A telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of Hongyingzi,a sorghum cultivar used for Chinese Baijiu production

Sorghum(Sorghum bicolor(L.)Moench)is a world cereal crop used in China for producing Baijiu,a distilled spirit.We report a telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of the Baijiu cultivar Hongyingzi,HYZ-T2T,using ultralong reads.The 10 chromosome pairs contained 33,462 genes,of which 93%were functionally annotated.The 20 telomeres and 10 centromeric regions on the HYZ-T2T chromosomes were predicted and two consecutive large inversions on chromosome 2 were characterized.A 65-gene reconstruction of the metabolic pathway of tannins,the flavor substances in Baijiu,was performed and may advance the breeding of sorghum cultivars for Baijiu production.

Study on Germplasm Resources of Peach Cultivars

[Objectives]To study the germplasm resources of excellent peach cultivars.[Methods]Five peach cultivars were introduced,in-cluding‘Jinxiu’peach,‘Jinxiang’peach,‘Chunxiao’peach,‘Hujingmilu’peach and‘018 nectarine’peach.Then,these five cultivars were used to study the biological characteristics of peach trees,namely,as phenology,fruit quality,heat resistance,cold resistance and other resistance.[Results]Five cultivars of peach plants grew fast and robust,among which‘018 nectarine’had very crisp fruit,‘Jinxiu’,‘Jinxiang’,‘Chunxiao’and‘Hujingmilu’had very sweet fruitꎻthe peach trees of these five cultivars have good water resistance,heat resist-ance and cold resistance.[Conclusions]The results of this study can not only provide a reference for the introduction of peach trees,but also provide a practical basis for the large-scale planting of peach trees.

Analysis on Genetic Diversity of 40 Flowering Cherry Cultivars and Construction of Molecular ID Based on SSR Markers

Studying on the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of flowering cherry cultivars is extremely important for germplasm conservation, cultivar identification and breeding. Flowering cherry is widely cultivated as an important woody ornamental plant in worldwide, especially Japan, China. However, owning to the morphological similarity, many cultivars are distinguished hardly in non-flowering season. Here, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of 40 flowering cherry cultivars, which are mainly cultivated in China. We selected 13 polymorphicprimers to amplify to allele fragments with fluorescent-labeled capillary electrophoresis technology. The population structure analysis results show that these cultivars could be divided into 4 subpopulations. At the population level, Na and Ne were 6.062, 4.326, respectively. Ho and He were 0.458 and 0.670, respectively. The Shannon’s information index (I) was 1.417. The Pop3, which originated from P. serrulata, had the highest Ho, He, and I among the 4 subpopulations. AMOVA showed that only 4% of genetic variation came from populations, the 39% variation came from individuals and 57% (p < 0.05) came from intra-individuals. 5 polymorphic SSR primers were selected to construct molecular ID code system of these cultivars. This analysis on the genetic diversity and relationship of the 40 flowering cherry cultivars will help to insight into the genetic background, relationship of these flowering cherry cultivars and promote to identify similar cultivars.

Effect of Different Mulch Materials on Yield and Nutrition Profile of Common Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) Cultivars in Bangladesh

Capsicum is a nutritious vegetable and its cultivation in farms is getting popular in Bangladesh. Although many efforts have lain to explore better yielding and nutritionally rich cultivars with suitable modern cultivation techniques but still have to find the desired outcome. Thus, it’s necessary to conduct further research to identify the high-yielding and nutritious capsicum cultivars in Bangladesh. An experiment was conducted from July 2021 to June 2022 at the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training on Applied Nutrition (BIRTAN) research field with three cultivars of capsicum: B0 = California Wonder, B1 = BARI Misti Morich-1 and B2 = BARI Misti Morich-2 and three mulching: T0 = No mulching, T1 = Water hyacinth, T2 = Poly Mulching in randomized complete block design with three replications to identify better quality capsicum cultivar and suitable mulching material. Among cultivars the BARI Misti Morich-2 (B2) showed increased agronomic parameters like number of branches and effective branches per plant, leaves length and width, consequently yield and yield contributing traits were also enhanced like fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter and yield per plant (25.97%, 4.54%, 3.64% and 21.43%, respectively). Poly Mulching (T2) increased agronomic traits, yield traits and yield (0.61 kg) than BARI Misti Morich-1 (T1). The combined effect of B2T2 increased the number of branches per plant, effective branches per plant, leaves length and breadth by 40%, 90%, 15.57% and 26.22%, respectively, hence resulting in an increased yield of 20%. BARI Misti Morich-2 cultivar showed an increase in Fe, Zn and Vitamin-C content of 26.24% and 23.10%, 8.82% and 5.14%, and 6.03% and 5.74% than B0 and B1 cultivars, respectively. Therefore, BARI Misti Morich-2 exhibited the improved agronomic, yield and nutritional traits of capsicum under poly mulching among other cultivars in Bangladesh.

Mixing trait-based corn(Zea mays L.)cultivars increases yield through pollination synchronization and increased cross-fertilization

Abiotic stress such as high temperature at flowering is one of many conditions reducing yield of corn(Zea mays L.).Mixing corn cultivars with diverse functional traits increases within-crop diversity and provides a potential means of mitigating yield losses under stress conditions.We conducted a three-year field study to investigate the effects of cultivar mixtures on kernel setting rate,pollen sources,and yield.This study consisted of six treatments,including two high temperature-tolerant(HTT)monocrops of WK702 and DH701,two high temperature-sensitive(HTS)monocrops of DH605 and DH662,and two HTT–HTS mixtures of WK702-DH605 and DH701-DH662.The anthesis–silking interval(ASI)was 0.9–1.6 days shorter in mixtures than in monocrops.Kernel setting rate was increased in mixtures(86.4%–88.7%)compared with those in monocrops(74.7%–84.1%)as a result of synchrony and complementarity of pollination.Grain yields of the HTT–HTS mixtures increased by 13.3%–18.7%,equivalent to 1169 to1605 kg ha^(-1),in comparison with HTS corn monocrops.The results of SSR markers showed that crossfertilization percentage in corn cultivar mixtures ranged from 29.3%to 47.8%,partially explaining yield improvement.Land equivalent ratio(LER)was 1.12 for corn mixtures and the partial land equivalent ratio(e.g.,>0.5)showed the complementary benefits in corn mixtures.The results indicated that mixing corn cultivars with diverse flowering and drought-tolerance traits increased yields via pollination synchrony.

Stay-Green Panicle Branches Improve Processing Quality of Elite Rice Cultivars

Rice panicle branches are key routes for transportation of photo synthetic products to grains.Branch senescence is an important trait that the breeders considered when breeding elite rice cultivars in South China.However,little is known about the mechanisms underlying the contributions of stay-green panicle branches to rice yield and quality.Here,we reported stay-green branches that continuously maintained transportation function and provided carbohydrates for basal grain development at the late stages of rice development.This ensured the coordination of development between apical and basal grains,and further improved the processing quality of elite rice.These findings provided strategies for improving the fullness and quality of rice grains and presented an important basis for cultivating elite rice.

Skim resequencing finely maps the downy mildew resistance loci RPF2 and RPF3 in spinach cultivars whale and Lazio

Commercial production of spinach(Spinacia oleracea L.)is centered in California and Arizona in the US,where downy mildew caused by Peronospora effusa is the most destructive disease.Nineteen typical races of P.effusa have been reported to infect spinach,with 16 identified after 1990.The regular appearance of new pathogen races breaks the resistance gene introgressed in spinach.We attempted to map and delineate the RPF2 locus at a finer resolution,identify linked single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)markers,and report candidate downy mildew resistance(R)genes.Progeny populations segregating for RPF2 locus derived from resistant differential cultivar Lazio were infected using race 5 of P.effusa and were used to study for genetic transmission and mapping analysis in this study.Association analysis performed with low coverage whole genome resequencing-generated SNP markers mapped the RPF2 locus between 0.47 to 1.46 Mb of chromosome 3 with peak SNP(Chr3_1,221,009)showing a LOD value of 61.6 in the GLM model in TASSEL,which was within 1.08 Kb from Spo12821,a gene that encodes CC-NBS-LRR plant disease resistance protein.In addition,a combined analysis of progeny panels of Lazio and Whale segregating for RPF2 and RPF3 loci delineated the resistance section in chromosome 3 between 1.18–1.23 and 1.75–1.76 Mb.This study provides valuable information on the RPF2 resistance region in the spinach cultivar Lazio compared to RPF3 loci in the cultivar Whale.The RPF2 and RPF3 specific SNP markers,plus the resistant genes reported here,could add value to breeding efforts to develop downy mildew resistant cultivars in the future.

Genetic diversity, population structure, and genome-wide association analysis of ginkgo cultivars

Ginkgo biloba is an economically valuable tree worldwide.The species has nearly become extinct during the Quaternary,which has likely resulted in reduction of its genetic variability.The genetic variability is now conserved in few natural populations in China and a number of cultivars that are,however,derived from a few ancient trees,helping the species survive in China through medieval times.Despite the recent interest in ginkgo,however,detailed knowledge of its genetic diversity,conserved in cultivated trees and cultivars,has remained poor.This limits efficient conservation of its diversity as well as efficient use of the existing germplasm resources.Here we performed genotyping-by-sequencing(GBS)on 102 cultivated germplasms of ginkgo collected to explore their genetic structure,kinship,and inbreeding prediction.For the first time in ginkgo,a genome-wide association analysis study(GWAS)was used to attempt gene mapping of seed traits.The results showed that most of the germplasms did not show any obvious genetic relationship.The size of the ginkgo germplasm population expanded significantly around 1500 years ago during the Sui and Tang dynasties.Classification of seed cultivars based on a phylogenetic perspective does not support the current classification criteria based on phenotype.Twenty-four candidate genes were localized after performing GWAS on the seed traits.Overall,this study reveals the genetic basis of ginkgo seed traits and provides insights into its cultivation history.These findings will facilitate the conservation and utilization of the domesticated germplasms of this living fossil plant.

Gene expression pattern of K transporter GhHAK5 gene of potassium efficient and in-efficient cotton cultivars based on morphological physiognomies as affected by potassium nutrition and reduced irrigation

Background Under K deficiency the uptake and distribution pattern in plant cells is mediated through different transport proteins and channels which were controlled by specific gene family.Therefore,a hydroponic experiment was conducted under control condition for testing the gene expression pattern of the K transporter under adequate and low K supply levels.After that,a 2-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate five selected cotton cultivars(four K-efficient cultivars,viz.,CIM-554,CYTO-124,FH-142,IUB-2013,and one K non-efficient,BH-212) screened from the initial hydroponics culture experiment and two levels of potassium(0 K_(2)O kg·ha^(-1) and 50 K_(2)O kg·ha^(-1)) were tested under reduced irrigation(50% available water content;50 AWC) and normal irrigation conditions(100% available water content;100 AWC).Result Results revealed that the transcript levels of GhHAK5aD in roots were significantly higher in K^(+) efficient cultivars than that in K^(+) non-efficient cultivars.The GhHAK5aD expression upon K^(+) deficiency was higher in roots but lower in shoots,indicating that GhHAK5aD could have a role in K^(+) uptake in roots,instead of transport of K^(+) from root to shoot.Similarly,under field conditions the cultivar FH-142 showed an increase of 22.3%,4.9%,2.4%,and 1.4% as compared with BH-212,IUB-2013,CYTO-124,and CIM-554,respectively,in seed cotton yield(SCY) with K application under reduced irrigation conditions.With applied K,the FH-142 showed an increase in net photosynthetic rate by 57.3% as compared with the rest of the cultivars under reduced irrigation over K control.However,the overall performance indicators of K-efficient cultivars like FH-142,CYTO-124,CIM-554,and IUB-2013 were better than BH-212(K in-efficient) under reduced irrigation conditions with applied K at 50 kg·ha^(-1).Fiber quality trait improved significantly with K application under water deficit.The increase in micronaire was 3.6%,4.7%,7.8%,3.4%,and 6.7% in BH-212,IUB-2013,CIM-554,CYTO-124,and FH-142,respectively,with K application at 50 kg·ha^(-1) over without K application under reduced irrigation conditions during the cotton growing season.Similarly,the cultivars FH-142 increased by 12% with K application under reduced irrigation as compared with other cultivars.The performance of K-efficient cultivars under reduced irrigation conditions was 30% better in SCY and quality traits with the application of K at 50 kg·ha^(-1) as compared with K-non-efficient cultivars.Similarly,water use efficiency(WUE)(40.1%) and potassium use efficiency(KUE)(20.2%) were also noted higher in case of FH-142 as compared with other cultivar with K application under reduced conditions.Conclusion Higher expression of GhHAK5aD gene was observed in K-efficient cultivars as compared with K-nonefficient cultivars in roots indicates that GhHAK5aD may be contributing to genotypic differences for K^(+) efficiency in cotton.K-efficient cotton cultivars can be used for the low-K environments and can also be recommended for general cultivars.

Characterization of wheat monogenic lines with known Sr genes and wheat cultivars for resistance to three new races of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici in China

Wheat stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici(Pgt), is a potentially devastating fungal disease of wheat worldwide. The present study was to evaluate the resistance of 42 wheat monogenic lines with known stem rust resistance(Sr) genes and 69 wheat cultivars to three new Pgt races(34C0MRGQM, 34C3MKGQM, and 34C6MTGSM)identified from aeciospores at the seedling and adult-plant stages. The phenotyping results revealed that monogenic lines harboring resistance genes Sr9e, Sr17, Sr21, Sr22, Sr26, Sr30, Sr31, Sr33, Sr35, Sr36, Sr37, Sr38, Sr47, SrTmp,and SrTt3 were effectively resistant to all three Pgt races at the seedling and adult-plant stages. In contrast, monogenic lines containing Sr5, Sr6, Sr7b, Sr9a, Sr9d, Sr9f, Sr9g, Sr9b, Sr16, Sr24, Sr28, and Sr39 were highly susceptible to these races at both seedling and adult-plant stages. The other lines with Sr8a, Sr10, Sr11, Sr13, Sr14, Sr15, Sr18, Sr20,Sr19, Sr23, Sr25, Sr27, Sr29, Sr32, and Sr34, displayed variable levels of resistance to one or two of the tested races.Seedling infection types(ITs) and adult-plant infection responses(IRs) indicated that 41(59.4%) of the wheat cultivars showed high resistance to all the three races. Molecular marker analysis showed that four wheat culitvars likely carried Sr2, 20 wheat culitvars likely carried Sr31, 9 wheat culitvars likely carried Sr38, and none of the cultivars carried Sr24,Sr25, and Sr26. Our results provide a scientific basis for rational utilization of the tested Sr genes and wheat cultivars against these novel Pgt races.

RAPD-PCR Analysis on Genetic Relationships Between Cultivars of Tree Peony

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to analyze genetic polymophism of 35Tree Peony cultivars with 7 different color groups. Thirty four primers amplified 418 DNA fragments and 337polymorphic bands (80.6%), including specific DNA markers for 18 cultivars that could be used to differentiate cultivars. The UPGMA method was used to analyze the genetic relationship among cultivars. The results showed that 35 Peony cultivars could be divided into 2 cluster groups when using similarity criteria of 1.5, and into 4 cluster groups when using similarity criteria of 1.0. The result confirmed that the flower color has no relation to the genetic clusters and the Tree Peony cultivars originated from the same area has close genetic relationship. Therefore, genetic background has no large effect on the genetic relationship. The sequence based on polymorphic rate from high to low was Blue groups ＞ Yellow groups ＞ Bark red groups ＞ Blake groups ＞White groups ＞ Green groups ＞ Red groups.

Variation of Cd concentration in various rice cultivars and derivation of cadmium toxicity thresholds for paddy soil by species-sensitivity distribution

It is imperative to derive an appropriate cadmium(Cd) health risk toxicity threshold for paddy soils to ensure the Cd concentration of rice grains meet the food safety standard. In this study, 20 rice cultivars from the main rice producing areas in China were selected, and a pot-experiment was conducted to investigate transformation of Cd in paddy soil-rice system with 0(CK), 0.3 mg kg–1(T1) and 0.6 mg kg–1(T2) Cd treatments in greenhouse. The results showed that Cd concentrations of rice grains existed significant difference(P<0.05) in 20 rice cultivars under the same Cd level in soil. The Cd concentrations of rice grains of the CK, T1 and T2 treatments were in the range of 0.143–0.202, 0.128–0.458 and 0.332–0.806 mg kg–1, respectively. Marked differences of the ratios of Cd concentration for soil to rice grain(BCFs) and transfer factors(TFs, root to grain and straw to grain) among the tested cultivars were observed in this study. The bioconcentration factors(BCFgrain) and TFs of the 20 rice cultivars were 0.300–1.112 and 0.342–0.817, respectively. The TFs of Cd from straw to grain ranged from 0.366 to 1.71, with significant differences among these 20 rice cultivars. The bioconcentration factors(BCFgrain) and TFs among the 20 rice cultivars ranged from 0.300–1.112 and 0.342–0.817, respectively. The species-sensitivity distribution(SSD) of Cd sensitivity of the rice species could be fitted well with Burr-III(R2=0.987) based on the data of BCFs. The toxicity threshold of Cd derived from SSD for the paddy soil was 0.507 mg kg–1 in the present study.

Nutritional evaluation of different cultivars of potatoes(Solanum tuberosum L.) from China by grey relational analysis(GRA) and its application in potato steamed bread making

Chemical composition(moisture,protein,starch,ash,fiber,fat),vitamins(vitamin C,vitamin B1,vitamin B2),total polyphenol content,antioxidant capacity,minerals,and amino acid of 14 potato cultivars in China were evaluated.The results indicated that all parameters varied significantly among different potato cultivars.The total starch,crude protein and fat content ranged between 57.42–67.83%,10.88–14.10% and 0.10–0.73% dry weight(DW),respectively.Moreover,the consumption of potato increased remarkably the dietary intake of vitamins,K,Mn and Cu.In addition,the chemical score of amino acid varied considerably between different cultivars,which ranged from 54(Neida 3 and Neida 41) to 71(Neida 34).Grey relational analysis(GRA) indicated that Neida 26 exhibited the most comprehensive nutritional values among potato cultivars,followed by Neida 42.Different potato flours had a significant effect on the quality parameters of potato steamed bread(PSB),Neida 26 and Neida 34 were more suitable for making PSB.

Contribution of ear photosynthesis to grain yield under rainfed and irrigation conditions for winter wheat cultivars released in the past 30 years in North China Plain

To understand the contribution of ear photosynthesis to grain yield and its response to water supply in the improvement of winter wheat, 15 cultivars released from 1980 to 2012 in North China Plain(NCP) were planted under rainfed and irrigated conditions from 2011 to 2013, and the ear photosynthesis was tested by ear shading. During the past 30 years, grain yield significantly increased, the flag leaf area slightly increased under irrigated condition but decreased significantly under rainfed condition, the ratio of grain weight:leaf area significantly increased, and the contribution of ear photosynthesis to grain yield changed from 33.6 to 64.5% and from 32.2 to 57.2% under rainfed and irrigated conditions, respectively. Grain yield, yield components, and ratio of grain weight:leaf area were positively related with contribution of ear photosynthesis. The increase in grain yield in winter wheat was related with improvement in ear photosynthesis contribution in NCP, especially under rainfed condition.

High potassium to magnesium ratio affected the growth and magnesium uptake of three tomato(Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars

Potassium(K) and magnesium(Mg) levels and their balances are two factors affecting the growth of plant. However, the responses of different crop cultivars to K/Mg ratios are less clear. This study was aimed at assessing the different responses of tomato(Solanum Lycopersicum L.) cultivars to the different K/Mg supply ratios. Three tomato cultivars(Zhongza 9(ZZ), Gailiangmaofen(MF), and Jinpengchaoguan(JP)) were grown in pots with three different K^+/Mg^(2+) ratios(4:0, 4:1 and 8:1, represented by K/Mg_(4:0), K/Mg_(4:1), and K/Mg_(8:1), respectively). Compared with K/Mg_(4:1) treatment, the leaf chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, and total biomass of tomato seedlings under K/Mg_(4:0) treatments were decreased by 69.7, 89.1, and 53.1%, respectively. The Mg deficiency symptoms were observed when the Mg content in shoot became lower than 4 mg g^(–1) DW. Compared with K/Mg_(4:1) treatment, total biomass of tomato seedlings of K/Mg_(8:1) treatment was decreased by 21.6%; the shoot and root Mg contents were decreased by 10.4 and 21.8%, respectively; and Mg uptake of tomato was reduced by 34.1%. There were significant differences in biomass and Mg uptake for the three cultivars between the different K^+/Mg^(2+) treatments. The Mg uptake of the three different cultivars ranked as ZZ>JP>MF under Mg deficiency and high K condition. In conclusion, the growth and Mg uptake and allocation of tomato were influenced significantly by imbalance K and Mg supply. JP and ZZ were the cultivars with the highest efficiency in Mg uptake.

Breeding better cultivars,faster:applications of new technologies for the rapid deployment of superior horticultural tree crops

Woody perennial plants,including trees that produce fruits and nuts of horticultural value,typically have long breeding cycles,and development and introduction of improved cultivars by plant breeders may require many breeding cycles and dozens of years.However,recent advances in biotechnologies and genomics have the potential to accelerate cultivar development greatly in all crops.This mini-review summarizes approaches to reduce the number and the duration of breeding cycles for horticultural tree crops,and outlines the challenges that remain to implement these into efficient breeding pipelines.

Comparison of Different Cultivars of Blueberry Overwintering Ability in Qingdao of China

In order to select severe overwintering abilitied blueberry cultivars for cold resistance of annual branches, promoting breeding high quality cultivars, a study had been conducted into field-planting shoots overwintering ability and the relative conductivity, MDA content, SOD of 7 different kinds of blueberries under artificial cooling process. According to survey results, under field conditions, Different cultivars of blueberries showed significantly difference, ranging from 56.67% of Bluegold to 12.80% of Darrow. With the temperature decreasing, changes of relative conductivity, MDA content and SOD in annual branches had a strong regularity and the hardiness of these cultivars is: Northland > Chippewa > Coville > Bluecroup > Darrow > Bluegold > Powderblue.

Changes in Sugar Metabolism and Fruit Quality of Different Pear Cultivars During Cold Storage

This study evaluated the changes in sugar metabolism and fruit quality of diff erent pear cultivars during cold storage using seven major commercial pear cultivars belonging to diff erent Pyrus species, such as P. bretschneideri Rehd.("Huangguan,""Yali"), P. pyrifolia Nakai.("Wonhwang,""Hosui"), P. ussuriensis Maxim.("Jingbai,""Nanguo"), and P. communis L.("Bartlett"). The fi rmness, respiration rate, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, sugar content, and enzyme activity of the seven pear cultivars were investigated. SPSS was used for analyzing the signifi cance of diff erent indexes. Results showed that fructose was the dominant sugar, accounting for > 60% of total sugars, followed by glucose and sucrose. The respiration peak of almost all cultivars appeared within 60 days. The levels of fructose, glucose, sucrose, and total soluble solids increased within 90 days and then generally decreased. Acid invertase showed the highest activity among all pear cultivars, followed by neutral invertase, sucrose synthetase, and sucrose phosphate synthetase during storage.

SNP-based QTL mapping for panicle traits in the japonica super rice cultivar Liaoxing 1

Panicle traits directly associated with yield are a target of selection in rice breeding.Although abundant QTL for panicle traits have been identified,there is little information about the genetic basis of panicle traits in japonica super rice(JSR)cultivars.In this study,we identified QTL for panicle traits in three environments using a population of recombinant inbred lines(RILs)derived from the JSR cultivar Liaoxing 1.A total of 197 RILs were genotyped with 285 polymorphic SNP markers.Phenotypic data and best linear unbiased prediction(BLUP)value of primary branch number(BNP),secondary branch number(BNS),grain number on primary branch(GNP),grain number on secondary branch(GNS),grain number per panicle(GN),panicle length(PL)and grain density(GD)were used for QTL mapping.A total of 105 QTL for seven panicle traits were detected in single environments using their BLUP values.Individual QTL explained 0.51%–52.22%of the phenotypic variation.Of the 105,49 were also detected by joint multi-environment analyses.Five stable QTL:qGD9,qPL9,qGNP9,qGN6,and qBNS6.2 were identified in multiple environments.qGD9,qGNP9,and qPL9,co-localizing on chromosome 9,likely correspond to the known gene DEP1.Importantly,qGN6 and qBNS6.2 in a co-localization region were identified as novel QTL,and their Liaoxing 1 alleles had a positive effect.Several RILs with the QTL allele combinations qGD9/qPL9/qGNP9 and qGN6/qBNS6.2 showed greater GN.Further investigation of the putative gene underlying qGN6/qBNS6.2 would shed light on the molecular mechanism of JSR.

Genetic basis of high aroma and stress toleranee in the oolong tea cultivar genome

Tea plants(Camellia sinensis)are commercially cultivated in>60 countries,and their fresh leaves are processed into tea,which is the most widely consumed beverage in the world.Although several chromosome-level tea plant genomes have been published,they collapsed the two haplotypes and ignored a large number of allelic variations that may underlie important biological functions in this species.Here,we present a phased chromosome-scale assembly for an elite oolong tea cultivar,"Huangdan",that is well known for its high levels of aroma.Based on the two sets of haplotype genome data,we identi fi ed numerous genetic variations and a substantial proportion of allelic imbalance related to important traits,including aroma-and stress-related alleles.Comparative genomics revealed extensive structural variations as well as expansion of some gene families,such as terpene synthases(TPSs),that likely contribute to the high-aroma characteristics of the backbone parent,underlying the molecular basis for the biosynthesis of aroma-related chemicals in oolong tea.Our results uncovered the genetic basis of special features of this oolong tea cultivar,providing fundamental genomic resources to study evolution and domestication for the economically important tea crop.