Rice Storage Proteins:Focus on Composition,Distribution,Genetic Improvement and Effects on Rice Quality

Rice storage proteins(RSPs)are plant proteins with high nutritional quality.As the second largest type of storage substance in rice,it is the main source of protein intake for people who consume rice as a staple food.The content and type of RSPs affect the appearance,processing quality and eating quality of rice.These effects involve the distribution of RSPs in rice grains as well as the interactions of RSPs with other components such as starch in rice grains.In the past two decades,some progress has been made in the genetic improvement of RSPs.However,the determination mechanism of protein content and composition in rice is still unclear,and the mechanism of the effect of RSPs on rice quality has not been elucidated.In this review,the composition,biosynthesis and distribution of RSPs,and quantitative trait loci mapping and cloning of RSP genes are summarized,the research progress of the influence of RSPs and their components on rice quality are reviewed,and the research directions in the future are proposed.

Harnessing male germline epigenomics for the genetic improvement in cattle

Sperm is essential for successful artificial insemination in dairy cattle,and its quality can be influenced by both epi-genetic modification and epigenetic inheritance.The bovine germline differentiation is characterized by epigenetic reprogramming,while intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can influence the offspring’s development through the transmission of epigenetic features to the offspring via the germline.Therefore,the selec-tion of bulls with superior sperm quality for the production and fertility traits requires a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanism and more accurate identifications of epigenetic biomarkers.We have comprehensively reviewed the current progress in the studies of bovine sperm epigenome in terms of both resources and biological discovery in order to provide perspectives on how to harness this valuable information for genetic improvement in the cattle breeding industry.

Genetic improvement of legume roots for adaption to acid soils

Acid soils occupy approximately 50% of potentially arable lands.Improving crop productivity in acid soils,therefore,will be crucial for ensuring food security and agricultural sustainability.High soil acidity often coexists with phosphorus(P) deficiency and aluminum(Al) toxicity,a combination that severely impedes crop growth and yield across wide areas.As roots explore soil for the nutrients and water required for plant growth and development,they also sense and respond to below-ground stresses.Within the terrestrial context of widespread P deficiency and Al toxicity pressures,plants,particularly roots,have evolved a variety of mechanisms for adapting to these stresses.As legumes,soybean(Glycine max) plants may acquire nitrogen(N) through symbiotic nitrogen fixation(SNF),an adaptation that can be useful for mitigating excessive N fertilizer use,either directly as leguminous crop participants in rotation and intercropping systems,or secondarily as green manure cover crops.In this review,we investigate legumes,especially soybean,for recent advances in our understanding of root-based mechanisms linked with root architecture modification,exudation and symbiosis,together with associated genetic and molecular strategies in adaptation to individual and/or interacting P and Al conditions in acid soils.We propose that breeding legume cultivars with superior nutrient efficiency and/or Al tolerance traits through genetic selection might become a potentially powerful strategy for producing crop varieties capable of maintaining or improving yields in more stressful soil conditions subjected to increasingly challenging environmental conditions.

Flexible Job Shop Composite Dispatching Rule Mining Approach Based on an Improved Genetic Programming Algorithm

To obtain a suitable scheduling scheme in an effective time range,the minimum completion time is taken as the objective of Flexible Job Shop scheduling Problems(FJSP)with different scales,and Composite Dispatching Rules(CDRs)are applied to generate feasible solutions.Firstly,the binary tree coding method is adopted,and the constructed function set is normalized.Secondly,a CDR mining approach based on an Improved Genetic Programming Algorithm(IGPA)is designed.Two population initialization methods are introduced to enrich the initial population,and a superior and inferior population separation strategy is designed to improve the global search ability of the algorithm.At the same time,two individual mutation methods are introduced to improve the algorithm’s local search ability,to achieve the balance between global search and local search.In addition,the effectiveness of the IGPA and the superiority of CDRs are verified through comparative analysis.Finally,Deep Reinforcement Learning(DRL)is employed to solve the FJSP by incorporating the CDRs as the action set,the selection times are counted to further verify the superiority of CDRs.

Genetic Improvement Progress and Productive Effect of Rapeseed in Henan Province

The research progress and major achievements on genetic breeding, het- erosis utilization of rapeseed in Henan Province were summarized, with the aim to provide technical guidance for rapeseed genetic breeding in the future work. Faced with the problems of lack of special varieties, highly demand for healthy oil and high production cost in rapeseed production in recent years, the breeding goals of rapeseed have been adjusted from high yield, high quality and disease resistance to high oil, high oleic acid, adaptative to mechanization, late planting resistance. The breeding technologies mainly focused on the isolated microspore culture, molecular marker assisted selection, and the corresponding high efficiency technical systems were constructed. The innovative research on excellent germplasm resources were carried on, which created and established breeding populations and distinctive new germplasm resources with diverse variations such as high oil content, high oleic acid content and low linolenic acid, cold resistance, drought resistance, pod shatter resistance and different flower color variations. A series of rapeseed hybrids of dou- ble low varieties with strong heterosis and high oil contents were released and these hybrids significantly improved seed yield, quality and resistance. The average yield of rapeseed in Henan Province was 22.49% higher than the national average yield in 2003-2015. All of the achievements provided strong technical support for the upgrading of rapeseed varieties and increasing both production and income.

Changes in Agronomic Traits of Indica Hybrid Rice during Genetic Improvement

[Objective]The aim was to elucidate the changes of agronomical traits of indica hybrid rice during its genetic improvement.[Method]23 typical indica hybrid combinations cultivated in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River during the last 30 years were selected as experimental materials.All the hybrid rice combinations were grown in the same field;and then yield and morphological characters of single plant were compared;correlation and path analyses among agronomic characteristics were also conducted.[Result]During the 30 years of genetic improvement,the effective panicle number per plant was progressively decreased,which caused the decrease of grain yield and biomass per plant of hybrid rice combinations in spite of the slightly increased plant height,1 000-grain weight and number of grains per panicle.Although the transformation percentage of the matter in stem and sheath decreased after flowering,leave photosynthetic capacity after flowering was increased as panicle weight.Correlation and path analysis showed that although both biomass per plant and number of grains per panicle were significantly correlated with grain yield per plant,biomass per plant acted as the key factor affecting yield per plant.[Conclusion]It was suggested that in rice high yield cultivation,panicle number was as important as large panicle,and tillering ability should not be neglected in breeding.

Status and Advances of Molecular Genetic Improvement of Poplar Species in China

Poplars are among the most important deciduous tree species in China. China is replete with natural resources of poplars. Poplars have a number of good characteristics, including fast growth rate, high yield, many uses, easiness of tissue culture and small gene group that make them well suited as a model system for the application of genetic engineering in forest trees. In the last decade, much progress has been made in genetic improvement of poplar species in China. Modern biotechnology is an important tool for genetic improvement in forest trees, and its applications to genetic improvement in poplars, which covers genetic transformation, gene expression, construction of genetic linkage map, QTLs (quantitative trait loci) identification and molecular assisted selection are reviewed in this paper. At the same time, the existing problems and outlook about the application of modern biotechnology to genetic improvement in forest trees are also discussed.

Research Advances in Gene Regulation and Genetic Improvement of Fish Feeding

Feeding habit which is regulated by many factors including the intrinsic and external factors, such as appetite, structure of the digestive tract and feed palatability, is an important content in the study of genetic improvement. The genetic regulation is one of the major parts among the researches. This research reported the progress of the polymorphism of genes associated with appetite and its correla- tion with feeding habits, and summarized the studies on improvements of fish feed- ing and protein sources of the artificial feeding in order to provide theoretic basis for cultivating the improved varieties in feeding habit.

Influences of Climate Warming on Rice Production and Genetic Improvement of Rice Heat-Tolerance

Influenced by human activities,global climate warming has become an increasingly serious issue.The continuously increasing earth surface temperature has a far-reaching impact on rice production.This review addresses the effects of climate warming on rice cultivation regions and yield,the effects of high temperature damage on rice growth and development,and the progress on genetic improvement of heat tolerance in rice.Climate warming increased the active accumulated temperature of rice growth,extended the rice growth season,and constantly expanded the rice cultivation regions northward,which was conducive to the increase of rice cultivation area.Furthermore,climate warming also resulted in the frequent occurrence of high temperature stress in rice.At booting stage and flowering stage,high temperature stress would cause serious physiological damages to rice and reduce spikelet fertility; at filling stage,high temperature stress would lead to poor grain plumpness and decline rice yield and quality.Based on high temperature screening,a number of heat-tolerant rice germplasms had been identified,and dozens of QTLs controlling rice heat-tolerance were also identified.Planting heat-tolerant rice varieties is one of the most effective ways of alleviating heat damages on rice.Heat-tolerant rice germplasms can be adopted as parents for the breeding of heat-tolerant rice combining with the proper methods of high-temperature screening,identification and breeding.

Genetic Improvement of Japonica Rice Variety Wuyujing 3 for Stripe Disease Resistance and Eating Quality by Pyramiding Stv-b^i and Wx-mq

Japonica rice variety Kanto 194 as the donor of resistance gene Stv-b^i and Iow-amylose content gene Wx-mq was used to improve the resistance and eating quality of Wuyujing 3 by the breeding strategy of backcross. In continuous backcross and selfcross generations, the related molecular markers with Stvobi and Wx-mq genes were utilized for genotypic detection by associated with resistance identification of rice stripe disease and agronomic traits selection. Finally, 10 improved lines with homozygous genotype Stv-b^i Stv-b^iWx-mqWx-mq were obtained from BC3F4 generation. The results of comparative analysis indicated that most characters of these lines were consistent with those of recipient parent Wuyujing 3, except for the improved resistance, appearance and eating quality. By evaluation of the comprehensive performance of them, two excellent lines K01 and K04 were selected for further experiments.

Plant Resistance to Pest and Research Progress of Its Genetic Improvement

Pest damage is a significant factor that cuts agricultural production, and cultivation of pest-resistant varieties is the most economic and effective approach of controlling pest damage. Plant pest resistance includes antixenosis, antibiosis, and tolerance. Current popular methods for the genetic improvement of crop pest resistance are traditional breeding method, transgenic breeding, and molecular mark-assisted breeding. This paper introduced major mechanisms and genetic bases of plant pest resistance, ＂and reviewed research progress of domestic and international genetic improvement of plant pest resistance, analyzed the problems and its de- velopment prospects.

Interspecific Chromosome Substitution Lines as Genetic Resources for Improvement,Trait Analysis and Genomic Inference

The genetic base that cotton breeders commonly use to improve Upland cultivars is very narrow.The AD-genome species Gossypium barbadense,G.tomentosum,and G.mustelinum are part of

Composition of Web Services of Multi-Population Adaptive Genetic Algorithm Based on Cosine Improvement

Web quality of service (QoS) awareness requires not only the selection of specific services to complete specific tasks, but also the comprehensive quality of service of the whole web service composition. How to select the web service composition with the highest comprehensive QoS is a NP hard problem. In this paper, an improved multi population genetic algorithm is proposed. Cosine adaptive operator is added to the algorithm to avoid premature algorithm caused by improper genetic operator and the disadvantage of destroying excellent individuals in later period. Experimental results show that compared with the common genetic algorithm and multi population genetic algorithm, this algorithm has the advantages of shorter time consumption and higher accuracy, and effectively avoids the loss of effective genes in the population.

National Swine Genetic Improvement: An overview of essential program components and organizational structure needed for success

The swine industry in China is a thriving and evolving industry that has shown phenomenal growth over the past 10 years. To insure long term success and viability in a worldwide competitive industry such as pork, there is need for a National Swine Genetic Improvement Program. This program needs to draw on expertise and technology from across the world for its development, but it should be based on the structure of the pig industry in China and be led by Chinese scientists, administrators and producers. National Genetic Improvement requires more than just technology. A successful program of national genetic improvement will require cooperation from the industry and the government. The support for the university system is essential for the success of the pig industry. The university system has a vital role on education (of students, faculty, producers and consumers) as well as research and technology transfer. The government could also have a role in supporting the central test stations and AI stations across the country. An accurate and comprehensive pedigree maintenance system is essential to genetic improvement. And it will be vitally important to be active in the importation of new genetics to sample other populations.

Genetic Improvement of Betula platyphylla Suk.in China:A Review

Birch(Betula platyphylla Suk.),distributed in Eurasia,North America,and Australia,is a kind of cold-resistant,fast-growing,and vital pulpwood tree species.It is also one of the most important ecological restoration tree species with high values of economic benefits in Northeast China.To improve the genetic gain and expand the economic benefit of B.platyphylla,many genetic improvements have been carried out.In China,B.platyphylla is widely distributed and varied,and there are many varieties with excellent genetic characteristics.In this paper,the genetic improvement of B.platyphylla was reviewed,and the previous research results were discussed from two aspects:conventional breeding and molecular breeding.Some problems and corresponding solutions in the genetic improvement were put forward to provide ideas for B.platyphylla breeding in the future.

Genetic Improvement in Juglans mandshurica and Its Uses in China:Current Status and Future Prospects

Juglans mandshurica is an economically and ecologically valuable species that is used for various construction purposes,making luxurious furniture,as food and sources of medicinal substances and landscaping because of its excellent wood,edible fruits and rich in various types of chemical compounds.In the past few decades,several genetic improvements of J.mandshurica were made,with a focus on the selection of improved varieties and on breeding technology.Many elite provenances and families were selected based on growth traits or wood properties.In recent years,with the increasing demand for high-quality seedlings in Chinese forestry production,the breeding goals of genetic improvement for J.mandshurica were redefined to include other traits,such as fruit yield and contents of medicinal component.However,the improvement processes were still slow due to the long breeding cycle and the limited use of advanced breeding technologies,resulting in the selection of fewer improved varieties.In this review,we summarized the research progresses on genetic improvements of J.mandshurica and other related works,and discussed research gaps and suggested future directions for genetic improvement of the species.The review provides valuable insight for the selection of improved varieties and production of excellent germplasms.

Advances in Studies of Genetic Improvement of Sugarcane

Sugarcane(Saccharum spp.) is a large perennial herbaceous plant that is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world,and it is also one of the most efficient crops in the world in converting energy from sunlight into chemical energy. As an essential sugar crop and energy crop,sugarcane is receiving an increasing concern for its variety improvement. Traditional breeding and cultivation techniques have contributed a lot to increasing sugarcane yield and sucrose content. In recent years,development and application of biotechnology provide much help for genetic improvement of sugarcane. For convenience of breeders fully knowing advances in studies of sugarcane genetic improvement,this paper elaborated conventional breeding,genomics,GM technology,and molecular marker assisted breeding.

Identification of SSR markers linked to the abscission of cotton boll traits and mining germplasm in Cotton

Background Cotton is an economically important crop.It is crucial to find an effective method to improve cotton yield,and one approach is to decrease the abscission of cotton bolls and buds.However,the lack of knowledge of the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying cotton boll abscission traits has hindered genetic improvements.Results Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between boll abscission rates 1(AR1)and boll abscission rates 2(AR2).A genome-wide association study was conducted on 145 loci that exhibited high polymorphism and were uniformly distributed across 26 chromosomes(pair).The study revealed 18,46,and 62 markers that were significantly associated with boll abscission,fiber quality,and yield traits(P<0.05),explaining 1.75%–7.13%,1.16%–9.58%,and 1.40%–5.44%of the phenotypic variation,respectively.Notably,the marker MON_SHIN-1584b was associated with the cotton boll abscission trait,whereas MON_CGR5732a was associated with cotton boll abscission and fiber quality traits.Thirteen of the marker loci identified in this study had been previously reported.Based on phenotypic effects,six typical cultivars with elite alleles related to cotton boll abscission,fiber quality,and yield traits were identified.These cultivars hold great promise for widespread utilization in breeding programs.Conclusions These results lay the foundation for understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of cotton boll abscission and provide data for the future improvement of cotton breeding.

Domestication of Marama Bean in Arid Namibia: Challenges and Opportunities in a Climate Changing Agroecology

Tylosema esculentum (Burch.) A. Schreib. (Marama bean), referred to as marama in sections of this article, is an obligate outcrossing native plant with a yield potential of 2 ton/hectare which grows naturally in the deep sandy soils of the Kalahari Desert. It has adapted to the low precipitation levels in that agro-ecosystem. Marama serves as a staple food for the San and Bantus in that area. In Namibia, in the past you could find wild stands of marama in the Khomas region, Omaheke region, and the Otjozondjupa region without must struggle. It is renowned for its brown seeds, which are rich in high-quality oils and proteins. The tuberous root contains a significant amount of starch. The objective of domesticating orphaned marama is to provide farmers in this climate change-prone region with a viable alternative for food and nutrition security. This program, initiated in 2008 with an open-minded mindset, required swift implementation using harsh and occasionally unconventional methods. To introduce indigenous tools for resource-poor farmers, the domestication program prioritized the utilization of farmer-participatory methodologies. It was crucial to integrate old and new approaches to ensure learning from past and present experiences, leading to innovative solutions. There is little research and development of native crops in Africa because most of the currently cultivates crops were brought for use from abroad. Only a few numbers of indeginous African crops can be named. The arid Kalahari region, susceptible to climate change, necessitates the revival of indigenous crops like marama, which are resilient and well-adapted to the region’s conditions and have thrived for centuries. In many discussions regarding the health and nutrition of Africa, the recommendation to consume traditional foods to avoid exposure to modern foods, which may not be genetically compatible, is frequently emphasized. Regardless of their validity, these opinions must be acknowledged, and steps need to be taken to ensure a positive legacy for future generations. However, this chapter will address the limitations and challenges that exist in this regard. This article will summarize the progress made in the domestication program of the marama bean in Namibia thus far. Furthermore, this article will highlight the challenges that have been faced during the domestication journey for marama bean and other orphaned crops. The domestication program commenced with a broad germplasm collection, characterization, and preselection for breeding. Crop selection in this program was influenced by climate change-related concerns of shorter and uncertain rain seasons, and recurrent droughts. Selection included but was not limited to identifying marama genotypes with superior characteristics, early germination and many seeds per pod were among some of the identified and selected characteristics. The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) has compiled a list of potential marama bean varieties and is currently testing marama seeds in anticipation of their introduction as a new crop alternative with good adaptation to the effects of climate change, since conventional crops like maize underperform due to persistent droughts. Marama bean, if properly developed, holds significant potential to address issues of hunger and malnutrition in arid regions of Southern Africa and other similar territories. The findings presented here are the result of ongoing field research and experiments conducted at multiple sites using superior marama bean varieties.

Genetics of seed flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in cowpea(Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.)

Information about the type of gene action governing the inheritance of cowpea seed flavonoid content and antioxidant activity is prerequisite for starting an effective breeding program for developing improved varieties. For this purpose, half-diallel crosses among seven diverse parents were made. The homozygous parents and 21 F1 hybrids were evaluated at Maroua in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Cameroon using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Flour samples produced from decorticated seeds were used for biochemical analysis. Analysis of variance showed significant differences(P < 0.001) among genotypes for the studied traits with ranges of 363.6–453.9 mg rutin equivalent per 100 g dry weight(DW) for total flavonoids, 13.38–30.73 mg ascorbic acid equivalent per 1 g DW for ferric iron reducing activity, 70.98–266.93 mg trolox equivalent per 100 g DW for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, and 90.93–370.62 mg trolox equivalent per 100 g DW for 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS) free radical scavenging activity. Both additive and non-additive gene effects were significant in the genetic control of these traits, but dominance variance was greater than additive variance. The traits were mainly controlled by overdominance model suggesting a selection in the delayed generations.Broad- and narrow-sense heritability estimates varied from 0.90 to 0.99 and from 0.12 to 0.45,respectively. The variances due to both general and specific combining ability were highly significant for all studied traits. Recessive alleles had positive effects on DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities, whereas dominant alleles had positive effects on flavonoid content and ferric iron reducing activity. These results could help cowpea breeders to improve the antioxidant potential of cowpea seeds by appropriate selection.