meadows, in the Medicagini minimae–Festucetum valesiacae plant community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nowadays, most of the Ethiopian barley landraces had been lost from farmer's field and exclusively found ex-situ conserved at the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI). Those ex-situ conserved are generally believed to be representative of the original population and possess high genetic diversity and important unique genes that are useful for tackling the various biotic and abiotic stresses in the face of the current climate change. Thus, this research was aimed at testing the performance of 150 ex-situ conserved landraces that had been collected from Arsi and Bale highlands, Southeastern Ethiopia. The landraces were tested at multiple test locations over two years (2021 and 2022). Results: All the tested landraces showed a good germination rate regardless of their long storage duration. In addition, performance of all the qualitative traits revealed a varying frequency for each character state. For example, most of the accessions (51.3%) had six kernel row numbers (KRN). All the remaining accessions had two rows (28.7%) and irregular KRN with variable lateral florets (20%). Likewise, some of the quantitative traits considered showed a significant variation among the landraces. However, there observed a significant variation for all the interaction effects in some of the traits considered signifying the importance of considering environment effects while targeting genetic selection and improvement of ex-situ conserved germplasms. The phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) were considerably high to medium in most of the traits considered including seed yield per hectare (SYPH) but with no associated higher genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV). Moreover, all the traits showed a far greater phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) to that of genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) once again suggesting the pronounced effect of environmental factors to the variation. This was far supported by the significantly higher absolute magnitudes in phenotypic correlation compared to their corresponding genotypic correlation in most of the traits. Low estimates of heritability and genetic advance observed in all the traits considered except seed yield per hectare indicate importance of the trait for selection in Ethiopian barley improvement programs. Clustering patterns of the accessions, in narrow sense, revealed the existence of low divergence among the samples. Conclusion: Ethiopian barley landraces are promising candidates for further yield improvement and conservation. However, further regular testing and screening should be conducted for the ex-situ conserved landraces because of the current erratic climate change. In addition, more robust molecular marker systems could be used to clearly reveal the extents of genetic diversity and to facilitate the breeding and conservation of Ethiopian barley landraces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to analyze the phenotypic characters of different germplasm resources of woody vegetable Erythropalum scandens and lay a foundation for selecting excellent E. scandens resources with large leaf and vigorous branch. In this study, 20 provenances from Vietnam and three provinces (regions) in China (Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian) were selected as the research objects. Twelve leaf characters and four branch characters were measured and calculated. Descriptive statistics, variance analysis and correlation analysis were performed, and the phenotypic characters of different E. scandens resources were counted, classified and evaluated. The results were as follows: (1) There were significant or extremely significant differences in most leaf and branch characters among different resources. The rangeabilities of the coefficient variation (CV) of all characters within provenances were not the same. The rangeability order of the coefficient variation of all characters among different resources was leaf functional character (15.42%-70.01%)>branch character (20.57%-71.71%)>leaf morphological character (3.39%-20.01%). Phenotypic variation within provenance was more prominent. (2) In terms of correlation between leaf morphological character and leaf functional character, there was a significant correlation between number of new branches, number of internodes and number of new leaves, but there was no significant correlation between number of new branches and leaf morphological characters. (3) Four principal components could be extracted from 16 phenotypic characters, and the total contribution rate was 85.528%. Four principal components reflected leaf morphology, leaf germination and growth, leaf shape, dry matter accumulation and branch thickening, respectively. (4) Cluster analysis of 20 resources could be divided into three categories, one had large leaves and good growth condition, one had small leaves and vigorous branches, and the other one was not outstanding in comprehensive performance. The geographical distribution of the subgroups of the major resources was close to each other. (5) Anxi and Fuqing in Fujian could be selected as resources with large leaves; Daxin, Shangsi and Guiping in Guangxi could be selected as resources with strong branches. In conclusion, the provenance of Anxi in Fujian has the best comprehensive performance, followed by Fuqing, Haifeng, Nanning in China and Chaling in Vietnam. Zhaoping and Yizhou has the worst comprehensive performance and they are not suitable for cultivation in Nanning. In some resources, there are excellent single plants with outstanding growth performances, which could be developed into clones for further provenance tests. This study provides a scientific basis for the analysis of phenotypic characters and the initial performance of different E. scandens germplasm resources in Nanning, and lay a foundation for screening and breeding high-yield E. scandens varieties.

This research aimed to explore the diverse phenotypic characteristics of moso bamboo in China and pinpoint essential characteristics of moso bamboo. In this study, 63 grids were selected using the grid method to investigate 28 phenotypic traits of moso bamboo across the entire distribution area of China. The results suggest that the phenotypic traits of moso bamboo exhibit rich diversity, with coefficients of variation ranging from 5.87% to 36.57%. The phenotypic traits of moso bamboo showed varying degrees of correlation. A principal component analysis was used to identify seven main phenotypic trait indicators: diameter at breast height (DBH), leaf area (LA), leaf weight (LW), branch-to-leaf ratio (BLr), leaf moisture content (Lmc), wall-to-cavity ratio (WCr), and node length at breast height (LN), which accounted for 81.64% of the total information. A random forest model was used, which gave good results to validate the results. The average combined phenotypic trait value (D-value) of most germplasm was 0.563. The highest D-value was found in Wuyi 1 moso in Fujian (0.803), while the lowest D-value was observed in Pingle 2 moso in Guangxi (0.317). The clustering analysis of phenotypic traits classified China’s moso bamboo germplasm into four groups. Group I had the highest D-value and is an important candidate germplasm for excellent germplasm screening.

The present investigation was carried out in three districts of South Eastern Rajasthan; Jhalawar, Kota and Baran to select the phenotypically superior trees (CPTs) of Azadirachta indica and to study the variation of the phenotypic characters among provenances. Thirty CPTs each were selected for study from each of the three districts and the parameters tree height, crown diameter, bark thickness, Girth, clear bole height, Ratio of clear bole height and tree height were recorded and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. The data analyzed for the CPTs selected reveals that both the Kota and Baran region have highest value for tree height, crown diameter, bark thickness, Girth, clear bole height, Ratio of clear bole height and tree height. The trees selected from Kota region is also having highest value of both crown diameter and second highest value of leaf area after Jhalawar region and the trees selected from Jhalawar region has the highest value for both Girth and bark thickness among other provenances. The data of this experiment can also be used as a base line data for using in further tree breeding and tree improvement programme of Azadirachta indica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to document the physical and morphometric characteristics of Kombai dog found in Theni district of Tamil Nadu, India. The physical and morphometric traits were recorded from adult male and female Kombai dog which are more than two years of age. The other managemental practices and breeding characters of this dog were obtained from the dog owners through direct interview schedule.The coat colour of Kombai dog is light brown to tan. The dogs are aggressive towards strangers and obedient with the owners.The height at withers in adult males is 60.38±0.35 cms and in female is 55.66±0.37.The body weight of adult Kombai dog were 22.42± 1.14 and 21.73±2.14 kg,respectively in male and female dogs. Due to the above measurement range, Kombai dogs categorised under the category of mid-sized hound (Mid-sized hound dog - height 51-70 cm and body weight between 20-40 kg). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia oleifera Abel. is an economically important woody oil plant native to China. To explore the genetic diversity of wild C. oleifera phenotypic traits and effectively protect these germplasm resources, this study provides a thorough evaluation of the phenotypic variability of a cluster of 143 wild C. oleifera germplasm resources. A total of 41 characters, including leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and oil quality characters, were investigated based on the quantization of physical and chemical descriptors and digital image analysis. The findings revealed significant variations among the 41 characters with a high range of Shannon-Wiener indexes (H') from 0.07 to 2.19. The coefficient of variation (CV) among 32 quantitative characters ranged from 5.34% to 81.31%, with an average of 27.14%. High genetic diversity was also detected among the 143 germplasm. Based on the analysis of hierarchical clustering, 143 accessions were separated into six categories. All the individuals can be clearly distinguished from each other according to the result of the principal component analysis (PCA). The MTOPSIS exhaustive evaluation method based on correlation and PCA analyses of 32 quantitative characters was applied for the 143 wild C. oleifera accessions, and the top 10 varieties were identified as YA53, YA13, YA40, YA34, YA57, YA19, YA33, YA41, DZ8, and YA7. This research optimized the germplasm evaluation system and perfected the statistical phenotypic traits for distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) testing. Some top-notch germplasm sources were also screened for oil-tea Camellia breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few reports related to the presence of Spiranthes spiralis in the Oltenia region in southern Romania. This study develops the information concerning the presence of this type of orchid in Gorj County. The studies on the populations of this orchid species have been conducted in the Natura 2000 site of the Community ROSCI0045 Jiului Corridor. In the researched territory, during the investigations, twelve populations of Spiranthes spiralis were sampled for the first time. In 2022–2023, we studied the distribution of this species and assessed its population densities. Our observations indicate that it is a relatively widespread species in the studied area and its populations are more abundant in meadows, in the Medicagini minimae–Festucetum valesiacae plant community.

We report a new record of Eremotermes neoparadoxalis from Haryana, India. Eremotermes Silvestri, 1911 is a highly dispersed genus epitomized by 10 species, six of which have been reported in India, including E. paradoxalis in Harayana. Taxonomic descriptions provided with illustrations of general morphology and measurements of body length, head length with and without mandibles, body pigmentation, antennae segments, tibial spur, tarsal segments, head width, and body width. These keys along with photographs are prepared for both soldier and worker castes of E. neoparadoxalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effect of gamma radiation on various morphological and agronomic characters of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), seeds were subjected to different gamma radiation doses; and selected M5 and M6 generation lines were evaluated. The optimum doses to induce desirable changes in bread wheat were 100–200 Gy. Seed loss decreased while grain yield, yield components, fertile florets number, biological yield, plant height, harvest index and flag leaf area increased in all mutant lines. Shear strength increased in many lines. Selected mutant lines also showed reduced seed shattering that can greatly reduce seed loss at harvest. Some new phenotypic characters such as the appearance of bristles on the glume, important for drought tolerance, two spikelets at each rachis and more fertile florets at each spikelet. These can greatly increase yield, as seen in some mutant lines. Also, some physiological characteristics including photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, and chlorophyll content improved in some mutant lines. About 95.8% of the total variation in grain yield was explained by three selected variables: flag leaf area, number of seeds per spike, and spike number per plant. Grain yield increased more than 45% in some mutant lines the highest ever reported using this approach to the genetic improvement of wheat. Wheat grain yield has increased 2.2 times in the last 50 years, which indicates that if mutagens are optimally used and the selection is carefully performed as described herein, it is possible to improve important economic traits, in a much shorter time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundTaxonomic descriptions are traditionally composed in natural language and published in a format that cannot be directly used by computers. The Exploring Taxon Concepts (ETC) project has been developing a set of web-based software tools that convert morphological descriptions published in telegraphic style to character data that can be reused and repurposed. This paper introduces the first semi-automated pipeline, to our knowledge, that converts morphological descriptions into taxon-character matrices to support systematics and evolutionary biology research. We then demonstrate and evaluate the use of the ETC Input Creation - Text Capture - Matrix Generation pipeline to generate body part measurement matrices from a set of 188 spider morphological descriptions and report the findings.ResultsFrom the given set of spider taxonomic publications, two versions of input (original and normalized) were generated and used by the ETC Text Capture and ETC Matrix Generation tools. The tools produced two corresponding spider body part measurement matrices, and the matrix from the normalized input was found to be much more similar to a gold standard matrix hand-curated by the scientist co-authors. Special conventions utilized in the original descriptions (e.g., the omission of measurement units) were attributed to the lower performance of using the original input. The results show that simple normalization of the description text greatly increased the quality of the machine-generated matrix and reduced edit effort. The machine-generated matrix also helped identify issues in the gold standard matrix.ConclusionsETC Text Capture and ETC Matrix Generation are low-barrier and effective tools for extracting measurement values from spider taxonomic descriptions and are more effective when the descriptions are self-contained. Special conventions that make the description text less self-contained challenge automated extraction of data from biodiversity descriptions and hinder the automated reuse of the published knowledge. The tools will be updated to support new requirements revealed in this case study.

Copyright of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences is the property of Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A comparative study on the morphometric and meristic variables of Barilius bendelisis (Ham.) from two different water bodies, i.e., Khanda Gad, a perennial spring fed stream and fish pond in the Garhwal Himalayan region of Uttarakhand was made during the present study. A total of 100 specimens were analysed for 26 different morphometric variables and 14 meristic counts. The majority of morphometric variables showed linear relationship when expressed in relation to total length and head length, whereas meristic counts remained constant with increasing body length. Standard length was found to be the highly correlated character in samples from both sites. Principal Component Analysis of 10 significant morphometric variables yielded three components accounting for 73.38% of the total variation. Principal Component Analysis of 3 meristic variables yielded single component accounting for 62.3% of total variation. Discriminant Function Analysis for morphometric and meristic variables showed that 98% and 83% of individuals were allocated into their original populations respectively. The cluster analysis for morphometric characters showed of fish populations from both sites formed two major clades, thus significantly differentiating the two stocks of fish population.

Yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida are causative agents of the infectious pathology of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal, respiratory, urogenital tracts and skin of mammals, sepsis, and disseminated infection in birds. The search and testing of multilevel algorithms for biofilm identification when exposed to chemotherapeutic and disinfectant drugs for blocking the synthesis or destruction of the intercellular matrix in the development of superficial, deep and systemic candidiasis of animals are relevant for developing and improving diagnostic and antiepidemic measures. It was established that the formation of biofilm heterogeneous structure comprises multiple stages implementing the processes of intercellular communication due to the synthesis of a polymer matrix composites. Optical microscopy revealed a three-dimensional structure of biofilms in the form of a dense network consisting of yeast cells, hyphal and pseudohyphalic forms surrounded by an intercellular polymer matrix. Candida spp. pathogenicity factors contribute to infection of susceptible species due to adhesion, invasion, secretion of hydrolases, dimorphism. Formation of mono-species or poly-species biofilms of microorganisms, including Candida spp., causes the development of superficial, deep and systemic candidiasis. Detection of a large amount of yeast and micellar phases in C. albicans and C. africana isolates was a differential sign of a significant degree of colonization of the mucous membranes of the larynx, pharynx, and tonsils in case of local and systemic pathologies in pigs. The results of studies of the biofilm heterogeneous structure and phenotypic signs of yeast-like fungi can be used in a comparative study of biological characteristics and the identification of common patterns and differential signs of microorganisms, optimization of mycological diagnostics, and also in the development of antimycotic drugs.

Chemical induction (inhibition of polar body II release) and crossing between tetraploid and diploid oysters (mating triploids) are 2 distinct and typical methods for obtaining triploids, and systematic comparative analysis on the phenotypic traits of these two triploids is rare. We tracked and compared the growth, survival, reproductive characteristics and ploidy composition of diploids, induced triploids, and mating triploids, and conducted interaction analysis between genotypes and sites. The results showed that the shell height of larvae showed a significant decrease trend of 3 NTD > 3 NCB > 2 N, while the D larval rate and survival rate of 3 NCB were the lowest, which may be related to the long-term effects of CB toxicity. During offshore farming, from the 180th to 700th day, the shell heights of the three groups followed a significantly decreasing order at both sites, namely 3 NTD > 3 NCB > 2 N (except on the 270th day at Beihai site), and the triploid advantage of shell height in 3 NTD was generally higher than that in 3 NCB, with the same trend in the whole weight. Genotypes and sites always had significant effects on shell height, but their interactions were not significant. The incremental survival rates of the 2 triploid groups were higher than that of the diploid at both sites on the 270th and 700th day, while that of the 3 NTD was significantly higher than the 3 NCB only on the 270th day. In addition, both triploids had some individuals fertile and could produce mature gametes, but the proportion was much lower than that of diploids. Triploid gonadal development is characterized by feminization and a high proportion of hermaphroditism. The fertility ratio and gamete production of 3 NTD were higher than that of 3 NCB, but the relatively high fertility of 3 NTD had no significant effect on its growth and survival. Ploidy composition tracking found that the ploidy composition of 2 N and 3 NTD groups was stable, but the ploidy composition of 3 NCB varied over time. These results indicate that 3 NTD has better performance and higher triploid advantages than 3 NCB, making it more suitable for the commercial production and promotion of triploid C. hongkongensis. • First systematic comparison study of induced triploid, mated triploid and diploid C. hongkongensis. • Both 3 NCB and 3 NTD had significant growth and survival advantages, and fertility disadvantages over 2 N. • 3 NTD had higher growth traits and higher survival rate than 3 NCB at both sites. • 3 NTD had a stable ploidy, and had the higher fertility ratio and mature gametes than 3 NCB. • 3 NTD has better performance and is suitable for commercial promotion farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis is the property of Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Juniperus turbinata Guss. is a native species of Morocco; however, an exhaustive taxonomic description based on phenotypical characterization of north-eastern Moroccan population species is lacking, which might lead to taxonomic confusion. In order to expound the phenotypic description of J. turbinata of the north-eastern Moroccan population and to examine the taxonomic differences within it; a comparative analysis of cones, leaves, and seeds was performed between three populations. A total of 280 samples were compared on the basis of nine measured and eight calculated traits. The results reveal significant interpopulation changes in the studied characteristics of cones, leaves, and seeds. The most discriminating traits were associated with the proportion between cone diameter and number of seeds. We detected the lowest number of seeds in coastal population when compared to other localities, but at the same time, the seeds from the littoral were the longest and the widest. In addition, the semi-continental population had the highest quantity of seeds, and leaves had intermediate values for the majority of the assessed traits. The phenotypical difference between populations demonstrates a certain adaptability of the species in a biogeographical pattern. This study is a contribution to completing the description of patterns of phenotypical differences of the Phoenician juniper in the Mediterranean region, and confirms its evolutionary plasticity linked to adaptation to local environmental conditions.

A comparative study on the morphometric and meristic variables of Barilius bendelisis (Ham.) from two different water bodies, i.e., Khanda Gad, a perennial spring fed stream and fish pond in the Garhwal Himalayan region of Uttarakhand was made during the present study. A total of 100 specimens were analysed for 26 different morphometric variables and 14 meristic counts. All morphometric variables showed linear relationship when expressed in relation to total length and head length (except for caudal length in Khanda Gad's fishes). As observed by meristic counts for different length of fishes, it remained constant with increasing body length. Standard length was found to be the highly correlated character in samples from both sites. Principal Component Analysis of 10 significant morphometric variables yielded three components accounting for 73.38% of the total variation. Principal Component Analysis of 3 meristic variables yielded single component accounting for 62.3% of total variation. Principal Component Analysis plots show that characters like, base of caudal fin, least height of caudal peduncle, pre-orbital distance, post-orbital distance, eye diameter, inter orbital distance, numbers of dorsal fin ray, scales from lateral line to pelvic fin and scales from lateral line to anal fin distinguishes the fish stock from fish pond and Kanda Gad. Discriminant Function Analysis for morphometric and meristic variables showed that 98% and 83% of individuals were allocated into their original populations respectively. The cluster analysis for morphometric characters showed of fish populations from both sites formed two major clades, thus significantly differentiating the two stocks of fish population. These morphometric variations could be attributed to the difference in the ecological and the rearing condition of fish stock from the stream and pond. The information on phenotypic variation between the natural stream and hatchery reared fish would be important for development of aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ancient tea plant germplasm is an important resource for breeding new tea plant varieties and has great economic value. However, due to man-made and natural disturbances, it has become endangered. In order to have a better management of the conserved tea plant germplasm, it is a requirement to understand the genetic and phenotypic diversity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic and phenotypic diversity of 145 ancient tea plant germplasm resources from five populations in Sandu County of Guizhou province in China. To explore the population genetics of tea plant, we successfully identified 15 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, which were highly polymorphic. Additionally, we applied traditional phenotypic methods to evaluate the tea plant diversity. The results suggested that the genetic and phenotypic diversity were relatively high. A total of 96 alleles were identified, and the mean polymorphic information content (PIC) value was found to be 0.66. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that genetic variation within the populations was greater than among the populations. Overall, our results are the valuable baseline data in developing more efficient management and breeding plans for one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverage crops, the tea plant species.

The genetic relationships among 96common Turkish bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes were investigated based on72 phenotypic characters and molecular ISSR and RAPD markers. Main seed color and predominant secondary seed color were determined as the primary characteristics to distinguish the bean accessions. The mentioned traits, among 72 individual phenotypic traits, explained 58.46 % of phenotypic variation in the first three axes of the principal component analysis (PCA) beside flower duration, plant height, and a number of nodes on the stem. The 21 ISSR primers and 8 RAPD primers having clear and readable band data were also employed, 358 and 116 polymorphic bands were obtained from them, respectively. Polymorphism information content value for ISSR varied between 0.15 and 0.50, while that for RAPD was from 0.31 to 0.48. Among the examined genotypes, molecular genetic relationship determined based on dendrogram obtained by Jaccard distance matrix. Based on the results, the 52% and 48% of the bean genotypes were categorized as Mesoamerican and Andean originated genotypes. In addition, genetic variation values were determined by using Nei and Shannon coefficients and they were highly variable among bean genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grape ( Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most important fruit crops in the world. In the present study, morphological variation and marker-fruit trait association were investigated in a collection of Iranian grapes. The studied genotypes were phenotypically diverse, which vine, leaf, bunch, and berry traits showed high variation. Significant positive and negative correlations were found among some characteristics. Berry weight was significantly positively correlated with the consecutive tendrils number, bunch peduncle length, berry length, seed presence and seed number. Forty-eight SNP and nine SSR markers, which generated 118 and 129 alleles, respectively, were able to distinguish genetic variation among genotypes. The clustering dendrograms according to both SSR and SNP data showed two main clusters with high variability between genotypes. Multiple regression analysis showed statistically significant associations between important fruit traits and some SNP and SSR markers which may provide clues for identification of the genotypes with higher values. The findings of phenotypic and genotypic variations here suggest that the studied germplasm representing the kind of variation, would be a valuable genetic resource for future breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted in Haryana and the response of 240 farmers was elicited on 18 phenotypic characters regarding their perception about the importance of these characters in fixing the price of a buffalo. On the basis of their mean scores, ranks were calculated in both the categories of villages. The study revealed that milk yield (4.96), parity (4.42) and stage of lactation were considered the most important in (category 1) villages while milk yield (4.84), shape and size of udder (4.14) and parity (4.06) were perceived as the most important in category 2 villages in determining the price of a buffalo. Rho-value of 0.87 indicated that there was association in their responses regarding the role of phenotypic characters in determining their price. Results pertaining to stepwise-forward regression indicated that 6 phenotypic characters contributed to the extent of 88% in deciding the price of a buffalo.

The phenotypic characteristics and genetic fingerprints of a collection of 120 bacterial strains, belonging to Pseudomonas syringae sensu lato group, P. viridiflava and reference bacteria were evaluated, with the aim of species identification. The numerical analysis of 119 nutritional characteristics did not show patterns that would help with identification. Regarding the genetic fingerprinting, the results of the present study supported the observation that BOX-PCR seems to be able to identify bacterial strains at species level. After numerical analyses of the bar-codes, all pathovars belonging to each one of the nine described genomospecies were clustered together at a distance of 0.72, and could be separated at genomic species level. Two P. syringae strains of unknown pathovars (CFBP 3650 and CFBP 3662) and the three P. syringae pv. actinidiae strains were grouped in two extra clusters and might eventually constitute two new species. This genomic species clustering was particularly evident for genomospecies 4, which gathered P. syringae pvs. atropurpurea, coronafaciens, garçae, oryzae, porri, striafaciens, and zizaniae at a noticeably low distance.

Camellia oleifera Abel. is an economically important woody oil plant native to China. To explore the genetic diversity of wild C. oleifera phenotypic traits and effectively protect these germplasm resources, this study provides a thorough evaluation of the phenotypic variability of a cluster of 143 wild C. oleifera germplasm resources. A total of 41 characters, including leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and oil quality characters, were investigated based on the quantization of physical and chemical descriptors and digital image analysis. The findings revealed significant variations among the 41 characters with a high range of Shannon-Wiener indexes ( H ') from 0.07 to 2.19. The coefficient of variation (CV) among 32 quantitative characters ranged from 5.34% to 81.31%, with an average of 27.14%. High genetic diversity was also detected among the 143 germplasm. Based on the analysis of hierarchical clustering, 143 accessions were separated into six categories. All the individuals can be clearly distinguished from each other according to the result of the principal component analysis (PCA). The M-TOPSIS exhaustive evaluation method based on correlation and PCA analyses of 32 quantitative characters was applied for the 143 wild C. oleifera accessions, and the top 10 varieties were identified as YA53, YA13, YA40, YA34, YA57, YA19, YA33, YA41, DZ8, and YA7. This research optimized the germplasm evaluation system and perfected the statistical phenotypic traits for distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) testing. Some top-notch germplasm sources were also screened for oil-tea Camellia breeding., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Chen, Liu, Zhou, Zheng, Luo, Xiang, Zhou, Feng, Yang and Ding.)

Background: Taxonomic descriptions are traditionally composed in natural language and published in a format that cannot be directly used by computers. The Exploring Taxon Concepts (ETC) project has been developing a set of web-based software tools that convert morphological descriptions published in telegraphic style to character data that can be reused and repurposed. This paper introduces the first semi-automated pipeline, to our knowledge, that converts morphological descriptions into taxon-character matrices to support systematics and evolutionary biology research. We then demonstrate and evaluate the use of the ETC Input Creation - Text Capture - Matrix Generation pipeline to generate body part measurement matrices from a set of 188 spider morphological descriptions and report the findings. Results: From the given set of spider taxonomic publications, two versions of input (original and normalized) were generated and used by the ETC Text Capture and ETC Matrix Generation tools. The tools produced two corresponding spider body part measurement matrices, and the matrix from the normalized input was found to be much more similar to a gold standard matrix hand-curated by the scientist co-authors. Special conventions utilized in the original descriptions (e.g., the omission of measurement units) were attributed to the lower performance of using the original input. The results show that simple normalization of the description text greatly increased the quality of the machine-generated matrix and reduced edit effort. The machine-generated matrix also helped identify issues in the gold standard matrix. Conclusions: ETC Text Capture and ETC Matrix Generation are low-barrier and effective tools for extracting measurement values from spider taxonomic descriptions and are more effective when the descriptions are self-contained. Special conventions that make the description text less self-contained challenge automated extraction of data from biodiversity descriptions and hinder the automated reuse of the published knowledge. The tools will be updated to support new requirements revealed in this case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide an expanded and updated, 2-locus phylogeny (mtSSU, nuLSU) of the lichenized fungal family Trypetheliaceae, with a total of 196 ingroup OTUs, in order to further refine generic delimitations and species concepts in this family. As a result, the following 15 clades are recognized as separate genera, including five newly established genera: Aptrootia, Architrypethelium, Astrothelium (including the bulk of corticate species with astrothelioid ascospores; synonyms: Campylothelium, Cryptothelium, Laurera), Bathelium s. str. (excluding B. degenerans and relatives which fall into Astrothelium), the reinstated Bogoriella (for tropical, lichenized species previously placed in Mycomicrothelia), Constrictolumina gen. nov. (for tropical, lichenized species of Arthopyrenia), Dictyomeridium gen. nov. (for a subgroup of species with muriform ascospores previously placed in Polymeridium), Julella (provisionally, as the type species remains unsequenced), Marcelaria (Laurera purpurina complex), Nigrovothelium gen. nov. (for the Trypethelium tropicum group), Novomicrothelia gen. nov. (for an additional species previously placed in Mycomicrothelia), Polymeridium s. str., Pseudopyrenula, Trypethelium s. str. (T. eluteriae group), and Viridothelium gen. nov. (for the Trypethelium virens group). All recognized genera are phenotypically characterized and a discussion on the evolution of phenotypic features in the family is given. Based on the obtained phylogeny, species delimitations are revised and the importance of characters such as thallus morphology, hymenial inspersion, and secondary chemistry for taxonomic purposes is discussed, resulting in a refined species concept. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The experiment was conducted to characterize different breeds of pigeon phenotypically and to study their body biometry, which are available in the northern Bangladesh. During this study 30 farms were selected which have >20 pair of pigeons in the three study area namely Rajshahi, Natore and Pabna districts of Bangladesh. There about 15 breeds have been selected for the observation of phenotypic characteristics such as color of bill, eye, eyelid, skin, shank, toe, egg, head feather, neck feather, body feather, down feather, wing feather, tail feather and shape of bill, body and egg. The biometrical data were collected from the measurement of length of bill, head, body, shank, middle toe, wingspan and mature body weight. In this study the highest mean bill length was found 2.83±0.05cm in Strasser and lowest mean head length 5.00±0.00cm in Kormona, Nun and Jacobin. The highest mean body length was found 41.60±0.38cm in Strasser and lowest mean body length 30.00±0.43cm in Owl. The highest mean wingspan was found 81.00±0.51cm in Jacobin and lowest mean wingspan 60.45±0.76cm in kormona. The heighest mean shank length was found 3.40±0.13cm in Homer and lowest mean shank length 2.50±0.00cm in Giribug, Kormona, Nun, Satinette and Suachandan. The heighest mean middle toe length was found 4.40±0.05cm in pouter and lowest mean middle toe length 3.00±0.00cm in kormona. The heighest mean mature body weight was found 748.20±8.96gm in Strasser and lowest mean mature body weight 265.10±7.03gm in Giribug. Phenotypic correlation among bill length, head length, body length, wing span, shank length, middle toe length and mature body weight of these breeds of pigeon ranged from 0.233 to 0.789. The experiment's result may contribute to breed up gradation, helps to formulate the conservation and improvement strategies for the breed as genetic resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The morphological characters of C. lasiocarpa were studied to find its morphological responses to different water regimes and growth stretagies through different water experiences. [Method] A seeding transplanting experiment with controlled water levels was set up, and the water level was changed at the middle of the season to compare water influence at the seeding stage and later growing period. C. lasiocarpa height, leaf length, leaf number, rhizome and adventitious roots length were measured at certain time througth the growing season. [Result] Results at the thriving season indicated that C. lasiocarpa height and leaf length in the experiment were similar to that in the field, but leaf number was higher under -5 cm water level and dry-wet alternate conditions than that in the field. At later growth period, height and leaf length under constant flooding (15 cm) was significantly higher than that under other culture conditions, and also that of the field investigation; while the leaf number had a trend as -5 cm water level treatment>constant flooding>dry-wet alternate>field investigation. The height and leaf length were sensitive to seeding stage water effects, and leaf number sensitive to later influences. [Conclusion] Changes of water regimes in the growing season disturbed the growth of C. lasiocarpa, could accelerate or suspend its wilt, and modified the length of life history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o grau de tolerância e sensibilidade à salinidade de genótipos de arroz durante a fase vegetativa da planta. O experimento foi conduzido sob condições de telado, nas dependências da Empresa Pernambucana de Pesquisa Agropecuária-IPA (Recife-PE), em 1996. Foram avaliados doze genótipos de arroz, sendo dez tolerantes e dois sensíveis à salinidade no estádio de desenvolvimento vegetativo. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso com arranjo fatorial (doze genótipos x quatro níveis de NaCl), em três repetições. Os resultados constataram existência de variabilidade entre os genótipos de arroz na população estudada para tolerância e sensibilidade à salinidade. As linhagens PR492, PR504, CNA8250, CNA8262 e CNA8267 são tolerantes e a CNA8270, CNA8258, CNA8269, PR475 e PR477 são sensíveis à salinidade dos solos durante a fase vegetativa.The objective of this work was to evaluate the degree of tolerance and sensibility to the salinity of genoty,pes of rice (Oryza sativa L.) during the vegetative phase of the plant. The experiment was lead under greenhouse conditions at IPA (Empresa Pernambucana de Pesquisa Agropecuária), in 1996. Twelve genotypes of rice had been evaluated, being ten tolerant and two sensible ones to salinity in the vegetative development stadium. The randomized blocks design were performed into three repetitions of factorials arrangements (twelve genotypes x four levels of NaCl). Results had evidenced variability existence among the genotypes of rice, in the specific population, for tolerance and sensitivity to the salinity. Samples PR492, PR504, CNA8250, CNA8262 and CNA8267 can be considered tolerant to salinity, while the genotypes CNA8270, CNA8258, CNA8269, PR475 and PR477 are sensible to salinity of soil during the vegetative phase.

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Twenty cyclamen taxa belonging to the Primulaceae originate from the Mediterranean region and grow under trees and bushes. There are 10 cyclamen species growing naturally in Turkey, five of which are endemic. In this study, intact cyclamen plants were collected from nature with their tubers intact. Collection took place in spring and autumn in Adana, Osmaniye, Kahramanmaraş, İzmir and Eskişehir provinces, 50 samples per location. Sampled plants were propagated and cultivated in Adana. The morphology of four Cyclamen species ( C. persicum Mill., C. cilicium Boiss.e.Heldr., C. pseudibericum Hildebr. and C. coum Mill.) was characterized using 1-year-old regenerated plants. A total of 27 phenotypic characters (13 flower, 11 leaf, 2 plant, 1 tuber) were evaluated based on a detailed descriptor's list. In addition to these morphological observations, 13 quantitative traits (7 flower, 5 leaf, 1 tuber) were measured. The measurements related to morphological characteristics had a wide range of variation, including in tuber diameter, leaf length and width, petal length, petal color, and leaf shape, indicating the vast morphological differences among these four cyclamen species. In most cases, the use of principal component analysis confirmed the grouping of characters into species-specific clusters although one or two clusters could not differentiate species, indicating that morphological and cluster analyses alone are not enough for characterizing this complex Cyclamen germplasm and that molecular techniques may reveal more intricate and useful relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cladonia furcata complex treated here comprises C. farinacea, C. furcata, C. multiformis, C. scabriuscula, C. stereoclada, and C. subrangiformis. The well-known taxonomic complexity of this group is caused by wide phenotypic variation and high morphological similarity among the species, for which reason we investigated the distribution in the phylogeny of the phenotypic characters traditionally used to distinguish the species in this complex. A phylogenetic analysis of the C. furcata complex is presented here, based on three loci (ITS rDNA, IGS rDNA and RPB2), representing specimens from a broad geographical range (Europe, North America and New Zealand). The phylogenetic reconstructions were performed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses. In addition, 14 features traditionally used for species delimitation within this complex were mapped onto the Bayesian phylogeny. All the species currently accepted, with the exception of C. stereoclada, turned out to be polyphyletic. Most of the phenotypic characters studied are highly homoplasious with the exception of the podetium type. The solid podetia represent a diagnostic character of C. stereoclada. [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]

A study was conducted in Vegetable Research Institute, AARI, Faisalabad, Pakistan during 2013 to estimate the genetic variability and correlation among 12 genotypes of bitter gourd (FSD Long, FSB-07, KHBG-37, MONIKA, TIPU, RAJA, LEEN-7005, COL NO.3, BG-616, CBT-36, FBG-2005 and BG-34). These accessions were planted in-triplicate RCBD. The data was collected on morphological and physiological traits like first male flower node, first female flower node, yield per plot (kg), pH, TSS (°Brix), acidity percentage and vitamin C (mg/100 ml). The analysis of genetic variability showed higher genotypic (46.31%) and phenotypic (72.46%) coefficient of variation for acidity percentage. Highest value of genetic advance (62.48) was observed for vitamin C for all studied attributes. High heritability estimates (0.96%) was observed in TSS (°Brix) followed by vitamin C (0.89%). The correlation analysis showed that first male flower node had higher positive than genetic association with pH (0.679) than first female flower node with pH (0.787). Highest positive correlation of yield per plot was observed with TSS (0.0887 °Brix) among all the traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]