GSW3.1,a novel gene controlling grain size and weight in rice

Grain size and weight are closely related traits determining yield in rice(Oryza sativa L.).Since indica and japonica rice varieties differ significantly in multiple traits,a high-generation recombinant inbred line(RIL)population derived from the crossing LH9(indica)and RPY(japonica)was used to map grainrelated traits in six environments.Pyramiding of the quantitative trait loci(QTL)for thousand-grain weight showed that combinations of multiple QTL significantly increased the phenotypic effect.A novel gene named GSW3.1 controlling grain size and weight was discovered using the major QTL for the colocalization of grain width and thousand-grain weight on chromosome 3.Gene editing revealed that GSW3.1(LOC_Os03g16850)was pleiotropic,positively regulating grain size and weight while affecting several other agronomic traits.Haplotype analysis indicated that some traits,including grain width and weight,were highly correlated with indica-japonica differentiation.

BnaUBP15s positively regulates seed size and seed weight in Brassica napus

Brassica napus(B.napus)is a globally significant oilseed crop,making a substantial contribution to both human oil and livestock feed production.Enhancing seed weight is crucial for improving rapeseed yield;however,only a limited number of seed weight-related genes have been functionally validated in B.napus thus far.UBIQUITINSPECIFIC PROTEASE 15(UBP15)belongs to the ubiquitin protease pathway and plays a maternal role in prolonging seed development in Arabidopsis.The potential utilization of UBP15 for enhancing seed yield in B.napus has remained unexplored until now.In this study,we identified the orthologs of UBP15 in B.napus and investigated its functionality using the CRISPR-Cas9 system.We generated mutant plants with multiple editing types targeting Bnaubp15s and successfully isolated T-DNA-free homozygous mutant lines that exhibited edits across four homologs of BnaUBP15 in T2 generation plants.Our preliminary data demonstrated that mutation of BnaUBP15s significantly reduced seed size,seed weight,and plant height while noticeably increasing the number of primary branches.These findings not only provide crucial evidence for further elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of seed weight and size by BnaUBP15s but also offer promising novel germplasm for enhancing plant architecture.

Genetic dissection of and genomic selection for seed weight, pod length,and pod width in soybean

A biparental soybean population of 364 recombinant inbred lines(RILs)derived from Zhongdou 41×ZYD02.878 was used to identify quantitative trait loci(QTL)associated with hundred-seed weight(100-SW),pod length(PL),and pod width(PW).100-SW,PL,and PW showed moderate correlations among one another,and 100-SW was correlated most strongly with PW(0.64–0.74).Respectively 74,70,75 and19 QTL accounting for 38.7%–78.8%of total phenotypic variance were identified by inclusive composite interval mapping,restricted two-stage multi-locus genome-wide association analysis,3 variancecomponent multi-locus random-SNP-effect mixed linear model analysis,and conditional genome-wide association analysis.Of these QTL,189 were novel,and 24 were detected by multiple methods.Six loci were associated with 100-SW,PL,and PW and may be pleiotropic loci.A total of 284 candidate genes were identified in colocalizing QTL regions,including the verified gene Seed thickness 1(ST1).Eleven genes with functions involved in pectin biosynthesis,phytohormone,ubiquitin-protein,and photosynthesis pathways were prioritized by examining single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)variation,calculating genetic differentiation index,and inquiring gene expression.The prediction accuracies of genomic selection(GS)for 100-SW,PL,and PW based on single trait-associated markers reached 0.82,0.76,and 0.86 respectively,but selection index(SI)-assisted GS strategy did not increase GS efficiency and inclusion of trait-associated markers as fixed effects reduced prediction accuracy.These results shed light on the genetic basis of 100-SW,PL,and PW and provide GS models for these traits with potential application in breeding programs.

Detection of new candidate genes controlling seed weight by integrating gene coexpression analysis and QTL mapping in Brassica napus L.

Seed weight is a component of seed yield in rapeseed(Brassica napus L.).Although quantitative trait loci(QTL)for seed weight have been reported in rapeseed,only a few causal quantitative trait genes(QTGs)have been identified,resulting in a limitation in understanding of seed weight regulation.We constructed a gene coexpression network at the early seed developmental stage using transcripts of 20,408 genes in QTL intervals and 1017 rapeseed homologs of known genes from other species.Among the 10 modules in this gene coexpression network,modules 1 and 2 were core modules and contained genes involved in source–flow–sink processes such as synthesis and transportation of fatty acid and protein,and photosynthesis.A hub gene SERINE CARBOXYPEPTIDASE-LIKE 19(SCPL19)was identified by candidate gene association analysis in rapeseed and functionally investigated using Arabidopsis T-DNA mutant and overexpression lines.Our study demonstrates the power of gene coexpression analysis to prioritize candidate genes from large candidate QTG sets and enhances the understanding of molecular mechanism for seed weight at the early developmental stage in rapeseed.

Identification of a novel seed size associated locus SW9-1 in soybean

Seed size is one of the vital traits determining seed appearance, quality, and yield. Untangling the genetic mechanisms regulating soybean 100-seed weight (100-SW), seed length and seed width across environments may provide a theoretical basis for improving seed yield. However, there are few reports related to QTL mapping of 100-SW across multiple ecological regions. In this study, 21 loci associated with seed size traits were identified using a genome-wide association of 5361 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across three ecoregions in China, which could explain 8.12%–14.25% of the phenotypic variance respectively. A new locus, named as SW9-1 on chromosome 9 that explained 10.05%–10.93% of the seed weight variance was found significantly related to seed size traits, and was not previously reported. The selection effect analysis showed that SW9-1 locus has a relatively high phenotypic effect (13.67) on 100-SW, with a greater contribution by the accessions with bigger seeds (3.69) than the accessions with small seeds (1.66). Increases in seed weight were accompanied by increases in the frequency of SW9-1T allele, with >90% of the bred varieties with a 100-SW >30 g carrying SW9-1T. Analysis of SW9-1 allelic variation in additional soybean accessions showed that SW9-1T allele accounting for 13.83% of the wild accessions, while in 46.55% and 51.57% of the landraces and bred accessions, respectively, this results indicating that the SW9-1 locus has been subjected to artificial selection during the early stages of soybean breeding, especially the utilization of SW9-1T in edamame for big seed. These results suggest that SW9-1 is a novel and reliable locus associated with seed size traits, and might have an important implication for increasing soybean seed weight in molecular design breeding. Cloning this locus in future may provide new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying soybean seed size traits.

Genetic Variation among <i>Cucurbita pepo</i>Accessions Varying in Seed Nutrition and Seed Size

Pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo L.) is a nutritionally valuable food and a significant source of income globally. Pumpkin seeds are rich in oil, protein, unsaturated fatty acids and tocopherols, which are associated with improved human health. Understanding the genetic diversity among pumpkin accessions varying in seed nutrition traits is necessary for designing sound breeding strategies for developing superior cultivars. In the current study, 26 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were used to assess genetic relatedness among 29 C. pepo accessions varying in seed oil, seed protein, seed-coat phenotype, seed size and fatty acid composition. The SSR markers revealed 102 alleles averaging 3.92 alleles per loci and mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.44. Eleven of the markers had a PIC of ≥0.5. Ward dendrogram and principle component analysis based on seed traits grouped the genotypes into two major clusters corresponding to subspecies pepo and texana, with all the reduced-hull accessions grouping within the former. Collectively, this data suggests wide phenotypic (seed traits) and genotypic variation within C. pepo that may be exploited to develop superior reduced-hull cultivars.

Maternal environment and seed size are important for successful germination and seedling establishment of Pterocarpus erinaceus (Fabaceae)

Seed size and the growth environment are important variables that influence seed germination, growth and biomass of seedlings and future tree harvest and should thus be taken into account in agroforestry and reforestation programmes for endangered species like Pterocarpus erinaceus. In the present study, to assess seedling germination and vigour in P. erinaceus as a function of seed size in two environments, 1080 seeds and 360 seedlings were evaluated at two separate sites in Côte d'Ivoire. The results show that large seeds had very high germination rates (up to 100%) and produced more vigorous plants better able to adapt to climate change. The maternal environment and seed size had a significant influence on seed germination (P < 0.05) and seedling development (P < 0.05) and biomass (P < 0.05). Seedlings were most successful at the site with a humid tropical climate (Daloa). Seedling leaves had the same resistance regardless of seed size and study site, but leaf moisture content was more stable in seedlings grown from medium and small seeds. These results will help guide conservation strategies for the species and are key factors for rural populations, loggers, and forest management structures for the silviculture of this species.

Size effect of lattice material and minimum weight design

The size effects of microstructure of lattice materials on structural analysis and minimum weight design are studied with extented multiscale finite element method（EMsFEM） in the paper. With the same volume of base material and configuration, the structural displacement and maximum axial stress of micro-rod of lattice structures with different sizes of microstructure are analyzed and compared.It is pointed out that different from the traditional mathematical homogenization method, EMsFEM is suitable for analyzing the structures which is constituted with lattice materials and composed of quantities of finite-sized micro-rods.The minimum weight design of structures composed of lattice material is studied with downscaling calculation of EMsFEM under stress constraints of micro-rods. The optimal design results show that the weight of the structure increases with the decrease of the size of basic sub-unit cells. The paper presents a new approach for analysis and optimization of lattice materials in complex engineering constructions.

Construction of a high-density adzuki bean genetic map and evaluation of its utility based on a QTL analysis of seed size

Adzuki bean(Vigna angularis(Willd.)Ohwi&Ohashi)is an annual cultivated leguminous crop commonly grown in Asia and consumed worldwide.However,there has been limited research regarding adzuki bean genetics,which has prevented the efficient application of genes during breeding.In the present study,we constructed a high-density genetic map based on whole genome re-sequencing technology and validated its utility by mining QTLs related to seed size.Moreover,we analyzed the sequences flanking insertions/deletions(In Dels)to develop a set of PCR-based markers useful for characterizing adzuki bean genetics.A total of 2904 markers were mapped to 11 linkage groups(LGs).The total length of the map was 1365.0 cM,with an average distance between markers of 0.47 cM.Among the LGs,the number of markers ranged from 208(LG7)to 397(LG1)and the total distance ranged from 97.4 cM(LG9)to 155.6 cM(LG1).Twelve QTLs related to seed size were identified using the constructed map.The two major QTLs in LG2 and LG9 explained 22.1 and 18.8%of the total phenotypic variation,respectively.Ten minor QTLs in LG4,LG5 and LG6 explained 3.0–10.4%of the total phenotypic variation.A total of 9718 primer pairs were designed based on the sequences flanking In Dels.Among the 200 selected primer pairs,75 revealed polymorphisms in 24 adzuki bean germplasms.The genetic map constructed in this study will be useful for screening genes related to other traits.Furthermore,the QTL analysis of seed size and the novel markers described herein may be relevant for future molecular investigations of adzuki bean and will be useful for exploiting the mechanisms underlying legume seed development.

Seed Size Effects on Early Seedling Growth and Response to Applied Nitrogen in Annual Ryegrass (<i>Lolium multiflorum</i>L.)

Use of individual plants as experimental units may be necessary when resources are limited, but inter-plant variation risks obscuring differences among treatments. Experiments were undertaken to measure the effects of seed size on seedling size and response to applied nitrogen of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) harvested six or nine weeks after emergence. In two series of experiments, shoot and root dry weights of seedlings increased respectively at means of 53 - 61 and 29 - 30 mg·mg-1 increase in mean seed weight. Between the largest and smallest seed sizes used in this study, there was 83% difference in shoot weight at harvest six weeks after emergence and 22% difference with harvest nine weeks after emergence. Nitrogen (N) application, in comparison, increased shoot dry weights by averages of 69% and 77% with harvests at six or nine weeks, respectively. Dry mass response to N application was similar across seed size categories in shoots or roots. A mean 30% of total seedling-N was retained in roots. Nitrogen utilization efficiency for shoot growth (increase in shoot growth per unit increase in shoot N capture) ranged from 64 mg·mg-1 with harvest six weeks after emergence to 114 mg·mg-1 with harvest at nine weeks after emergence. Delay in seedling harvest from six to nine weeks post-emergence and use of closely-graded seed can reduce variation in individual seedling size and contribute to reduction in random variation in small-scale experiments.

Effect of Seeds Size on Germination of Faba Bean Plant

The study was conducted in Al-Qassim region in February 2020 and the study aimed to know the effect of seed size on germination and some morphological parameters in Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plant, by dividing the seeds into three sizes large 2.5 - 2.3 cm, medium 2.0 - 2.2 cm, and small 1.7 - 1.9 cm and planting them. The results showed that the germination percentage in the large seeds was the highest (100%), and the size of the seeds affected the length of the root and shoot as the large seeds gave the highest length for root (8.37 cm) and shoot (14.2 cm) compared to the medium and small seeds. So, for these results, the seed size is closely related to root and shoot length, number of leaves.

Interaction between seed size and NaCl on germination and early seedling growth of some Turkish cultivars of chickpea(Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea is an important food legume crop of Turkey and is largely grown for human consumption on low moisture or salt-affected soils. The objective of the study was to find the effects of NaCl stress at electrical conductivities of 4.5,8.6,12.7 and 16.3 dS/m and seed sizes(7,8 and 9 mm) on germination and early seedling growth of three popular chickpea cultivars(AKN-97,Gokce and Uzunlu-99). Mean frequency of germination,germination time,germination index,root length,shoot length and seedling fresh weight showed seed size-dependent responses of cultivars to salt stress. In general,small seeds germinated and grew more rapidly compared to medium and large seeds of the same cultivars against all levels of salt stress,with the best results in cultivar Uzunlu-99. No effect of NaCl treatments was observed on frequency of germination;however,a drastic decrease in early seedling growth was recorded at increased NaCl concentrations. Regression analysis results showed a significantly positive rela-tionship(P<0.01) between seed size and mean germination time,whereas a significantly negative relationship was recorded between seed size and germination index,root length,shoot length. Moreover,linear regression values apparently confirmed that increased seed size in each cultivar affected decreased germination index,root and shoot lengths with enhanced mean germination time. Thus,it was concluded that the use of small seeds could considerably reduce the production costs of chickpea in salt-affected soils.

Induced Polyploidy via Colchicine Treatment Increases Flower Size and Fruit Weight in Cape Gooseberry(Physalis peruviana L.)

An induced polyploid plant through colchicine treatment offers probably the best scope for improvement in flower size and fruit weight.Thus,in the present study,an attempt was made to induce polyploidy in Cape gooseberry using colchicine with the objective of creating more genetic variability.The colchicine concentrations were used as 0.10%(C1),0.20%(C2)and 0.40%(C3)for the duration 12(H1),24(H2)and 36(H3)hours for each concentration with seedling apex dip method(M1),cotton plug method(M2)and lanolin paste method(M3).The plants treated with 0.10%of colchicine by cotton plug method for 12 h showed the better performance during the years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 in respect of more delay in the flower bud emergence(54 d and 53 d from the date of transplanting),anthesis(19 d and 20 d from the first appearance of bud to full anthesis of flower)and fruit setting(8.00 d and 9.00 d from the date of anthesis),bigger flower size(2.93 cm2 and 3.00 cm2)than the untreated plants.The lower percentage of pollen viability(40.33%and 40.67%)was noticed in the same treatment in comparison to control(70.33%and 72.33%).The fruit maturity was also extended(59 d and 60 d from the date of fruit set)with bigger sized fruits(length:2.53 cm and 2.57 cm,breadth:2.27 cm and 2.33 cm)as well as more fruit weight(8.70 g and 8.33 g)by the application of colchicine at 0.10%with cotton plug method for 12 h.On the basis of results obtained,the application of colchicine at 0.10%for 12 h duration with cotton plug method was found to be the best and effective treatment for induction of polyploidy as well as more flower size and fruit weight in Cape gooseberry.

Molecular Weight Distribution of Dissolved Organic Matter in Lake Hongfeng Determined by High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) With On-Line UV-Vis Absorbance and Fluorescence Detection

The molecular weight distribution (MWD) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in lake waters from Lake Hongfeng was examined using high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) with UV-vis absorbance and fluorescence detection. The elution curves obtained by absorbance and fluorescence techniques expressed similar patterns, with the exception of diminishing of large fraction and the peaks behind several seconds in fluorescence chromatograms. According to its molecular weight (MW), DOM in water samples is divided into several fractions: large ({>3.5} kDa); medium-large ({3.5}-{2.0} kDa); medium ({2.0}-{1.0} kDa) and small ({<1.0} kDa). The average molecular weight was calculated using the elution curve detected by UV-vis absorbance and fluorescence detection techniques. The results showed that the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) and number-average molecular weight (Mn) calculated by UV-vis absorbance techniques range from 1750 to 2050 Dalton and from 1450 to 1850 Dalton, respectively. And the Mw and Mn obtained by fluorescence detection are lower by 50 to 400 Dalton. As a reference, the molecular weight of Fluka humic acid (FHA) is larger than that of water samples by about 200 Dalton. The average molecular weight of DOM for water samples collected in March and July was compared. The results revealed that the molecular weight is lower for water samples obtained in July than that obtained in March, indicating the ambient environment has an influence on the molecular weight, including photo-degradation and biological activity.

Development of a mass model in estimating weight-wise particle size distribution using digital image processing

Particle size distribution of coarse aggregates through mechanical sieving gives results in terms of cumulative mass percent. But digital image processing generated size distribution of particles, while being fast and accurate, is often expressed in terms of area function or number of particles. In this paper, a mass model is developed which converts the image obtained size distribution to mass-wise distribution, making it readily comparable to mechanical sieving data. The concept of weight/particle ratio is introduced for mass reconstruction from 2D images of particle aggregates. Using this mass model, the effects of several particle shape parameters(such as major axis, minor axis, and equivalent diameter) on sieve-size of the particles is studied. It is shown that the sieve-size of a particle strongly depend upon the shape parameters, 91% of its variation being explained by major axis, minor axis, bounding box length and equivalent diameter. Furthermore, minor axis gives an overall accurate estimate of particle sieve-size, error in mean size(D-50) being just 0.4%. However, sieve-size of smaller particles(<20 mm) strongly depends upon the length of the smaller arm of the bounding box enclosing them and sieve-sizes of larger particles(>20 mm) are highly correlated to their equivalent diameters. Multiple linear regression analysis has been used to generate overall mass-wise particle size distribution, considering the influences of all these shape parameters on particle sieve-size. Multiple linear regression generated overall mass-wise particle size distribution shows a strong correlation with sieve generated data. The adjusted R-square value of the regression analysis is found to be 99 percent(w.r.t cumulative frequency). The method proposed in this paper provides a time-efficient way of producing accurate(up to 99%) mass-wise PSD using digital image processing and it can be used effectively to replace the mechanical sieving.

Meta-Analysis of 100-Seed Weight QTLs in Soybean

100-seed weight is a very complicated quantitative trait of yield. The study of gene mapping for yield trait in soybean is very important for application. However, the mapping result of 100-seed weight was dispersed, the public map should be chosen which was suitable for the published results integrated, and to improve yield. In this research, an integrated map of 100-seed weight QTLs in soybean had been established with soymap2 published in 2004 as a reference map. QTLs of 100-seed weight in soybean were collected in recent 20 yr. With the software BioMercator 2.1, QTLs from their own maps were projected to the reference map. From published papers, 65 QTLs of 100-seed weight were collected and 53 QTLs were integrated, including 17 reductive effect QTLs and 36 additive effect QTLs. 12 clusters of QTLs were found in the integrated map. A method of meta-analysis was used to narrow down the confidence interval, and 6 additive QTLs and 6 reductive QTLs and their corresponding markers were obtained respectively. The minimum confidence interval （C.I.） was shrunk to 1.52 cM. These results would lay the foundation for marker-assisted selection and mapping QTL precisely, as well as QTL gene cloning in soybean.

Influence of expanded polystyrene size on deformation characteristics of light weight soil

Deformation characteristics of light weight soil with different EPS (expanded polystyrene) sizes were investigated by consolidation tests.The results show that the confined stress-strain relation curve is in S shape,which has a good homologous relation with e-p curve and e-lgp curve,and three types of curves reflect obvious structural characteristics of light weight soil.When cement mixed ratio and EPS volume ratio are the same for different specimens,structural strength decreases with the increase of EPS size,but compressibility indexes basically keep unchanged within the structural strength.The settlement of light weight soil can be divided into instantaneous settlement and primary consolidation settlement.It has no obvious rheology property,and 90% of total consolidation deformation can be finished in 1 min.Settlement-time relation of light weight soil can be predicted by the hyperbolic model.S-lgt curve of light weight soil is not in anti-S shape.It is proved that there is no secondary consolidation section,so consolidation coefficient cannot be obtained by time logarithm method.Structural strength and unit price decrease with the increase of EPS size,but the reducing rate of the structural strength is lower than that of the unit price,so the cost of mixed soil can be reduced by increasing the EPS size.The EPS beads with 3-5 mm in diameter are suggested to be used in the construction process,and the prescription of mixed soil can be optimized.

Variations in seed size and seed mass related to tree growth over 5 years for 23 provenances of Quercus acutissima from across China

The origin of a seed strongly impacts its traits, and both origin and seed traits influence seed germination and seedling development. However, in many instances, this effect on the seedling does not persist into adulthood, and little is known about how seed traits and original environment affect seedling/tree growth over time. In this study, seed size, seed mass, seedling/tree growth and origins were collected and determined for 23 provenances of Quercus acutissima from across China. Origin variables correlated well with seed size and seed mass. In stepwise multiple regressions, a longitudinal aridity index explained 49.2-68.7% of the total variation in seed size and mass, while only seed width was correlated with seedling/tree height (H) and diameter at the ground (D) from seed traits and origins. The total variance in H and D explained by the models decreased over time, for example, the R 2 value of the models for H declined from 0.477 in the first year to 0.224 in the fourth year; no models was significant in the fifth year. These results indicate that seed size, regulated by the longitudinal aridity index strongly impacted seedling and tree growth, but the strength of the influence decreased over time, and disappeared after 4 years.

Fluctuation of Body Size and Body Weight of Jinchuan Female Yak within One Year

To understand the exact changes in body size and body weight of Jinchuan female yaks within one year,the body size and body weight of 30 Jinchuan female yaks were measured from July 2015 to July 2016. The results showed that the body weight of Jinchuan female yak declined continuously since October 2015,and the weight loss in November 2015 was the largest. The body weight started to increase in May 2016,and the body weight increased significantly in June and July of 2016.

Size Biased Lindley Distribution and Its Properties a Special Case of Weighted Distribution

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a size biased Lindley distribution which is a special case of weighted distributions. Weighted distributions have practical significance where some types of biased occur in a density function, i.e. probability is proportional to the size of the variate, that’s why the proposed version of size biased Lindley is designed for such situations more reasonably and more precisely. Principle properties of the density function are also discussed in this paper such as moments, measure of skewness, kurtosis, moment generating function, characteristics generating function, coefficient of variation, survival function and hazard function which are derived for understanding the structure of the proposed distribution more briefly.