Drought-Tolerant Rice at Molecular Breeding Eras:An Emerging Reality

Rice(Oryza sativa L.)stands as the most significantly influential food crop in the developing world,with its total production and yield stability affected by environmental stress.Drought stress impacts about 45%of the world’s rice area,affecting plants at molecular,biochemical,physiological,and phenotypic levels.The conventional breeding method,predominantly employing single pedigree selection,has been widely utilized in breeding numerous drought-tolerant rice varieties since the Green Revolution.With rapid progress in plant molecular biology,hundreds of drought-tolerant QTLs/genes have been identified and tested in rice crops under both indoor and field conditions.Several genes have been introgressed into elite germplasm to develop commercially accepted drought-tolerant varieties,resulting in the development of several drought-tolerant rice varieties through marker-assisted selection and genetically engineered approaches.This review provides up-to-date information on proof-of-concept genes and breeding methods in the molecular breeding era,offering guidance for rice breeders to develop drought-tolerant rice varieties.

Breeding by selective introgression: Theory, practices, and lessons learned from rice

Future demands for increased productivity and resilience to abiotic/biotic stresses of major crops require new technologies of breeding by design(BBD)built on massive information from functional and population genomics research.A novel strategy of breeding by selective introgression(BBSI)has been proposed and practiced for simultaneous improvement,genetic dissection and allele mining of complex traits to realize BBD.BBSI has three phases:a)developing large numbers of trait-specific introgression lines(ILs)using backcross breeding in elite genetic backgrounds as the material platform of BBD;b)efficiently identifying genes or quantitative trait loci(QTL)and mining desirable alleles affecting different target traits from diverse donors as the information platform of BBD;and c)developing superior cultivars by BBD using designed QTL pyramiding or marker-assisted recurrent selection.Phase(a)has been implemented massively in rice by many Chinese research institutions and IRRI,resulting in the development of many new green super rice cultivars plus large numbers of ILs in 30+elite genetic backgrounds.Phase(b)has been demonstrated in a series of proof-of-concept studies of high-efficiency genetic dissection of rice yield and tolerance to abiotic stresses using ILs and DNA markers.Phase(c)has also been implemented by designed QTL pyramiding,resulting in a prototype of BBD in several successful cases.The BBSI strategy can be easily extended for simultaneous trait improvement,efficient gene and QTL discovery and allele mining of complex traits using advanced breeding lines from crosses between a common"backbone"parent and a set of elite parents in conventional pedigree breeding programs.BBSI can be relatively easily adopted by breeding programs with small budgets,but the BBSI-based BBD strategy can be fully and more efficiently implemented by large seed companies with sufficient capacity.

Selection and Breeding of Drought Resistant,Water-saving and High-yield Wheat Variety Cangmai 028

Cangmai 028 was selected and bred according to the climatic characteristic of the winter wheat in Heilonggang Basin taking 98(083)as the female parent and the Canghe 030 as the male parent by "two-row parallel alternate selection" method.Cangmai 028 has characteristics of high resistance,water-saving,high and stable yield,and rich genetic background.This study elaborated selection and breeding background and methods,characteristics,quality,and yield of Cangmai 028.

Thinking on Breeding of Fecundity Genes in Guizhou Black Goats Through Cost-benefit Analysis of Mutton Sheep by SAS Multivariate Stepwise Regression

The total output value of mutton in Northwestern China has accounted for more than 60%of the total output value of animal husbandry over the years.It can be seen that the mutton industry in Northwest China not only plays a pivotal role in animal husbandry,but also plays an important role in Chinese agriculture.In this study,based on cost accounting theory,income-related theories and total factor productivity theory,using basic knowledge of statistics and economics,drawing on existing research results at home and abroad,and adopting a combination of qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis of SAS multiple stepwise regression,the changing trends of cost-benefit of mutton sheep breeding in Northwest agricultural and pastoral areas and influencing factors of production costs and production efficiency were investigated,aiming to provide reference for saving mutton sheep feeding material resources,reducing mutton sheep breeding costs,and improving mutton sheep breeding benefits.

Estimation of Genetic Divergence and Character Association Studies in Local and Exotic Diversity Panels of Soybean(Glycine max L.)Genotypes

The availability of favorable genetic diversity is a thriving vitality for the success of a breeding program.It provides a firm basis of selecting superior breeding lines for the development of high yielding crop genotypes.In this context,present investigation aimed to generate information on genetic divergence and character association in a diversity panel of 123 local and exotic soybean genotypes.Analysis of variance revealed significant response of the evaluated genotypes based on studied attributes.It depicted the probability of selecting desirable soybean genotypes by focusing on character association studies and genetic diversity analysis.Correlation analysis revealed that seed yield per plant showed high positive correlation with 100-seed weight followed by pods per plant and plant height.Furthermore,path coefficient analysis exposed that pods per plant had maximum direct contribution in seed yield per plant followed by 100-seed weight,days to flowering and SPAD measurement.Genotype named“G-10”showed maximum yield per plant followed by 24607,G-52,24593,Arisoy,24566,17426,A-3127,24570 and 24567.Genetic diversity analysis grouped the evaluated germplasm into 17 clusters.All clusters showed zero intra-cluster variability;while inter-cluster divergence ranged from 9.00 to 91.11.Cluster V showed maximum inter-cluster distance with cluster XII followed by that of between V and VIII.Moreover,cluster IV with superior genotypes(G-10,24607,24593 and 24566),VI(17426 and 24567),XIII(24570)and X(Arisoy and G-52)showed above mean values for most of the studied characters.Overall,the results of hybridization between the superior genotypes of these cluster pairs might be useful for soybean breeding with improving agronomic traits and adaptability.

Genetic parameters and response to selection for body weight in turbot(Scophthalmus maximus, Linnaeus)

Genetic parameters and response to selection were estimated for harvest body weight in turbot. The data consisted of 10 952 individuals of 508 full-sib families from three generations（G0, G1, and G2）. The heritability estimates for G0, G1, and G2 were 0.11±0.08, 0.18±0.09, and 0.17±0.07, respectively. Over three generations, the heritability estimate was 0.19±0.04. Maternal and common environmental effects were 0.10±0.04, 0.14±0.04, and0.13±0.03 within each generation and 0.12±0.01 across generations. The selection differential in growth was 18.24 g in G0 and 21.19 g in G1 corresponding to an average of 19.72 g per generation. The genetic gains were also calculated, they were 22.06 g in G1 and 11.93 g in G2, corresponding to 6.36% and 3.52% body weight. The total genetic gain after two generations was 10.10% body weight, which indicated that the selective breeding program for the body weight trait in turbot was successful.

Genetic Rat Models of Schizophrenia-Relevant Symptoms

It is recognized that developing valid animal models is essential for the research on the neurobiological mechanisms of (and treatments for) psychiatric disorders, even when these are as complex as schizophrenia. To be considered a valid analogue of the disorder, a given model should present good face validity (i.e. similarity of symptoms), good predictive validity (i.e. similarity of treatment effects and potential for discovering novel treatments) and enough construct validity (i.e. the model should help discover neurobiological mechanisms underlying the disorder or some relevant symptoms). The complexity of symptoms (positive, negative and cognitive) of schizophrenia makes it a very difficult task for a model to mimic all the main features of the disorder, but some rodent (mouse and rat) models have behavioural and even neurobiological phenotype characteristics resembling positive-like symptoms, cognitive symptoms and some neurochemical features of schizophrenia. As several recent works have already reviewed the main behavioural and developmental models, as well as the most used drug-induced, lesion-induced and genetic mouse models, the present review focuses on describing the most relevant genetically-based rat models of schizophrenia-relevant symptoms. Thus, we discuss several selective breeding programs leading to rat lines/strains which present impaired prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response and (in some cases) latent inhibition deficits (both of which may be considered as endophenotypes of schizophrenia related with pre-attentive processes and attention, respectively), as well as other schizophrenia-relevant symptoms (e.g. learning deficits). Evidence is presented for the effects of genetic background on PPI (and other symptoms/phenotypes), as well as for environmental influences on genetic predisposition to enhanced apomorphine (mixed dopamine receptor agonist) effects. Some of the described rat models appear to present face validity and, to a certain extent, construct validity. While efforts should be made to evaluate the predictive validity of these genetic rat models, we propose that they have the advantage (over mouse knockouts, for example) of better representing “normal” genetic, neurobiological and phenotype variation, thus allowing the study of associations among them by means of genetic mapping or gene expression studies.

Contamination of microgreens by Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli is influenced by selection breeding in chicory(Cichorium intybus L.)

The aim of this study was to assess whether selection breeding in chicory(Cichorium intybus L.)led changes in the susceptibility to Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli contamination and whether the anatomical traits of the leaves are involved in the possible changes.Five chicory genotypes subjected to different intensities of selection were compared at the microgreen stage.Bacterial retention was evaluated after leaf incubation for 1.5 h on the surface of the bacterial suspension,followed by rinsing,grinding,plating on selective media,and colony forming unit(CFU)counting.The density of stomata and trichomes,total stomatal length and width,stomatal pit width,surface roughness and sharpness were evaluated.The intensively selected genotype(Witloof)was significantly more prone to contamination(2.9±0.3 lg CFU/cm^(2))as the average of the two bacterial types than the wild accession(Wild;2.3±0.4 lg CFU/cm^(2))and the moderately selected genotypes(two leaf chicories,Catalogna type,and root chicory'Magdeburg';on average,1.9±0.3 lg CFU/cm^(2)).Witloof microgreens also showed larger stomata(on average+34%for stoma width and+44%for pit width),which could justify,at least in part,the higher susceptibility to enterobacterial contamination.In fact,when contamination was performed in the dark(closed stomata),the bacterial retention in Witloof was significantly reduced in comparison with the opened stomata(-44%)and in Wild(-26%).Differences in retention between Witloof and Wild were still observed after UV treatment.The hierarchical clustering performed by grouping the leaf anatomical features was consistent with the chicory genetic groups.Our results suggest that the domestication process can affect the safety of produce and that the micromorphological traits of the leaves may be involved.

Systematic identification of wheat spike developmental regulators by integrated multiomics, transcriptional network, GWAS, and genetic analyses

The spike architecture of wheat plays a crucial role in determining grain number,making it a key trait for optimization in wheat breeding programs.In this study,we used a multi-omic approach to analyze the transcriptome and epigenome profiles of the young spike at eight developmental stages,revealing co-ordinated changes in chromatin accessibility and H3K27me3 abundance during the flowering transition.We constructed a core transcriptional regulatory network(TRN)that drives wheat spike formation and experimentally validated a multi-layer regulatorymodule involving TaSPL15,TaAGLG1,and TaFUL2.By integrating the TRN with genome-wide association studies,we identified 227 transcription factors,including 42 with known functions and 185 with unknown functions.Further investigation of 61 novel transcription factors using multiple homozygous mutant lines revealed 36 transcription factors that regulate spike architecture or flowering time,such as TaMYC2-A1,TaMYB30-A1,and TaWRKY37-A1.Of particular interest,TaMYB30-A1,downstream of and repressed by WFzP,was found to regulate fertile spikelet number.Notably,the excellent haplotype of TaMYB30-A1,which contains a C allele at the WFzP binding site,was enriched during wheat breeding improvement in China,leading to improved agronomic traits.Finally,we constructed a free and open access Wheat Spike Multi-Omic Database(http://39.98.48.156:8800/#/).Our study identifies novel and high-confidence regulators and offers an effective strategy for dissecting the genetic basis of wheat spike development,with practical value forwheat breeding.

Isolating higher yielding and more stable rice genotypes in stress environments: fine-tuning a selection method using production and resilience score indices

In Asia, the rice crop sustains millions of people. However, growing demand for this crop needs to be met while simultaneously reducing its water consumption to cope with the effects of climate change. Lowland cropping systems are the most common and productive but have particularly high water requirements. High-yielding rice genotypes adapted to drier environments(such as rainfed or aerobic rice ecosystems) are needed to increase the water use efficiency of cropping. Identifying these genotypes requires fast and more accurate selection methods. It is hypothesized that applying a new quantitative selection method(the score index selection method), can usefully compare rice yield responses over different years and stress intensities to select genotypes more rapidly and efficiently. Applying the score index to previously published rice yield data for 39 genotypes grown in no-stress and two stress environments, identified three genotypes(ARB 8, IR55419-04 and ARB 7) with higher and stable yield under moderate to severe stress conditions. These genotypes are postulated to be better adapted to stress environment such as upland and aerobic environments. Importantly, the score index selection method offers improved precision than the conventional breeding selection method in identifying genotypes that are well-suited to a range of stress levels within the target environment.

Adverse impact of industrial animal agriculture on the health and welfare of farmed animals

Industrial animal agriculture is grounded in the concept of maximizing productivity and profit.Selective breeding for maximum productivity in one characteristic of the animal(e.g.milk yield in cows,or breast meat in broiler chickens)has resulted in genotypes and phenotypes that may predispose the animals to poor health and welfare.The conditions in which these individuals are kept may also frustrate many inherited behaviors that they are strongly motivated to perform.In order to curb the resulting harmful aberrant behaviors,such as feather-pecking in chickens,we sometimes resort to mutilating the animals.In many places chickens are routinely de-beaked by means of a hot metal guillotine.Compassion in World Farming(an international organization that promotes the humane treatment of farm animals)believes that it is unethical to treat sentient beings in such ways.We have a duty to respect farm animals’sentience by providing them with housing conditions that take their needs and wants into account,and by reverting to the use of dual-purpose,slower-growing breeds that have the potential for good welfare.Alternatives to current farming practices are available,and we owe it to the animals,and to our consciences,to pursue them.