The Dilemma and Way Out of China’s Participation in the Development of Marine Genetic Resources in ABNJ from the Perspective of BBNJ

The fifth intergovernmental negotiations on marine BBNJ(Biodiversity beyond Areas of National Jurisdiction)concluded in August 2022,in which there are still major differences regarding access to marine genetic resources,management,and technology transfer.China’s participation in the development of marine genetic resources in ABNJ(areas beyond national jurisdiction)has many dilemmas,which are linked to the difficulties faced in advancing the BBNJ negotiations.The following countermeasures are proposed at the institutional and practical levels respectively:clarifying the legal attributes and applicability of the principles of marine genetic resources;establishing mechanisms for access,management,environmental impact assessment and benefit sharing of marine genetic resources;and using the“Blue Partnership”to build a governance mechanism for marine genetic resources to achieve mutual benefits.

Genetic Resources,Breeding Programs in China,and Gene Mining of Peach:A Review

Research on peach genetic resources and breeding has achieved remarkable progress in recent decades,especially in China.In this review,we first described the geographic distribution,ecology,phenotypes,and genetic diversity of peach landraces and wild relatives in China.We also discussed the almond.Subsequently,breeding programs of peaches in China are summarized,including breeding history,breeding targets,breeding institutes,elite breeding materials,breeding solutions,and domestically bred representative cultivars.Furthermore,we reviewed the genes or loci that have been mined using both linkage mapping and genome wide association study(GWAS)as well as the evolutionary genetics and domestication history of the peach.Finally,we gave our perspectives and suggestions for future breeding in terms of breeding material selection and breeding technology innovation.

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

Forest Reproductive Material and Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources in Croatia

Conservation of genetic diversity of forest tree species represents the foundation for sustainable forest management and preservation of natural structure of forest stands in Croatia. Diversity of geographical regions in Croatia has generated various ecological conditions and thus diverse forest communities which are directly affected by habitat degradation, various anthropogenic effects like pollution of air and water, excessive use of certain more valuable species of forest trees and by the increasing impact of global climatic changes. The need for conservation of genetic diversity is related to the species pertaining to social broadleaves—the prevailing species in terms of economic utilization as Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur), Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea) and Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica). Among the conifers Silver Fir (Abies alba) is the most endangered species, with more than 70% of its population being seriously damaged. Other native coniferous species must be preserved from a decrease in genetic diversity as well. Conservation of the noble broadleaves should encompass a larger number of species from various genera (Fraxinus, Alnus, Ulmus, Prunus, Juglans, Castanea, Sorbus, Acer, Malus, Pyrus, Tilia). These are partially endangered because of their exposure to different pests and diseases, as well as by permanent exploitation due to their technical value. Changes in hydrological conditions of rivers have led difficulties in regeneration of the riparian forests and decreased the genetic variability of European Black and White Poplar in their habitats (Populus nigra, P. alba). In Croatia’s Adriatic coastal areas, there is a need for conservation of genetic resources of Dalmatian Black Pine (P. nigra ssp. dalmatica) and Mediterranean Oaks (Quercus ilex, Quercus pubescens). Conservation of genetic diversity of various forest tree species is conducted within the programmes that include in situ and ex situ methods with ensuring quality forest reproductive materials. In Croatia, a total of 125 seed stands have been selected, covering a total area of 3885.53 ha. The ex situ method is implemented by establishment of a total of 50 plots (clonal seed orchards, provenances and progeny trials, clonal archives), covering 114.85 ha.

Research and Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources in China

The present situation of forest tree genetic germplasm resources research and conservation in China is introduced which including the background, decision-making of conservation strategies and principles, the plan of area division and tree species classification, the sample strategy of germplasm conservation, the advances in conservation pattern and related technologies research, the achievements of germplasm conservation and utilization in China, and the problems to be solved. The recent achievements a...

Vegetable Genetic Resources in China

China is recognized as an important region for plant biodiversity based on its vast and historical collection of vegetable germplasm. The aim of this review is to describe the exploration status of vegetable genetic resources in China, including their collection, preservation, evaluation, and utilization. China has established a number of national-level vegetable genetic resources preservation units, including the National Mid-term Genebank for Vegetable Germplasm Resources, the National Germplasm Repository for Vegetatively-Propagated Vegetables, and the National Germplasm Repository for Aquatic Vegetables. In 2015, at least 36 000 accessions were collected and preserved in these units. In the past decade, 44 descriptors and data standards for different species have been published, and most accessions have been evaluated for screening the germplasms for specific important traits such as morphological characteristics, disease resistance, pest resistance, and stress tolerance.Moreover, the genetic diversity and evolution of some vegetable germplasms have been evaluated at the molecular level. Recently, more than 1 000 accessions were distributed to researchers and breeders each year by various means for vegetable research and production. However,additional wild-relative and abroad germplasms from other regions need to be collected and preserved in the units to expand genetic diversity.Furthermore, there is a need to utilize advanced techniques to better understand the background and genetic diversity of a wide range of vegetable genetic resources. This review will provide agricultural scientists' insights into the genetic diversity in China and provide information on the distribution and potential utilization of these valuable genetic resources.

Genetic diversity center of cultivated soybean(Glycine max) in China——New insight and evidence for the diversity center of Chinese cultivated soybean

Information on the center of genetic diversity of soybean(Glycine max) will be helpful not only for designing efficient strategies for breeding programs, but also for understanding the domestication and origin of this species. Here, we describe an analysis of genetic diversity based on simple-sequence repeat(SSR) variations within a core collection of 2 111 accessions of Chinese soybean landraces. Prior to the diversity assessment, the geographic origin of each accession was mapped. The map was then divided into grids each 2.5° in latitude and 5° in longitude. We found two regions that had higher number of alleles(NA) and greater polymorphic information content(PIC) values than the others. These regions are adjacently located within grid position of 30°–35°N×105°–110°E, which includes the valley of the middle and lower reaches of the Wei River, and the valley of the upper reaches of the Hanjiang River. It was also observed that in many regions, genetic diversity decreased with the increase in distance from the center. Another region, in northern Hebei Province(115°–120°E×40°–42.5°N), was observed having higher diversity than any surrounding regions, indicating that this is a sub-center of soybean diversity. Based on the presented results, the domestication and origin of soybean are also discussed.

Genetic Parameters and Correlation between Tomato Late Blight Field Resistance and Fruit Quality

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and quantify the correlations between late blight (LB) resistance and fruit quality traits in 220 families F2:3, under tropical field conditions. The families were arranged in randomized blocks in field trials, with six resistant inbred lines used as control, in plots of five plants. It evaluated the severity in the middle of the epidemy, final severity, area under the curve of progress of late blight, pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and flavor. There is genetic variability for epidemiological variables and total soluble solids. Heritabilities, obtained by parent-offspring regression, were high and indicated the possibility of satisfactory genetics gains and success in the introgression of resistance alleles. The correlations were negative, of high to intermediate magnitude, among the variables area under the curve of progress of late blight, total soluble solids and total titratable acidity.

Genetic Variability of Pumpkin Landraces in Brazilian Amazon

The family farm of the Upper Solim?es region has maintained the great genetic variability of the pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne) by the in situ conservation of the landraces which are widely used as human food. The aim of this study was to estimate the current level of genetic variability of pumpkin landraces by means of estimation techniques of genetic parameters. Landraces areas samples were the family farming production units located in floodplains ecosystems of Benjamin Constant (Upper Solim?es River) and Iranduba (Lower Solim?es River), Amazonas. The split-plot designs were adopted at the treatments where the main plots were the five pumpkin landraces and one commercial cultivar. Each landrace was obtained six half sib families distributed in the sub-plots. Among the results of this study, it can be concluded that the genetic variation within the each landrace is greater than the genetic variation among the landraces. The qualitative morphological characteristics bring together half-sib families collected in geographically distant locations. It can be concluded that, through the estimation of genetic parameters, there is genetic variability among local cultivars collected in family farming of Benjamin Constant and Iranduba, Amazonas.

Agromorphological Characterization of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc., Zingiberaceae) Accessions Grown in Côte d’Ivoire

In C?te d’Ivoire, ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.), generally used to make a drink called “Gnamankoudji”, has become an important source of agricultural income diversification. In order to assess the agromorphological diversity of a ginger collection from different regions of C?te d’Ivoire, a survey collection of accessions was carried out in the different production zones of the country. One hundred and eighty-eight ginger accessions were collected in 15 regions and one autonomous district of C?te d’Ivoire. Analysis of variance revealed that all the variables used in this study discriminated between the ginger accessions collected. Principal component analysis revealed morphological variability of 45.931% for the first two components. Ascending Hierarchical Classification was used to classify these accessions into three groups based on fourteen quantitative characters. These three groups were formed independently of collection areas and are characterized by moderate morphological variability. This variability has been structured into three distinct agromorphological groups, with thallus (rhizome) length and width, finger width, secondary finger length and yield in tons per hectare as distinctive characters. This revealed genetic diversity could be exploited in ginger breeding and improvement programs in C?te d’Ivoire.

Development of a panel of unigene-derived polymorphic EST–SSR markers in lentil using public database information

Lentil(Lens culinaris Medik.), a diploid(2n = 14) with a genome size greater than 4000 Mbp, is an important cool season food legume grown worldwide. The availability of genomic resources is limited in this crop species. The objective of this study was to develop polymorphic markers in lentil using publicly available curated expressed sequence tag information(ESTs). In this study, 9513 ESTs were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information(NCBI) database to develop unigene-based simple sequence repeat(SSR) markers. The ESTs were assembled into 4053 unigenes and then analyzed to identify 374 SSRs using the MISA microsatellite identification tool. Among the 374 SSRs, 26 compound SSRs were observed.Primer pairs for these SSRs were designed using Primer3 version 1.14. To classify the functional annotation of ESTs and EST–SSRs, BLASTx searches(using E-value 1 × 10-5) against the public UniP rot(http://www.uniprot.org/) and NCBI(http://www.ncbi.nlh.nih.gov/) databases were performed. Further functional annotation was performed using PLAZA(version3.0) comparative genomics and GO annotation was summarized using the Plant GO slim category. Among the synthesized 312 primers, 219 successfully amplified Lens DNA. A diverse panel of 24 Lens genotypes was used to identify polymorphic markers. A polymorphic set of 57 markers successfully discriminated the test genotypes. This set of polymorphic markers with functional annotation data could be used as molecular tools in lentil breeding.

Distribution of Malpighia mexicana in Mexico and its implications for Barranca del Río Santiago

Wild plants represent relatively unexplored resource of high economic potential,especially as an alternative to developing new crops and,even more relevant,for improving existing crops and contributing to nutrition and health.The wild species M alpighia mexicana(manzanita)has a wide tradition of food,medicinal and ornamental use in Mexico.It is part of the American-origin group of tropical shrubs that produce edible red fruits,such as A cerola,which is considered the most important natural source of vitamin C in the world.Given the role played by M.mexicana in Mexico,and particularly in Barranca del Río Santiago(Santiago River Canyon),we modelled its potential distribution in both geographical areas.We used species'records from databases,local herbaria and records collected by the authors as well as climatic variables representing long term average,variability and extreme conditions of temperature and precipitation.To fit the models we used the modelling algorithm Maxent and selected an adequate configuration by testing a range of model complexity settings.The results indicate a clear species preference for warm-dry tropical forest,most extensively in the Balsas river depression and the central valleys of Oaxaca.The probability of the species presence in the western region was also high,although the probability was also high for smaller surface areas,such as the region of Santiago river canyons,which are covered by warm-dry tropical forests.

Preliminary Diversity Assessment of Lima Beans (<i>Phaseolus lunatus</i>) Cultivated in Côte D’Ivoire

Lima bean is a legume belonging to Fabaceae family cultivated for edible seeds known to generic name of “haricot”. In Côte d’Ivoire, it’s cultivated on small scale in rural zone by local farmers. The main objective of this study was to document and collect local varieties of Lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus) grown in Côte d’Ivoire in order to define efficient strategies for better conservation, preservation and improvement of its genetic resources. Investigations were carried out in seventeen localities of Côte d’Ivoire from November 2018 to September 2020. A total of 433 accessions were collected. Based on seed coat color, nineteen morphological types were identified. The length of seeds is ranged from 10 mm to 23 mm. The width of seeds varies from 7 mm and 15 mm. The 100-Seeds-weight are ranged from 31 g to 120 g. Comparison using analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference between the nineteen morphological types of common bean. Two morphological types were observed: large seed cultivars and small seed cultivars. Data showed that the species studied have a good market potential. Thus, their promotion can contribute to the economic well-being of farmers due to their cultural and culinary importance.

Nutritional and Mineral Variability in 52 Accessions of Common Bean Varieties(Phaseolus vulgaris L.)from Madeira Island

The Phaseolus vulgaris L. is one of the traditional and most important leguminous crops in the Island of Madeira. The island’s bioclimatic tiers, agro-ecological environment and traditional farming practices had a great influence on the evolution of regional bean landraces. The variability of the nutritional and mineral seeds composition of 59 accessions of the Madeiran landraces, standard and commercial varieties was evaluated. Wide ranges of variability in biochemical parameters were reported among the Madeiran landraces, being the best sources of protein and mineral nutrition, according to the statistical results and literature comparative evaluation. Specifically, the content (g per 100 g DW) of ash ranged from 3.64-5.67, lipids from 0.57-2.86, protein from 18.55-29.69, starch from 23.40-52.65, soluble sugars from 2.97-6.84, while content of dry matter was from 83.35-93.55. The seeds also contained (per 100 g DW) between 2.55-4.83 g N, 0.30-7.50 g P, 1.30-2.49 g K, 0.10-0.18 g Mg, 4.10-10.00 mg Fe, 50.0-1.40 mg Cu, 2.20-5.00 mg Zn, 0.90-3.80 μg Mn and 0.20-2.40 μg B. This variability implies that the screened germplasm could serve as a source for breeding new varieties with improved biochemical and nutritional traits or could be highly recommended to meet specific dietary requirements. The cultivar Vaginha Grossa (ISOP 713) revealed low carbohydrate content that could be a good food choice for diabetics, while cultivar Vermelho (ISOP 724) bean should be offered as a valuable alternative source of protein and minerals in the local diet.

Achievements and prospects of grass pea(Lathyrus sativus L.) improvement for sustainable food production

Grass pea offers an attractive choice for sustainable food production, owing to its intrinsic properties including limited water requirement and drought tolerance. However, low productivity and the presence of a neurotoxin(ODAP) have posed major obstacles to its genetic improvement. Also, biotechnological investments remain limited and the genome is complex and not well understood. Strategies that allow identification of genotypes with reduced ODAP content, coupling of low ODAP content with enhanced yield, and effective seed detoxification methods merit immediate attention. Breeder-friendly genomic tools are being increasingly made available to improve the efficiency of breeding protocols. To this end, the application of next-generation sequencing has provided a means of leveraging the repertoire of genomic resources for this somewhat neglected crop. In this review, we describe progress achieved in Lathyrus genetic improvement. We also explore potential opportunities in Lathyrus research and identify urgent research needs.

DIW1 encoding a cladeⅠPP2C phosphatase negatively regulates drought tolerance by de-phosphorylating TaSnRK1.1 in wheat

Drought seriously impacts wheat production(Triticum aestivum L.),while the exploitation and utilization of genes for drought tolerance are insufficient.Leaf wilting is a direct reflection of drought tolerance in plants.Clade A PP2Cs are abscisic acid(ABA)co-receptors playing vital roles in the ABA signaling pathway,regulating drought response.However,the roles of other clade PP2Cs in drought tolerance,especially in wheat,remain largely unknown.Here,we identified a gain-of-function drought-induced wilting 1(DIW1)gene from the wheat Aikang 58 mutant library by map-based cloning,which encodes a cladeⅠprotein phosphatase 2C(TaPP2C158)with enhanced protein phosphatase activity.Phenotypic analysis of overexpression and CRISPR/Cas9 mutant lines demonstrated that DIW1/TaPP2C158 is a negative regulator responsible for drought resistance.We found that TaPP2C158 directly interacts with TaSnRK1.1 and de-phosphorylates it,thus inactivating the TaSnRK1.1–Ta AREB3 pathway.TaPP2C158 protein phosphatase activity is negatively correlated with ABA signaling.Association analysis suggested that C-terminal variation of TaPP2C158 changing protein phosphatase activity is highly correlated with the canopy temperature,and seedling survival rate under drought stress.Our data suggest that the favorable allele with lower phosphatase activity of TaPP2C158 has been positively selected in Chinese breeding history.This work benefits us in understanding the molecular mechanism of wheat drought tolerance,and provides elite genetic resources and molecular markers for improving wheat drought tolerance.