Saline Stress Response of Plantlets of Common Wheat （Triticum aestivum） and Its Wild Congeners

The aim of this work was to study the reactions of wheat （T. aestivum L.） and its wild congeners under salt stress. Physiological mechanisms that underlie traits for salt tolerance plantlets have been used to test some wheat species and to identify sources of salty tolerance. Stress conditions were founded by means of exposure of the plantlets in NaCI water solution, 1.68% that demonstrably differentiates the samples by growth parameters. Under laboratory conditions the ability of seedlings to bear a significant shortage of water, their ability to accumulate biomass, changing the parameters of linear growth processes and changes in water content in leaves and roots of seedlings under stress was determined. Interest is also the rate of growth of root fibrils in saline conditions. These experiments allowed to provide a comprehensive diagnosis of studied forms of wheat and make an initial opinion on their salt tolerance. Different features of abiotic stress responses of some wheat species at the early stages of development were shown that testifies necessi~ of great number of approaches at selection of genetic material for improvement of modern wheat eultivars. This work is the first phase of research for practical breeding.

Obsolete Pesticides and Phytoremediation of Polluted Soil in Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, there are obsolete pesticides which should be buried in special dedicated and prepared burial sites or neutralized for minimization of dangerous genetic and ecological risks. The work in two years was identifying the obsolete pesticides in 91 the former warehouses of chemical plant protection products. In two regions （Almaty and Akmola regions） of Kazakhstan, the total amount of 388.6 tones of obsolete pesticides and unidentified stockpile material was observed, along with 513 pesticide containers. Results of the study have shown that soil around storehouses polluted by organochlorine pesticides residues in soil included metabolites of DDT （p, p＇-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane） and HCH （hexachlorocyclohexane）. The strategy was to identify pesticide-tolerant plant genotypes which can be used for phytoremediation of pesticide-contaminated soils in Almaty regions of Kazakhstan. The results have shown that selected wild species plants demonstrated ability to phytoaccumulation of organochlorine metabolites and reduce pesticide concentrations in soil （control without plant）. It was shown that accumulation of pesticides depended on the species of plants, plant biomass and pesticide concentrations in soil. The use of mineral fertilizers resulted in stimulation of growth and biomass accumulation followed by an increasing phytoextraction.

The Study of the Anatomical Features of Wheat Grains in the Species T. dicoccum Schuebl,, Sort Mironovskaya-808 and AIIoplasmatic Lines （Their Interspecific Hybrids F9）

In cross sections by microscopic studies have examined the features of the shell thickness grains, cells, aleuronic layer and endosperm in the species T. dicoccum Schuebl., sorts Mironovskaya-808 and their interspecific hybrids F9 （alloplasmatic lines）. The result of studies showed the specific and varietal differences, and differences in hybrid plants on linear parameters size grains, the degree of specificity of the shells grains of wheat and identified species and varietal differences as well as differences among hybrids in the linear dimensions of the cells of the aleuronic layer. It is shown that among the studied forms of wheat allocated species T. dicoccum Shuebl. and the lines D-N-05, D-F-05 and D-40-05-KhNA with relatively large grains, a well-developed endosperm, most of thin shells and large grain aleurone layer cells. They are of most interest for further breeding research in terms of nutritional value.

Approaches to the Elaboration of Regeneration and Transformation Systems for Elite Kazakh Cotton Varieties

The development and wide application of genetic transformation for cotton improvement are restrained by the unresolved problem of genotype dependence in regeneration in vitro.High embryogenic and regenerative potential have been obtained for limited number of Coker type genotypes。

Creation of Cultivars with High Productive Tillering Capacity and Synchronous Earing for Ridge Technology Cultivation

For cultivation of new common wheat cultivars having valuable morphological traits new resource-saving ridge technology was applied. Our collection of dwarf lines, obtained in the result of cyclical diallel crossings of genotrophs, induced by pyridine carbonic acids, zoned common wheat cultivars and short stem common wheat samples from the World Wide Collection of the Russian Institute of Plant Industry, was applied for creation of new common wheat lines having valuable morphological traits. It was observed that open blooming dwarfs were good for cross-pollination, and without insulation they demonstrated a great issue of natural hybrids. It was marked that cross-pollination promoted appearance of great number of hybrid plants with high productive tillering capacity. After individual selection among those hybrid plants and their propagation we got fertile constant lines of common winter wheat having 17-20 productive stems per one plant and a productive ear. These lines are firm and resistant to lodging. At the present time these constant lines are cultivated in conditions of resource-saving ridge technology.

Influence of Saline Stress on Ionic Balance of Wheat （Triticum Aestivum） and Its Wild Congeners

Purpose of this work was to study changes in the ion balance under salt stress in roots and leaves of seedlings of T. aestivum L. and its wild congeners with different genomic composition. Laboratory assessment of salt tolerance in seedlings was carried out and contents of ions K^＋, Na^＋ and Ca^2＋ in roots and leaves were defined. Considerable change of ionic balance in roots and leaves of studied forms of wheat against salt stress is shown. It is noticed that the parity K^＋/Na^＋ decreases in process of strengthening of salt stress. Authentic negative correlation between a relative gain of a biomass of leaves and roots in the stress conditions and accumulation of ions Na^＋ and between a relative gain of a biomass of leaves in the stress conditions and a parity in them of ions K^＋/Na^＋ is revealed. The research results also show that the stability characteristics of indicators of changes in ionic composition or balance in the leaves of young plants are more informative than in the roots and allow to reveal the form, characterized by relatively high of K^＋/Na^＋ ratio and the relatively low accumulation of Ca2^＋ as the most resistant to salt stress.

Stability of Cereal Crops to Drought and Saline Stress in Vivo and in Vitro

Complex research is devoted to basic non-specific stress-reactions caused by abiotic factors such as drought and salinity in vivo and in vitro. A comparative physiological, biochemical and cytogenetic analysis was performed and showed the peculiarities of growth and viability on various （cellular, tissular, organismic） levels of plants structural arrangement at stress conditions. Determined the parameters of the growth, ion balance, the content of free proline, superoxide dismutase activity and conducted the cytological studies. The commonness of cytological reactions of plant cells to abiotic stress was revealed. The considerable positive correlation relationships between growth of callus biomass and increases of primary roots number under abiotic stressess, between growth of callus biomass and capacity for survival of seedlings under osmotic stress were registered. Such correlation tells about comparability of stress tolerance valuation at different levels of plants structural arrangement. The considerable negative correlation between K~/Na~ ions relations and percent increase of free proline in calluses were showed. Physiological and biochemical indicators of abiotic stresses impact on plants cells and tissues, such as SOD activity and K^＋/Na^＋ ions correlation were noted. These indicators are effective as metabolic markers in the course of testing and selection of stress-resistant cereals in vivo and in vitro.

Physiological and biochemical characteristic of Miscanthus×giganteus grown in heavy metal-oil sludge co-contaminated soil

The effect of oil sludge and zinc,present in soil both separately and as a mixture on the physiological and biochemical parameters of Miscanthus×giganteus plant was examined in a pot experiment.The opposite effect of pollutants on the accumulation of plant biomass was established:in comparison with uncontaminated control the oil sludge increased,and Zn reduced the root and shoot biomass.Oil sludge had an inhibitory effect on the plant photosynthetic apparatus,which intensified in the presence of Zn.The specific antioxidant response of M.×giganteus to the presence of both pollutants was a marked increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase(mostly owing to oil sludge)and glutathione-S-transferase(mostly owing to zinc)in the shoots.The participation of glutathione-S-transferase in the detoxification of both the organic and the inorganic pollutants was assumed.Zn inhibited the activity of laccase-like oxidase,whereas oil sludge promoted laccase and ascorbate oxi-dase activities.This finding suggests that these enzymes play a part in the oxidative detox-ification of the organic pollutant.With both pollutants used jointly,Zn accumulation in the roots increased 6-fold,leading to increase in the efficiency of soil clean-up from the metal.In turn,Zn did not significantly affect the soil clean-up from oil sludge.This study shows for the first time the effect of co-contamination of soil with oil sludge and Zn on the phys-iological and biochemical characteristics of the bioenergetic plant M.×giganteus.The data obtained are important for understanding the mechanisms of phytoremediation with this plant.

Gene complementation analysis indicates that parasitic dodder plants do not depend on the host FT protein for flowering

Dear Editor,Cuscuta,a genus of parasitic plants,poses a significant threat to global agriculture due to its broad host range that encompasses numerous cultivated crops.The plants form specialized feeding organs(haustoria)that connect to the host vascular tissue and import water,nutrients,secondary metabolites,small RNAs,mRNAs,and proteins.One such protein is FT,a peptide hormone and florigen that was recently proposed to cause the synchronization of flowering in the parasite–host system(Shen et al.,2020).

Natural Organic Amendments for Improved Phytoremediation of Polluted Soils:A Review of Recent Progress

Environmental pollution caused by metals, radionuclides and organic pollutants affects quality of the biosphere: soil, water and air.Currently, great efforts have been made to reduce, remove or stabilize contaminants in polluted sites. There has been increasing interest in phytoremediation—the use of plants to reduce concentration of pollutants or to render them harmless. This paper provides a brief review of recent progress in the research and practical application of phytoremediation techniques. Improvements in phytoremediation due to utilization of organic amendments, namely, agro- and industrial wastes(such as sugar beet residue, composted sewage sludge or molasses), biochar, humic substances, plant extracts and exudates are discussed, as well as their influences on soil structure and characteristics, plants growth and bioavailability of pollutants. Both plant-assisted phytoremediation and the use of natural materials in the absence of remediating plant are believed to be cost-effective and environmentally friendly approaches for soil cleanup. However,the characterization and quantification of a range of natural materials used in phytoremediation are essential in order to implement these approaches to practice.

Ca^(2+)signaling in plant responses to abiotic stresses

Adverse variations of abiotic environmental cues that deviate from an optimal range impose stresses to plants.Abiotic stresses severely impede plant physiology and development.Consequently,such stresses dramatically reduce crop yield and negatively impact on ecosystem stability and composition.Physical components of abiotic stresses can be,for example,suboptimal temperature and osmotic perturbations,while representative chemical facets of abiotic stresses can be toxic ions or suboptimal nutrient availability.The sheer complexity of abiotic stresses causes a multitude of diverse components and mechanisms for their sensing and signal transduction.Ca^(2+),as a versatile second messenger,plays multifaceted roles in almost all abiotic stress responses in that,for a certain abiotic stress,Ca^(2+)is not only reciprocally connected with its perception,but also multifunctionally ensures subsequent signal transduction.Here,we will focus on salt/osmotic stress and responses to altered nutrient availability as model cases to detail novel insights into the identity of components that link stress perception to Ca^(2+)signal formation as well as on new insights into mechanisms of Ca^(2+)signal implementation.Finally,we will deduce emerging conceptual consequences of these novel insights and outline arising avenues of future research on the role of Ca^(2+)signaling in abiotic stress responses in plants.

Hyperspectral reflectance-based phenotyping for quantitative genetics in crops: Progress and challenges

Many biochemical and physiological properties of plants that are of interest to breeders and geneticists have extremely low throughput and/or can only be measured destructively.This has limited the use of information on natural variation in nutrient and metabolite abundance,as well as photosynthetic capacity in quantitative genetic contexts where it is necessary to collect data from hundreds or thousands of plants.A number of recent studies have demonstrated the potential to estimate many of these traits from hyperspectral reflectance data,primarily in ecophysiological contexts.Here,we summarize recent advances in the use of hyperspectral reflectance data for plant phenotyping,and discuss both the potential benefits and remaining challenges to its application in plant genetics contexts.The performances of previously published models in estimating six traits fromhyperspectral reflectance data in maizewere evaluated on newsample datasets,and the resulting predicted trait values shown to be heritable(e.g.,explained by genetic factors)were estimated.The adoption of hyperspectral reflectance-based phenotyping beyond its current uses may accelerate the study of genes controlling natural variation in biochemical and physiological traits.

Getting lost in the weeds:How VVQX9 has shed light on gene functional divergence

Studying functional divergence between different species is key to understanding gene evolution,but it is challenging when comparison of distant phyla or when allelic diversity is limiting.

bHLH Root Hair Booster in Low-Phosphate Conditions

Phosphorus is a macronutrient essential for many crucial plant biological processes including photosynthesis.To cope with the limited availability of phosphate(Pi)in the soil,plants have developed multiple strategies including increased hair root density to acquire this immobile nutrient.However,the precise molecular mechanisms underlying such strategies have not been fully elucidated.

The Bigger the Merrier:TERMINAL FLOWER 1 Protein Movement Controls Seed Size

Increasing seed size is an efficient way to improve crop yield.In flowering plants,following double fertilization the rapid growth of the integument and endosperm generates a large cavity in the seed.After the syncytial phase,the syncytium divides into individual cells resulting in the cellularization of the endosperm.The volume available for the subsequent embryo development and thus seed size,is directly linked to the timing of endosperm cellularization.If cellularization occurs precociously,the seed will be smaller and vice versa.