Characterization of chromosomal segment substitution lines developed in the genetic background of rice variety K 343.

In this study, BC3F2 convergent population [(K343*3/RML22 × K343*3/DHMAS) × K343] was constructed by marker-assisted backcross breeding using K343 as the recurrent parent. DHMAS and RML22 were used as donor parents for the rice blast resistance genes Pi54 and Pi9, respectively. The population was first characterized using GGT 2.0 software, which showed 96.7% of the recurrent genome recovery covering 13953.6 cM, while DHMAS and RML22 showed 1.6% (235.5 cM) and 1.2% (177.1 cM) introgression respectively. The chromosomal segment substitution lines (CSSLs) were then identified using CSSL Finder software. A total of 36 CSSLs were identified, including 22 for DHMAS/K343 and 14 for RML22/K343. Introgression rates for donor substituted segments in DHMAS/K343 CSSLs ranged from 0.54% to 5.99%, with donor coverage of 44.5%, while in RML22/K343 CSSLs, introgression rates ranged from 0.54% to 4.75%, with donor coverage of 24.5%. The identified CSSLs would be a valuable genetic pool and could be used as genomic resources for the discovery and mapping of important genes and QTLs in rice genetic improvement.

QTL analysis of farinograph and mixograph related traits in spring wheat under heat stress conditions.

Farinograph and mixograph-related parameters are key elements in wheat end-products quality. Understanding the genetic control of these traits and the influence of environmental factors such as heat stress, and their interaction are critical for developing cultivars with improved for those traits. To identify QTL for six farinograph and three mixograph traits, two double haploid (DH) populations (Yecora Rojo × Ksu106 and Klasic × Ksu105) were used in experiments conducted at Riyadh and Al Qassim locations under heat stress. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were used to determine the number of QTLs controlling these parameters. The genetic analysis of farinograph and mixograph-related traits showed considerable variation with transgressive segregation regardless of heat stress conditions in both locations. A total of 108 additive QTLs were detected for the six farinograph and three mixograph traits in the Yecora Rojo × Ksu106 population in both locations under heat treatments. These QTLs were distributed over all 21 wheat chromosomes except 3A. Similarly, in Klassic × Ksu105 population, there were an additional 68 QTLs identified over the two locations and were allocated on all chromosomes except 1D, 2A, 6A, and 6D. In population (Yecora Rojo × Ksu106), the QTL on chromosome 7A (Excalibur_c62415_288) showed significant effects for farinograph and mixograph traits (FDDT, FDST, FBD, M × h8, and M × t) under normal and heat stress condition at both locations. Interestingly, several QTLs that are related to farinograph and mixograph traits, which showed stable expression under both locations, were detected on chromosome 7A in population (Klassic × Ksu105). Results from this study show the quantitative nature of the genetic control of the studied traits and constitute a step toward identifying major QTLs that can be sued molecular-marker assisted breeding to develop new improved quality wheat cultivars.

Combining Genetic and Phenotypic Analyses for Detecting Bread Wheat Genotypes of Drought Tolerance through Multivariate Analysis Techniques.

Successfully promoting drought tolerance in wheat genotypes will require several procedures, such as field experimentations, measuring relevant traits, using analysis tools of high precision and efficiency, and taking a complementary approach that combines analyses of phenotyping and genotyping at once. The aim of this study is to assess the genetic diversity of 60 genotypes using SSR (simple sequence repeat) markers collected from several regions of the world and select 13 of them as more genetically diverse to be re-evaluated under field conditions to study drought stress by estimating 30 agro-physio-biochemical traits. Genetic parameters and multivariate analysis were used to compare genotype traits and identify which traits are increasingly efficient at detecting wheat genotypes of drought tolerance. Hierarchical cluster (HC) analysis of SSR markers divided the genotypes into five main categories of drought tolerance: four high tolerant (HT), eight tolerant (T), nine moderate tolerant (MT), six sensitive (S), and 33 high sensitive (HS). Six traits exhibit a combination of high heritability (>60%) and genetic gain (>20%). Analyses of principal components and stepwise multiple linear regression together identified nine traits (grain yield, flag leaf area, stomatal conductance, plant height, relative turgidity, glycine betaine, polyphenol oxidase, chlorophyll content, and grain-filling duration) as a screening tool that effectively detects the variation among the 13 genotypes used. HC analysis of the nine traits divided genotypes into three main categories: T, MT, and S, representing three, five, and five genotypes, respectively, and were completely identical in linear discriminant analysis. But in the case of SSR markers, they were classified into three main categories: T, MT, and S, representing five, three, and five genotypes, respectively, which are both significantly correlated as per the Mantel test. The SSR markers were associated with nine traits, which are considered an assistance tool in the selection process for drought tolerance. So, this study is useful and has successfully detected several agro-physio-biochemical traits, associated SSR markers, and some drought-tolerant genotypes, coupled with our knowledge of the phenotypic and genotypic basis of wheat genotypes.

Aeluropus littoralis stress-associated protein promotes water deficit resilience in engineered durum wheat.

Global climate change-related water deficit negatively affect the growth, development and yield performance of multiple cereal crops, including durum wheat. Therefore, the improvement of water-deficit stress tolerance in durum wheat varieties in arid and semiarid areas has become imperative for food security. Herein, we evaluated the water deficiency resilience potential of two marker-free transgenic durum wheat lines (AlSAP-lines: K9.3 and K21.3) under well-watered and water-deficit stress conditions at both physiological and agronomic levels. These two lines overexpressed the AlSAP gene, isolated from the halophyte grass Aeluropus littoralis, encoding a stress-associated zinc finger protein containing the A20/AN1 domains. Under well-watered conditions, the wild-type (WT) and both AlSAP-lines displayed comparable performance concerning all the evaluated parameters. Ectopic transgene expression exerted no adverse effects on growth and yield performance of the durum wheat plants. Under water-deficit conditions, no significant differences in the plant height, leaf number, spike length, and spikelet number were observed between AlSAP-lines and WT plants. However, compared to WT, the AlSAP-lines exhibited greater dry matter production, greater flag leaf area, improved net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency. Notably, the AlSAP-lines displayed 25 % higher grain yield (GY) than the WT plants under water-deficit conditions. The RT-qPCR-based selected stress-related gene (TdDREB1, TdLEA, TdAPX1, and TdBlt101-2) expression analyses indicated stress-related genes enhancement in AlSAP-durum wheat plants under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions, potentially related to the water-deficit resilience. Collectively, our findings support that the ectopic AlSAP expression in durum wheat lines enhances water-deficit resilience ability, thereby potentially compensate for the GY loss in arid and semi-arid regions.

Molecular Epidemiology and Surveillance of Human Adenovirus and Rotavirus A Associated Gastroenteritis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In Saudi Arabia, acute gastroenteritis (GE) is a common illness affecting children and adults; however, the extent to which human rotavirus A (HRV) and human adenovirus (HAdV) strains contribute to the condition is unclear. The surveillance of the GE-causing viruses, HRV and HadV, was performed using polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis at King Khalid University Hospital. The associations between virus prevalence and meteorological factors were analyzed. The prevalence of HAdV was recorded (7%), followed by HRV (2%). On a gender basis, HAdV infections were found to be dominant in females (5:2) (U = 407.5; p < 0.0001), whereas HRV was only detected in males (U = 50; p < 0.0001). A significantly higher HAdV prevalence was recorded at the age of 3.5 ± 0.63 years (21.1%; p = 0.00047), whereas HRV cases were found equally distributed between <3 years and 3-5 years. The highest HAdV prevalence was recorded in autumn, followed by winter and spring. A significant correlation was detected between humidity and the total number of recorded cases (p = 0.011). Phylogenetic analysis depicted the dominance of HAdV type 41 and the G2 lineage of HRV among circulating strains. The current study uncovered the epidemiology and genotypes of HRV and HadV, and provided forecasting equations for monitoring climatic-mediated outbreaks.

Pepper Mild Mottle Virus as a Potential Indicator of Fecal Contamination in Influents of Wastewater Treatment Plants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Several indicators of fecal pollution in water resources are continuously monitored for their reliability and, of particular interest, their correlation to human enteric viruses-not justified by traditional bacterial indicators. Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) has recently been proposed as a successful viral surrogate of human waterborne viruses; however, in Saudi Arabia there are no available data in terms of its prevalence and concentration in water bodies. The concentration of PMMoV in three different wastewater treatment plants (King Saud University (KSU), Manfoha (MN), and Embassy (EMB) wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)) was measured using qRT-PCR during a one-year period and compared to the human adenovirus (HAdV), which is highly persistent and considered an indicator for viral-mediated fecal contamination. PMMoV was found in ~94% of the entire wastewater samples (91.6-100%), with concentrations ranging from 62 to 3.5 × 107 genome copies/l (GC/l). However, HAdV was detected in 75% of raw water samples (~67-83%). The HAdV concentration ranged between 1.29 × 103 GC/L and 1.26 × 107 GC/L. Higher positive correlation between PMMoV and HAdV concentrations was detected at MN-WWTP (r = 0.6148) than at EMB-WWTP (r = 0.207). Despite the lack of PMMoV and HAdV seasonality, a higher positive correlation (r = 0.918) of PMMoV to HAdV was recorded at KSU-WWTP in comparison to EMB-WWTP (r = 0.6401) around the different seasons. Furthermore, meteorological factors showed no significant influence on PMMoV concentrations (p > 0.05), thus supporting the use of PMMoV as a possible fecal indicator of wastewater contamination and associated public health issues, particularly at MN-WWTP. However, a continuous monitoring of the PMMoV distribution pattern and concentration in other aquatic environments, as well as its correlation to other significant human enteric viruses, is essential for ensuring its reliability and reproducibility as a fecal pollution indicator.

Corrigendum: Sub-surface drip fertigation improves seed cotton yield and monetary returns.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1038163.].

Influence of Sowing Time and Weed Management Practices on the Performance and Weed Dynamics of Direct Drum Seeded Rice.

Direct drum seeding has emerged as a viable and alternate substitute to the current transplanted rice to address constraints of labor and water scarcity as well as rising cultivation costs. However, heavy weed infestation is the main biological factor leading to immense yield loss, which requires immediate attention. Therefore, adoption of efficient weed management practice is critical for the success and widespread adoption of direct seeded rice. In this regard, an experiment was laid out at the Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKUAST of Kashmir, India, in Kharif seasons of 2018 and 2019 to assess the efficiency of direct seeded rice (DSR) under two sowing dates (D1: 10th May and D2: 3rd June) and six weed management strategies (W1: weedy check (untreated check), W2: four mechanized conoweedings at 15, 30, 45, and 60 DAS (days after sowing), equivalent to weed free (four conoweedings, equivalent to weed free), W3: bensulfuron-methyl + pretilachlor @ 60 and 600 g a.i. ha-1 as pre-emergence (BSM + pretilachlor, PE), W4: oxyfluorfen @ 750 g a.i. ha-1 as pre-emergence (oxyfluorfen, PE), W5: bensulfuron-methyl + pretilachlor @ 60 and 600 g a.i. ha-1 as pre-emergence followed by 2,4-D @ 0.75 kg a.i. ha-1 as post-emergence (30-35 DAS) (BSM + pretilachlor PE fb 2,4-D PoE), and W6: oxyfluorfen @ 750 g a.i. ha-1 as pre-emergence followed by 2,4-D @ 0.75 kg a.i. ha-1 as post-emergence (30-35 DAS) (oxyfluorfen PE fb 2,4-D PoE) on growth characteristics, productivity, weed infestation, and nutrient dynamics. The pooled results showed that 10th May sowing recorded significantly higher values of growth characteristics viz. plant height, dry matter production, tiller count, and yield characteristics, including panicle weight, panicle length, filled grains per panicle, and test weight, as compared to delayed sowing (3rd June). Earlier sowing (10th May) produced significantly higher grain yield (7.33 t ha-1) and straw yield (8.99 t ha-1) when compared to the delayed sowing (3rd June) which produced a grain yield of 6.08 t ha-1 and straw yield of 7.93 t ha-1. Among weed management strategies, four mechanized conoweeding at 15, 30, 45, and 60 DAS resulted in enhanced growth, yield characteristics, and yield but was statistically similar to bensulfuron-methyl (BSM) + pretilachlor PE fb 2,4-D post-emergence (PoE). Delayed sowing (3rd June; D2) recorded significantly higher weed density and dry-weed biomass as compared to earlier sowing (10th May; D1). Among the herbicides tested, sequential application of BSM + pretilachlor PE fb 2,4-D PoE proved an efficient weed management practice with a significantly reduced population and dry weight of weeds. Therefore, it was concluded that 10th May sowing with four mechanized conoweedings or sequential application of BSM + pretilachlor PE fb 2,4-D PoE is promising for improving productivity and efficient weed control in direct drum seeded rice under temperate Kashmir conditions.

Identification of Wheat Ideotype under Multiple Abiotic Stresses and Complex Environmental Interplays by Multivariate Analysis Techniques.

Multiple abiotic stresses negatively impact wheat production all over the world. We need to increase productivity by 60% to provide food security to the world population of 9.6 billion by 2050; it is surely time to develop stress-tolerant genotypes with a thorough comprehension of the genetic basis and the plant's capacity to tolerate these stresses and complex environmental reactions. To approach these goals, we used multivariate analysis techniques, the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) model for prediction, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to enhance the reliability of the classification, multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index (MGIDI) to detect the ideotype, and the weighted average of absolute scores (WAASB) index to recognize genotypes with stability that are highly productive. Six tolerance multi-indices were used to test twenty wheat genotypes grown under multiple abiotic stresses. The AMMI model showed varying differences with performance indices, which disagreed with the trait and genotype differences used. The G01, G12, G16, and G02 were selected as the appropriate and stable genotypes using the MGIDI with the six tolerance multi-indices. The biplot features the genotypes (G01, G03, G11, G16, G17, G18, and G20) that were most stable and had high tolerance across the environments. The pooled analyses (LDA, MGIDI, and WAASB) showed genotype G01 as the most stable candidate. The genotype (G01) is considered a novel genetic resource for improving productivity and stabilizing wheat programs under multiple abiotic stresses. Hence, these techniques, if used in an integrated manner, strongly support the plant breeders in multi-environment trials.

Impact analysis of moisture stress on growth and yield of cotton using DSSAT-CROPGRO-cotton model under semi-arid climate.

Adequate soil moisture around the root zone of the crops is essential for optimal plant growth and productivity throughout the crop season, whereas excessive as well as deficient moisture is usually detrimental. A field experiment was conducted on cotton (Gossipium hirsuttum) with three water regimes (viz. well-watered (control); rainfed after one post-sowing irrigation (1-POSI) and rainfed after two post-sowing irrigations (2-POSI)) in main plots and application of eight osmoprotectants in sub plots of Split plot design to quantify the loss of seed cotton yield (SCY) under high and mild moisture stress. The DSSAT-CROPGRO-cotton model was calibrated to validate the response of cotton crop to water stress. Results elucidated that in comparison of well watered (control) crop, 1-POSI and 2-POSI reduced plant height by 13.5-28.4% and lower leaf area index (LAI) by 21.6-37.6%. Pooled analysis revealed that SCY under control was higher by 1,127 kg ha-1 over 1-POSI and 597 kg ha-1 than 2-POSI. The DSSAT-CROPGRO-cotton model fairly simulated the cotton yield as evidenced by good accuracy (d-stat ≥ 0.92) along with lower root mean square error (RMSE) of ≤183.2 kg ha-1; mean absolute percent error (MAPE) ≤6.5% under different irrigation levels. Similarly, simulated and observed biomass also exhibited good agreement with ≥0.98 d-stat; ≤533.7 kg ha-1 RMSE; and ≤4.6% MAPE. The model accurately simulated the periodical LAI, biomass and soil water dynamics as affected by varying water regimes in conformity with periodical observations. Both the experimental and the simulated results confirmed the decline of SCY with any degree of water stress. Thus, a well calibrated DSSAT-CROPGRO-cotton model may be successfully used for estimating the crop performance under varying hydro-climatic conditions.

Variable level of genetic dominance controls important agronomic traits in rice populations under water deficit condition.

Plant hybridization is an important breeding technique essential for producing a genotype (hybrid) with favorable traits (e.g., stress tolerance, pest resistance, high yield potential etc.) to increase agronomic, economic and commercial values. Studying of genetic dominance among the population helps to determine gene action, heritability and candidate gene selection for plant breeding program. Therefore, this investigation was aimed to evaluate gene action, heritability, genetic advance and heterosis of rice root, agronomic, and yield component traits under water deficit conditions. In this study, crossing was performed among the four different water-deficit tolerant rice genotypes to produce better hybrid (F1), segregating (F2) and back-cross (BC1 and BC2) populations. The Giza 178, WAB56-204, and Sakha104 × WAB56-104 populations showed the better physiological and agronomical performances, which provided better adaptability of the populations to water deficit condition. Additionally, the estimation of heterosis and heterobeltiosis of some quantitative traits in rice populations were also studied. The inheritance of all studied traits was influenced by additive gene actions. Dominance gene actions played a major role in controlling the genetic variance among studied traits in both crossed populations under well-watered and drought conditions. The additive × additive type of gene interactions was essential for the inheritance of root length, root/shoot ratio, 1,000-grain weight, and sterility % of two crossed populations under both conditions. On the contrary, the additive × dominance type of gene interactions was effective in the inheritance of all studied traits, except duration in Giza178 × Sakha106, and plant height in Sakha104 × WAB56-104 under water deficit condition. In both crosses, the dominance × dominance type of gene interactions was effective in the inheritance of root volume, root/shoot ratio, number of panicles/plant and 1,000-grain weight under both conditions. Moreover, dominance × dominance type of gene interaction played a major role in the inheritance of root length, number of roots/plant, plant height, panicle length, number of filled grain/panicle and grain yield/plant in Giza178 × Sakha106 under both conditions. The studied traits in both crossed populations indicated better genetic advance as they showed advanced qualitative and quantitative characters in rice populations under water deficit condition. Overall, our findings open a new avenue of future phenotypic and genotypic association studies in rice. These insights might be useful to the plant breeders and farmers for developing water deficit tolerant rice cultivars.

Comparative Efficacy of Foliar Plus Soil Application of Urea versus Conventional Application Methods for Enhanced Growth, Yield, Agronomic Efficiency, and Economic Benefits in Rice.

The experiment was conducted at the research field, Department of Agronomy, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur from December 2017 to May 2018 to find out the best treatment of foliar application of urea on the growth and yield of boro rice cv. BRRI dhan28. The experiment consisted of 10 treatments, laid out in a randomized complete block design in triplicate. The recommended doses (RD) of urea, TSP, MOP, gypsum, ZnSO4, and borax were applied during land preparation except for urea at 250, 75, 100, 75, 7, and 5 kg ha-1, respectively, where urea was applied as per treatment specification. The results revealed that the application of N fertilizer as foliage along with soil significantly influenced the growth, plant characteristics, and yield of BRRI dhan28. There was no significant difference between T8 (70% in soil and 10% as foliage) and T9 (100% in soil) treatment regarding the maximum panicle length (21.43 and 20.71 cm), fertile grains (117.40 and 113.30), total grains (134.40 and 130.97), 1000-grain weight (24.56 and 23.56 g), grain yield (5.91 and 5.74 t ha-1), straw yield (7.83 and 7.92 t ha-1), biological yield (13.74 and 13.66 t ha-1), and harvest index (43.01 and 42.02%), respectively, in this study. These results indicated that N fertilization as direct soil application (70%) and as foliage application (10%), i.e., 80% N fertilization, produced the highest grain yield and major yield traits which we received by 100% N fertilization as soil that was practiced traditionally by the farmers. The effect of overfertilization (T10) was not positive, producing the highest number of noneffective tillers and sterile grains (nonfilled grains). Therefore, it is possible to achieve an equivalent or more yield by saving 20% urea by the combination of soil (70%) and foliage (10%) application as compared to the traditional method of fertilizer application (100% in soil).

Novel findings in context of molecular diversity and abundance of bacteriophages in wastewater environments of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The diversity among bacteriophages depends on different factors like ecology, temperature conditions and genetic pool. Current study focused on isolation, identification and diversity of phages from 34 sewage water samples collected from two different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), King Saud University wastewater treatment plants (KSU-WWTP) and Manfoha wastewater treatment plants (MN-WWTP) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Samples were analyzed by PCR and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Siphoviridae, Podoviridae and Myoviridae families were detected by family-specific PCR and highest prevalence of Myoviridae 29.40% was found at MN-WWTP followed by 11.76% at KSU-WWTP. Siphoviridae was detected 11.76% at MN-WWTP and 5.88% at KSU-WWTP. Lowest prevalence for Podoviridae family (5.88%) was recorded at MN-WWTP. Significant influence of temporal variations on prevalence of Myoviridae and Siphoviridae was detected in both WWTP and MN-WWTP, respectively. Highest phage prevalence was obtained in August (75%), followed by September (50%). Highest phage prevalence was recorded at a temperature range of 29-33°C. Significant influence of temperature on the prevalence of Myoviridae phages was detected at MN-WWTP. Four bacteriophages with various abundance levels were identified by NGS. Cronobacter virus Esp2949-1 was found first time with highest abundance (4.41%) in wastewater of Riyadh. Bordetella virus BPP1 (4.14%), Dickeya virus Limestone (1.55%) and Ralstonia virus RSA1 (1.04%) were also detected from samples of MN-WWTP. Highest occurrence of Bordetella virus BPP1 (67%) and (33.33%) was recorded at KSU-WWTP and MN-WWTP, respectively. Highest Bordetella virus BPP1 occurrence was recorded in September (50%) followed by August (40%). The findings of study showed new insights of phage diversity from wastewater sources and further large-scale data studies are suggested for comprehensive understanding.

Sub-surface drip fertigation improves seed cotton yield and monetary returns.

Surface flood (SF) method is used to irrigate cotton in India, which results in huge wastage of water besides leaching of nutrients. This necessitates the adoption of efficient management strategies to save scarce water without compromising the yield. Therefore, a 2-year field investigation was conducted under two climatic regimes (Faridkot and Abohar) to study the effect of sub-surface drip fertigation (SSDF) on seed cotton yield (SCY), water productivity, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and economic parameters in comparison with SF and surface drip fertigation (SDF). The field experiment had a total of eight treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design. Three levels of sub-surface drip irrigation [(SSDI); i.e., 60%, 80%, and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc)] and two N fertigation levels [100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN; i.e., 112.5 kg N ha-1) and 75% RDN] made up six treatments, while SF (Control 1) and SDF at 80% ETc (Control 2), both with 100% of RDN, served as the controls. Among irrigation regimes, the SSDI levels of 80% ETc and 100% ETc recorded 18.7% (3,240 kg ha-1) and 21.1% (3,305 kg ha-1) higher SCY compared with SF (2,728 kg ha-1). Water use efficiency under SF (57.0%) was reduced by 34.2%, 40.8%, and 38.2% compared with SSDI's 60 (76.5%), 80 (80.3%), and 100% ETc (78.8%), respectively. Among fertigation levels, NUE was higher by 19.2% under 75% (34.1 kg SCY kg-1 N) over 100% RDN (28.6 kg SCY kg-1 N), but later it also registered 11.9% higher SCY, indicating such to be optimum for better productivity. SSDF at 80% ETc along with 112.5 kg N ha-1 recorded 26.6% better SCY (3455 kg ha-1) and 18.5% higher NUE (30.7 kg SCY kg-1 N) over SF. These findings demonstrate that the application of SSDF could save irrigation water, enhance SCY, and improve the farmers' returns compared with SF. Therefore, in northwestern India, SSDF at 80% ETc along with 112.5 kg N ha-1 could be a novel water-savvy concept which would be immensely helpful in enhancing cotton productivity.

Genetic diversity analysis for wild and cultivated accessions of Cymbopogon citratus (D.C.) Stapf using phytochemical and molecular markers.

Background: Genetic diversity is being lost because of increasing urbanization and decreasing cultivation land, which leads to the abrupt use of wild resources of medicinally aromatic plants (MAPs). Cymbopogon citratus is a morphologically diverse MAP that is largely exploited in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the intraspecific phytochemical and molecular diversity of C. citratus has yet to be explored. Methodology: The germplasm was obtained from four different countries representing Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and the United States. Oil extraction was performed by hydro distillation, and metabolic profiles of different accessions were generated by GC-MS. Seventeen functional molecular markers based on three genes encoding cytochrome P450, uridyl diphosphate glycosyltransferase and the 5S rRNA gene family were used to explore genetic diversity. Principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmaps were constructed using R software with the help of the gg-plot R package v1.0.5 for data validation. Results: Among the 208 identified metabolites, citral was maximal, with a phytochemical contribution (1.92-27.73%), α-pinene (0.82-15.57%), verbenol (0.24-22.84%), neral (0.23-21.31%) and geranial acetate (0.43-15.65%). In the majority of accessions, citral was the dominant component. The highest concentration of citral was detected in 384541 (27.74%), 384527 (27.52%) belonging to Pakistan and one USA-based accession 38456 (27.71%). Region-specific grouping revealed a relationship between genetic diversity and geographical location. Pakistani accessions 384518, 38452, and 384544 genetically and 384535, 384518, and 384510 were phytochemically diverse. Conclusion: The genetic diversity was more pronounced in cultivated accessions than in wild accessions. Moreover, it was observed that phytochemical diversity correlated with the altitude and temperature of the region.

Exogenous aspartic acid alleviates salt stress-induced decline in growth by enhancing antioxidants and compatible solutes while reducing reactive oxygen species in wheat.

Salinity is the primary environmental stress that adversely affects plants' growth and productivity in many areas of the world. Published research validated the role of aspartic acid in improving plant tolerance against salinity stress. Therefore, in the present work, factorial pot trials in a completely randomized design were conducted to examine the potential role of exogenous application of aspartic acid (Asp) in increasing the tolerance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants against salt stress. Wheat plants were sown with different levels of salinity (0, 30, or 60 mM NaCl) and treated with three levels of exogenous application of foliar spray of aspartic acid (Asp) (0, 0.4, 0.6, or 0.8 mM). Results of the study indicated that salinity stress decreased growth attributes like shoot length, leaf area, and shoot biomass along with photosynthesis pigments and endogenous indole acetic acid. NaCl stress reduced the total content of carbohydrates, flavonoid, beta carotene, lycopene, and free radical scavenging activity (DPPH%). However, Asp application enhanced photosynthetic pigments and endogenous indole acetic acid, consequently improving plant leaf area, leading to higher biomass dry weight either under salt-stressed or non-stressed plants. Exogenous application of Asp, up-regulate the antioxidant system viz. antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and nitrate reductase), and non-enzymatic antioxidants (ascorbate, glutathione, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, beta carotene, lycopene) contents resulted in declined in reactive oxygen species (ROS). The decreased ROS in Asp-treated plants resulted in reduced hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation (MDA), and aldehyde under salt or non-salt stress conditions. Furthermore, Asp foliar application increased compatible solute accumulation (amino acids, proline, total soluble sugar, and total carbohydrates) and increased radical scavenging activity of DPPH and enzymatic ABTS. Results revealed that the quadratic regression model explained 100% of the shoot dry weight (SDW) yield variation. With an increase in Asp application level by 1.0 mM, the SDW was projected to upsurge through 956 mg/plant. In the quadratic curve model, if Asp is applied at a level of 0.95 mM, the SDW is probably 2.13 g plant-1. This study concluded that the exogenous application of aspartic acid mitigated the adverse effect of salt stress damage on wheat plants and provided economic benefits.

Exogenous nitric oxide promotes salinity tolerance in plants: A meta-analysis.

Nitric oxide (NO) has received much attention since it can boost plant defense mechanisms, and plenty of studies have shown that exogenous NO improves salinity tolerance in plants. However, because of the wide range of experimental settings, it is difficult to assess the administration of optimal dosages, frequency, timing, and method of application and the overall favorable effects of NO on growth and yield improvements. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to reveal the exact physiological and biochemical mechanisms and to understand the influence of plant-related or method-related factors on NO-mediated salt tolerance. Exogenous application of NO significantly influenced biomass accumulation, growth, and yield irrespective of salinity stress. According to this analysis, seed priming and foliar pre-treatment were the most effective methods of NO application to plants. Moreover, one-time and regular intervals of NO treatment were more beneficial for plant growth. The optimum concentration of NO ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 mM, and it alleviates salinity stress up to 150 mM NaCl. Furthermore, the beneficial effect of NO treatment was more pronounced as salinity stress was prolonged (>21 days). This meta-analysis showed that NO supplementation was significantly applicable at germination and seedling stages. Interestingly, exogenous NO treatment boosted plant growth most efficiently in dicots. This meta-analysis showed that exogenous NO alleviates salt-induced oxidative damage and improves plant growth and yield potential by regulating osmotic balance, mineral homeostasis, photosynthetic machinery, the metabolism of reactive oxygen species, and the antioxidant defense mechanism. Our analysis pointed out several research gaps, such as lipid metabolism regulation, reproductive stage performance, C4 plant responses, field-level yield impact, and economic profitability of farmers in response to exogenous NO, which need to be evaluated in the subsequent investigation.

Combining Genetic and Multidimensional Analyses to Identify Interpretive Traits Related to Water Shortage Tolerance as an Indirect Selection Tool for Detecting Genotypes of Drought Tolerance in Wheat Breeding.

Water shortages have direct adverse effects on wheat productivity and growth worldwide, vertically and horizontally. Productivity may be promoted using water shortage-tolerant wheat genotypes. High-throughput tools have supported plant breeders in increasing the rate of stability of the genetic gain of interpretive traits for wheat productivity through multidimensional technical methods. We used 27 agrophysiological interpretive traits for grain yield (GY) of 25 bread wheat genotypes under water shortage stress conditions for two seasons. Genetic parameters and multidimensional analyses were used to identify genetic and phenotypic variations of the wheat genotypes used, combining these strategies effectively to achieve a balance. Considerable high genotypic variations were observed for 27 traits. Eleven interpretive traits related to GY had combined high heritability (h2 > 60%) and genetic gain (>20%), compared to GY, which showed moderate values both for heritability (57.60%) and genetic gain (16.89%). It was determined that six out of eleven traits (dry leaf weight (DLW), canopy temperature (CT), relative water content (RWC), flag leaf area (FLA), green leaves area (GLA) and leaf area index (LAI)) loaded the highest onto PC1 and PC2 (with scores of >0.27), and five of them had a positive trend with GY, while the CT trait had a negative correlation determined by principal component analysis (PCA). Genetic parameters and multidimensional analyses (PCA, stepwise regression, and path coefficient) showed that CT, RWC, GLA, and LAI were the most important interpretive traits for GY. Selection based on these four interpretive traits might improve genetic gain for GY in environments that are vulnerable to water shortages. The membership index and clustering analysis based on these four traits were significantly correlated, with some deviation, and classified genotypes into five groups. Highly tolerant, tolerant, intermediate, sensitive and highly sensitive clusters represented six, eight, two, three and six genotypes, respectively. The conclusions drawn from the membership index and clustering analysis, signifying that there were clear separations between the water shortage tolerance groups, were confirmed through discriminant analysis. MANOVA indicated that there were considerable variations between the five water shortage tolerance groups. The tolerated genotypes (DHL02, DHL30, DHL26, Misr1, Pavone-76 and DHL08) can be recommended as interesting new genetic sources for water shortage-tolerant wheat breeding programs.

Novel insights of waterborne human rotavirus A in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) involving G2 predominance and emergence of a thermotolerant sequence.

The routine evaluation of water environments is necessary to manage enteric virus-mediated fecal contamination and the possible emergence of novel variants. Here, we detected human rotavirus A (HRVA) circulating in two wastewater treatment plants, two lakes, irrigation water and a wastewater landfill located in Riyadh. VP7-derived surface protein sequences were assessed by phylogenetic analyses and inspection of thermotolerance-mediated secondary structure and seasonal variation. HRVA was most prevalent at An-Nazim wastewater landfill (AN-WWLF; 63.89%). Phylogenetic analyzes revealed the predominance of HRVA G2 lineage for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, a single HRVA sequence (2B64I-ANLF3/2018) was recovered at 45 °C from AN-WWLF; secondary structure prediction indicated that this sequence was thermotolerant with a high hydrophobicity, an absence of Ramachandran outliers, and a higher content of proline patches on the protein surface. Varied relationships were significantly observed between sampling areas influenced by temperature ranges (p < 0.05). HRVA prevalence was influenced by seasonal variations, favoring moderate temperatures in late autumn and early winter in all locations. However, a significant temperature impact was detected in Wadi-Hanifah Lake (p = 0.01). Our study extends the knowledge of currently circulating HRVA genotypes, and indicates the probable emergence of thermotolerant strains and seasonally mediated HRVA prevalence.

Evaluation of Resistance Development in Bemisia tabaci Genn. (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in Cotton against Different Insecticides.

Cotton is a major crop of Pakistan, and Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is a major pest of cotton. Due to the unwise and indiscriminate use of insecticides, resistance develops more readily in the whitefly. The present study was conducted to evaluate the resistance development in the whitefly against the different insecticides that are still in use. For this purpose, the whitefly population was selected with five concentrations of each insecticide, for five generations. At G1, compared with the laboratory susceptible population, a very low level of resistance was observed against bifenthrin, cypermethrin, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, nitenpyram, chlorfenapyr, and buprofezin with a resistance ratio of 3-fold, 2-fold, 1-fold, 4-fold, 3-fold, 3-fold, 3-fold, and 3-fold, respectively. However, the selection for five generations increased the resistance to a very high level against buprofezin (127-fold), and to a high level against imidacloprid (86-fold) compared with the laboratory susceptible population. While, a moderate level of resistance was observed against cypermethrin (34-fold), thiamethoxam (34-fold), nitenpyram (30-fold), chlorfenapyr (29-fold), and acetamiprid (21-fold). On the other hand, the resistance was low against bifenthrin (18-fold) after selection for five generations. A very low level of resistance against the field population of B. tabaci, at G1, showed that these insecticides are still effective, and thus can be used under the field conditions for the management of B. tabaci. However, the proper rotation of insecticides among different groups can help to reduce the development of resistance against insecticides.