Characterization of the Moroccan Barley Germplasm Preserved in the Polish Genebank as a First Step towards Selecting Forms with Increased Drought Tolerance.

In marginal, arid, and semi-arid areas of Morocco, crops are often exposed to multiple abiotic and biotic stresses that have a major impact on yield. Farmer-maintained Moroccan landraces have been shaped by the impact of very strong selection pressures, gradually adapting to the local ecosystem and obsolete low-input agricultural practices without improvement towards high yield and quality. Considering the increasing threat of drought in Poland, it is necessary to introduce germplasm with tolerance to water deficit into barley breeding programs. The aim of this research was a DArTseq-based genetic characterization of a collection of germplasm of Moroccan origin, conserved in the Polish genebank. The results showed that all conserved landraces have a high level of heterogeneity and their gene pool is different from the material developed by Polish breeders. Based on the analysis of eco-geographical data, locations with extremely different intensities of drought stress were selected. A total of 129 SNPs unique to accessions from these locations were identified. In the neighborhood of the clusters of unique SNPs on chromosomes 5H and 6H, genes that may be associated with plant response to drought stress were identified. The results obtained may provide a roadmap for further research to support Polish barley breeding for increased drought tolerance.

Tracking Changes in the Spring Barley Gene Pool in Poland during 120 Years of Breeding.

This study was undertaken to investigate the diversity and population structure of 83 spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars, which corresponded to 120 years of this crop's breeding in Poland. The analysis was based on 11,655 DArTseq-derived SNPs evenly distributed across seven barley chromosomes. Five groups were assigned in the studied cultivars according to the period of their breeding. A decrease in observed heterozygosity within the groups was noted along with the progress in breeding, with a simultaneous increase in the inbreeding coefficient value. As a result of breeding, some of the unique allelic variation present in old cultivars was lost, but crosses with foreign materials also provided new alleles to the barley gene pool. It is important to mention that the above changes affected different chromosomes to varying degrees. The internal variability of the cultivars ranged from 0.011 to 0.236. Internal uniformity was lowest among the oldest cultivars, although some highly homogeneous ones were found among them. This is probably an effect of genetic drift or selection during their multiplications and regenerations in the period from breeding to the time of analysis. The population genetic structure of the studied group of cultivars appears to be quite complex. It was shown that their genetic makeup consists of as many as eleven distinct gene pools. The analysis also showed traces of directed selection on chromosomes 3H and 5H. Detailed data analysis confirmed the presence of duplicates for 11 cultivars. The performed research will allow both improvement of the management of barley genetic resources in the gene bank and the reuse of this rich and forgotten variability in breeding programs and research.

A multilevel exploration of Avena strigosa diversity as a prelude to promote alternative crop.

BACKGROUND: Sand oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), one of the four cultivated species of the genus Avena, could be considered as another alternative crop. In gene banks 865 germplasm samples of this species have been preserved that have not been thoroughly investigated so far. The results of phenotyping (36 traits), isoenzymatic (12 systems) and genetic (8 pairs of Sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers) variation were used to obtain the complete description of 56 accessions diversity originated from different parts of world. RESULTS: Breeded and weedy forms represented similar pool of morphological traits that indicated a short-term and extensive breeding process, albeit all accessions which we classified as cultivated were characterized by better grain and green mass parameters compared to the weedy ones. Isoenzymes showed relationships with geographical origin, which was not possible to detect by SRAP markers. There was no similarity between morphological and biochemical results. The polymorphism level of SRAP markers was lower than indicated by the available literature data for other species, however it may result from the analysis of pooled samples of accessions with a high internal variability. The extensive type of breeding and its relatively short duration was also reflected in the population structure results. Joint analysis revealed that a secondary centre of diversity is being created in South America and that it has its genealogy from the Iberian Peninsula. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the relatively large representation of this species is in various gene banks, it is highly probable that the vast majority of stored worldwide accessions are duplicates, and the protected gene pool is relatively narrow. Sand oat meets all the requirements for an alternative crop species, but further studies are needed to identify the genotypes/populations with the most favourable distribution of utility and quality parameters.

A transnational and holistic breeding approach is needed for sustainable wheat production in the Baltic Sea region.

The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish water bodies in the world. Eutrophication is a major concern in the Baltic Sea due to the leakage of nutrients to the sea with agriculture being the primary source. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most widely grown crop in the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea and thus promoting sustainable agriculture practices for wheat cultivation will have a major impact on reducing pollution in the Baltic Sea. This approach requires identifying and addressing key challenges for sustainable wheat production in the region. Implementing new technologies for climate-friendly breeding and digital farming across all surrounding countries should promote sustainable intensification of agriculture in the region. In this review, we highlight major challenges for wheat cultivation in the Baltic Sea region and discuss various solutions integrating transnational collaboration for pre-breeding and technology sharing to accelerate development of low input wheat cultivars with improved host plant resistance to pathogen and enhanced adaptability to the changing climate.

A comprehensive dataset of Avena sativa L. landraces phenotypes and genotype.

The world germplasm collection of the genus Avena contains about 130,000 accessions, of which more than half are cultivated forms. Collection and sharing of passport data and phenotypic traits is carried out by most gene banks. However, genetic data for the stored accessions are rarely collected and provided. We present a composite data set consisting of passport data, description of agro-morphological traits, and genotypic data for 54 accessions preserved in the Polish gene bank. All accessions are unique landraces collected during expeditions in Poland. Phenotypic data were obtained from a minimum of 3 years of field trials. Genotypic data resulted from Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers analysis. The data set was supplemented with meteorological data from a meteorological station located no more than 2 km in a straight line from the experimental plots. This data set can be used in meta-analyzes of germplasm collection diversity data. These data can be valuable to researchers and breeders looking for new sources of variation. The data were used in the research article "Promoting the Use of Common Oat Genetic Resources through Diversity Analysis and Core Collection Construction" [1].

Multiplexed SSR and agronomic data used in an investigation of obsolete diversity of rye (Secale cereale L.).

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is one of the most important cereal crops cultivated in the world due to its ability to produce high yields even when grown under environmental stress conditions. About 27,000 Secale accessions have been collected and preserved in 70 gene banks worldwide. Although the germplasm represents a great source of genetic diversity, the molecular characteristics refers only to the part of them. Here, we present data obtained by the Simple Sequence Repeat markers (SSR) analysis of 100 rye accessions preserved in the gene bank of the Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden - Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin. Additionally, the data presented in this article refers to evaluation of agronomoic traits and weather conditions measured for 14 years. The data was used in the research article "Investigation of obsolete diversity of rye (Secale cereale L.) using multiplexed SSR fingerprinting and evaluation of agronomic traits" [1].

Investigation of obsolete diversity of rye (Secale cereale L.) using multiplexed SSR fingerprinting and evaluation of agronomic traits.

Common rye (Secale cereale L.) is one of the most important cereals in Europe. Nevertheless, its germplasm collections are among the least numerous compared with cereals. There are only about 27,000 Secale accessions in 70 gene banks around the world. Despite extensive research on the molecular characterization of genetic resources, only a fraction of this collection has been described. The main objective of the presented study was to perform genotypic and phenotypic characterization of an obsolete gene pool represented by 100 accessions originated from 28 countries around the world and preserved in the gene bank of the Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden - Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin. Genetic analysis using simple sequence repeat markers showed that the obsolete gene pool is relatively large. This indicates that different sources of variability were used in breeding programs. However, the genetic variation is in no way related to the place of origin. Despite the great differences in the genetic make-up, the collection showed a broadly common phenotype. This could result in a low level of interest among breeders in the stored germplasm, undervalued as a source of important but not easily observable traits, e.g., high disease resistance, which was found in some accessions.

Molecular research on the genetic diversity of Polish varieties and landraces of Phaseolus coccineus L. and Phaseolus vulgaris L. using the RAPD and AFLP methods.

The aim of our research was to evaluate the genetic diversity among 25 commercial varieties registered in Poland and 14 landraces of Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus Asch. (the dwarf common bean) and Phaseolus coccineus L. (the runner bean) maintained in the National Centre of Plant Genetic Resources in Radzików. An additional goal of this study was to compare the precision and efficiency of two techniques of PCR (RAPD and AFLP), used to estimation the genetic diversity of bean. The breeding varieties of bean were registered in the period between 1950 and 2000. The landraces, collected during expeditions conducted from 1985 to 1988, mainly originated from the eastern and southern part of Poland. In the plant genetic diversity research of RAPD and AFLP markers are commonly used. Complex electrophoresis pictures of DNA fragments were taken, and revealed a considerable polymorphism. The polymorphic fragments were obtained on the basis of 6 differentiating primers using the RAPD method and 15 differentiating primers using the AFLP method. P. vulgaris and P. coccineus accessions formed distinct groups. Each of the RAPD and AFLP analyses allowed for the unique distinguishing of all accessions.