Abstract The unprecedented challenges to crop production driven by climate change drivers warrant the development of resilient crop varieties to sustain crop yield. In the present and future, climate, drought, salinity and temperature stress will be the major yield‐limiting factors. Roots are the primary responders to drought, flooding and salinity and assume a key position in developing plant resilience. Root architecture has emerged as a promising focal point in breeding efforts aimed at developing resource‐efficient crops. However, crop selection frequently prioritises shoot performance exclusively because evaluating root traits is a more intricate process. Improving root traits will be a pivotal factor in increasing the efficiency of water and nutrient capture, reducing yield gaps and providing the necessary foundation for the ‘Evergreen Revolution’, which is essential for aligning crop production with the needs of the growing human population. However, building an ideotype for root system architecture (RSA) has been precluded by obvious difficulties in reliable phenotyping and greater growth plasticity and abiotic stress response of root, as in some cases, the plasticity can be maladaptive due to greater metabolic costs. Nevertheless, a large body of experimental data has been generated to build an optimum root ideotype for diverse stressful environments. In this article, we provide an overview of the typical RSA ideotypes under various stresses that have been suggested in previous research and indicate functional evidence on the role of root phenes that could help breeders in their efforts to include root traits in their selection pipelines for abiotic stress tolerance, aimed to improve the resilience of crops. Such an approach can deliver quicker improvements compared to selection solely based on yield, particularly in stressful environments, using a more precisely tailored approach to increase long‐term sustainability and mitigate the impacts of stresses. Also, the probabilities for aligning future abiotic stress breeding strategies based on RSA and other traits are discussed. Prioritising these ideotype‐related traits in breeding programs could significantly boost crop production and enhance the long‐term sustainability of agriculture.
One (T1) and two (T2) light traps per ha were compared with control with no light source (T3) against gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera. Pooled data of 2018 and 2019 showed that TI resulted with average population of 0.31larvae per plant with 5.46% pod damage and average yield of 1235 kg per ha. In T2, lowest larval population was recorded (0.25/plant), lesser pod damage (4.02%) and higher yield (1244.8 kg /ha) while in control plots (T3), larval population density was maximum with 0.377 larvae/plant with pod damage of 10-25% and 1162.90 kg /ha yield was recorded.
Ten genotypes of oats were planted at three diverse environments to assess genotype environment interaction and determine stable oat ( Avena sativa L.) cultivar in Kashmir division for grain quality and grain yield using randomized block design during 2011 to 2012. Stability analysis for grain quality and yield was carried out to check the response to Genotype x Environment interactions. The mean squares due to G x E (linear) were significant reveals genetic differences among genotypes for linear response to varying environments, while mean squares due to pooled deviations were highly significant, reflecting considerable differences among the genotypes for non-linear response. Out of ten genotypes, only three oats lines i.e., SABZAAR, SKO-208 and SKO-209 had non-significant deviation from regression and their regression coefficient values were close to unity classified as stable varieties for grain quality and grain yield.. The cultivar, “SKO-208” with regression coefficient value of 1.009, the smallest deviations from regressions (S 2 di) value and the highest grain yield could be considered the most widely adapted cultivar. The other test cultivars were sensitive to production-limiting factors, their wider adaptability, stability and general performance to the fluctuating growing conditions within and across environments.
Drought is increasingly becoming a serious challenge reducing common bean productivity. A study was conducted with the objective of evaluating common bean cultivars against different concentration levels of Polyethylene glycol which induces drought stress in radical length and root biomass to identify cultivars of common beans tolerant to drought stress and rank top performing accordingly. Complete Randomized Design with four replications and 50 treatments were employed in the laboratory experiment. Results showed that root biomass and radical length were maximum at control and decreased with an increase in PEG 6000 concentration.
An experiment was conducted comprising of six corn hybrids that were subjected to drought and irrigated environment in separate columns in soil-plant-atmosphere-research (SPAR) cubes. The treatments and hybrids in SPAR cubes were replicated four times and a two factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used to analyze the effect of drought on hybrids and their effects on traits. Significant drought × hybrid interactions were observed for most of the parameters. All the traits observed under this study were affected by drought conditions. Root volume (RV) and root shoot ratio (RSR) increased, and number of root tips (NRT), number of root forks (NRF), and number of root crossings (NRC) were drastically reduced under drought conditions. The photosynthetic rate (Phot) declined by 57.96% and electron transport rate (ETR) by 54.60% and was negatively correlated with plant height (PH) and root number (RN) during drought stress. Chlorophyll content (SPAD) showed a non-significant correlation with all the traits. As per results, there were significant differences among corn hybrids for different traits studied under the SPAR setup, which indicates that this setup successfully creates differences in treatments. A cumulative drought stress response index (CDSRI) was worked out. DKC-6581 and N61X-3110 were found to be highly drought tolerant as per our findings.
Maize Downy Mildew (MDM) is a devastating disease in the humid sub-tropical/tropical regions of Asia. In this study, the prevalence of MDM during the rainy Kharif seasons of south Karnataka state (India) ranged between 6.8% (2018) and 19.1% (2022). The research evaluated new fungicidal treatments and assessed the genetic tolerance of maize lines to develop robust management strategies that enhance maize productivity and stability. During the Kharif seasons of 2021 and 2022, we conducted field trials to evaluate the effectiveness of six different fungicides, both individually and in combination. The most effective approach combined seed treatment with Metalaxyl (4%) and Mancozeb (64%) WP, followed by a foliar spray of Azoxystrobin (18.2%) and Difenoconazole (11.4%) SC. This treatment reduced MDM incidence by 97.6% and increased maize yield up to 85.6 quintals per hectare, with a benefit-cost ratio of 2.2. Additionally, screening of 317 maize inbred lines in Kharif 2019 identified 22 lines with stable MDM resistance over nine consecutive Rabi and Kharif seasons, indicating their potential for sustained resistance. Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis revealed significant increases in eighteen phenolic compounds and fifteen flavonoid compounds in resistant maize genotypes. Specifically, resistant genotypes exhibited elevated levels of salicylic acid (4.2 to 9.2-fold), p-Coumaric acid (3.7 to 4.8-fold), o-Coumaric acid (4.5 to 7.4-fold), Caffeic acid (2.4 to 3.1-fold), and Ferulic acid (2.3 to 2.8-fold). Flavonoid levels also increased, with Naringenin ranging from 34.4 µg/g in African Tall to 130 µg/g in MAI 224, Catechin from 22.9 µg/g in African Tall to 124.4 µg/g in MAI 10, and Epicatechin from 1.3 µg/g in African Tall to 8.2 µg/g in MAI 10. These heightened levels contribute to a robust chemical defence mechanism against Peronosclerospora sorghi. This study provides crucial insights into managing MDM through host plant resistance and fungicidal treatments. We identified 22 resistant inbred lines as valuable genetic resources for breeding MDM-resistant maize hybrids. Enhanced levels of specific phenolic and flavonoid compounds in these resistant genotypes suggest a robust chemical defence mechanism, essential for developing resilient crops. Our findings offer practical recommendations for improving maize production and ensuring crop security in MDM-affected regions. Integrating these resistant maize lines and effective fungicidal treatments can significantly advance sustainable agricultural practices, contributing to crop resilience and food security in areas prone to MDM.
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