Influence of Weather Conditions in the Northwestern Russian Federation on Flax Fiber Characters According to the Results of a 30-Year Study.

Weather has significant impact on plant growth and development. It is important to analyze the influence of changing climate conditions on the expression of plant agronomic characters. Two flax varieties were grown from 1987 to 2018 in the Northwest of Russia. Weather conditions and their influence on flax agronomic characters were analyzed using the variance and correlations analyses. Significant influence of conditions of a particular year on the manifestation of all evaluated characters was revealed. Starting from June, high temperatures accelerate plant development at all stages. Prolongation of the germination-flowering period is most important for improving fiber productivity, while fast ripening in hot weather after flowering is preferable for the formation of high-quality fiber. Such data give a possibility to predict the yield amount and quality. The use of weather conditions data also makes possible a comparison of the results obtained in different years. The suggested method of classifying meteorological conditions of a year can be used in other genebanks for systematizing and analyzing the results of crop evaluation in the field. The correlation analysis revealed 3 correlated pleiades, namely (1) of productivity, (2) of fiber quality and yield, and (3) of the growing season phase durations, the sums of active temperatures and precipitation during each period. The great influence of growing conditions on the economically valuable traits indicates the necessity of searching for genotypes with stable character manifestations for breeding new varieties with stable yields and good fiber quality.

Development of High-Yielding Upland Cotton Genotypes with Reduced Regrowth after Defoliation Using a Combination of Molecular and Conventional Approaches.

Cotton is an economically important crop. However, the yield gain in cotton has stagnated over the years, probably due to its narrow genetic base. The introgression of beneficial variations through conventional and molecular approaches has helped broaden its genetic base to some extent. The growth habit of cotton is one of the crucial factors that determine crop maturation time, yield, and management. This study used 44 diverse upland cotton genotypes to develop high-yielding cotton germplasm with reduced regrowth after defoliation and early maturity by altering its growth habit from perennial to somewhat annual. We selected eight top-scoring genotypes based on the gene expression analysis of five floral induction and meristem identity genes (FT, SOC1, LFY, FUL, and AP1) and used them to make a total of 587 genetic crosses in 30 different combinations of these genotypes. High-performance progeny lines were selected based on the phenotypic data on plant height, flower and boll numbers per plant, boll opening date, floral clustering, and regrowth after defoliation as surrogates of annual growth habit, collected over four years (2019 to 2022). Of the selected lines, 8×5-B3, 8×5-B4, 9×5-C1, 8×9-E2, 8×9-E3, and 39×5-H1 showed early maturity, and 20×37-K1, 20×37-K2, and 20×37-D1 showed clustered flowering, reduced regrowth, high quality of fiber, and high lint yield. In 2022, 15 advanced lines (F8/F7) from seven cross combinations were selected and sent for an increase to a Costa Rica winter nursery to be used in advanced testing and for release as germplasm lines. In addition to these breeding lines, we developed molecular resources to breed for reduced regrowth after defoliation and improved yield by converting eight expression-trait-associated SNP markers we identified earlier into a user-friendly allele-specific PCR-based assay and tested them on eight parental genotypes and an F2 population.

Mapping intron retention events contributing to complex traits using splice quantitative trait locus.

BACKGROUND: Alternative splicing (AS) of mRNA plays an important roles in transcriptome diversity, involving regulation of plant growth and stress response. Understanding the variation of AS events underlying GWAS loci in a crop population can provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of complex agronomic traits. To date, genome-wide association studies relating AS events to agronomic traits have rarely been conducted at the population level in crops. RESULTS: Here, a pipeline was constructed to identify candidate AS events related to complex traits. Firstly, ovule transcriptome data were used to characterize intron retention (IR), the predominant type of AS in plants, on a genome-wide scale. This was done in a natural population consisting of 279 upland cotton lines. Secondly, splice quantitative trait locus (sQTL) analysis was carried out, which yielded a total of 2295 sQTLs involving 1607 genes. Of these, 14.25% (n = 427) were cis-regulatory loci. Integration with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) revealed that 53 (21.4%) cis-sGenes were regulated by both cis-sQTLs and cis-eQTLs. Finally, co-localization analysis integrated with GWAS loci in this population showed 32 cis-QTLs to be co-located with genetic regulatory loci related to fiber yield and quality traits, indicating that sQTLs are likely to participate in regulating cotton fiber yield and quality. An in-depth evaluation confirmed that differences in the IR rates of sQTL-regulated candidate genes such as GhLRRK1 and GhGC1 are associated with lint percentage (LP), which has potential in breeding applications. CONCLUSION: This study provides a clue that AS of mRNA has an impact on crop yield, along with functional sQTLs are new genetic resources for cotton precision breeding.

Investigation of wool fiber yield and moisture regain properties of four Ethiopian sheep breeds.

Ethiopia has indigenous breeds of sheep such as Washera, Menz, Farta, and Tikur. Small-scale enterprises are using the wool fibers from these breeds to produce local products such as rugs, socks, sweaters, quilts, and mattresses. This study investigates four Ethiopian sheep breeds wool fiber yield and moisture regain properties. Four hundred total sheep, of which 50% males and 50% female sheep, were included in the study. The result revealed that the average wool fiber yield according to the IWTO CWC standard of male sheep for Washera, Menz, Farta, and Tikur were 89.29%, 88.29%, 73.33%, and 81.74%, and for female sheep were 88.75%, 81.91%, 73.23%, and 80.80%, respectively. The selected Ethiopian wool fiber yield showed higher as compared to other sheep breeds of some countries. The study also revealed that the raw wool fiber moisture regain values of Washera, Menz, Farta, and Tikur were 10.67%, 16.91%, 11.11%, and 10.71% for male sheep and 11.92%, 15.91%, 11.83%, and 9.22% for female sheep, respectively. This shows that the Ethiopian wool fiber having good fiber yield and moisture regain can be used as a source of manufacturing different wool products.

Multi-omics provides new insights into the domestication and improvement of dark jute (Corchorus olitorius).

Jute (Corchorus sp.) is the most important bast fiber crop worldwide; however, the mechanisms underlying domestication and improvement remain largely unknown. We performed multi-omics analysis by integrating de novo sequencing, resequencing, and transcriptomic and epigenetic sequencing to clarify the domestication and improvement of dark jute Corchorus olitorius. We demonstrated that dark jute underwent early domestication and a relatively moderate genetic bottleneck during improvement breeding. A genome-wide association study of 11 important agronomic traits identified abundant candidate loci. We characterized the selective sweeps in the two breeding stages of jute, prominently, soil salinity differences played an important role in environmental adaptation during domestication, and the strongly selected genes for improvement had an increased frequency of favorable haplotypes. Furthermore, we speculated that an encoding auxin/indole-3-acetic acid protein COS07g_00652 could enhance the flexibility and strength of the stem to improve fiber yield. Our study not only provides valuable genetic resources for future fiber breeding in jute, but also is of great significance for reviewing the genetic basis of early crop breeding.

QTL mapping and candidate gene prediction for fiber yield and quality traits in a high-generation cotton chromosome substitution line with Gossypium barbadense segments.

Gossypium provides the foremost natural fiber for supporting the rapid development of the textile industry. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of fiber yield and quality traits is, thus, of great significance for providing a foundation for the genetic improvement of key target traits in cotton production. In this study, a superior chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL), MBI8255, with high yield and premium fiber quality characteristics was cultivated from the BC5F3:5 lineage derived from G. barbadense Hai1 and G. hirsutum CCRI36, and was chosen to construct a segregation population containing 123 F2 individuals with CCRI36. A total of 71 polymorphic SSR (simple sequence repeat) markers were identified based on a previous high-density linkage map, and 17 QTLs distributed on five chromosomes were detected, of which 10 QTLs for cotton yield explained 0.26-15.41% of phenotypic variations, while 7 QTLs for fiber quality explained 0.84-9.38% of phenotypic variations, separately containing four and one stable QTLs detected from over two environments. Among three identified QTL clusters, only the Chr19 QTL cluster harbored two stable and one unstable QTL for three different traits, and hence this significant region, which included 1546 genes, was subjected to functional enrichment and transcriptome expression analyses, ultimately screening eight candidate genes relevant to fiber development. This study not only provides useful information for the further fine-mapping and functional verification of candidate genes, but also offers a solid foundation for revealing the molecular mechanisms of fiber formation.

Genome resequencing-based high-density genetic map and QTL detection for yield and fiber quality traits in diploid Asiatic cotton (Gossypium arboreum).

Cotton is the most important fiber crop in the world. Asiatic cotton (Gossypium arboreum, genome A2) is a diploid cotton species producing spinnable fibers and important germplasm for cotton breeding and a significant model for fiber biology. However, the genetic map of Asiatic cotton has been lagging behind tetraploid cottons, as well as other stable crops. This study aimed to construct a high-density SNP genetic map and to map QTLs for important yield and fiber quality traits. Using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population and genome resequencing technology, we constructed a high-density genetic map that covered 1980.17 cM with an average distance of 0.61 cM between adjacent markers. QTL analysis revealed a total of 297 QTLs for 13 yield and fiber quality traits in three environments, explaining 5.0-37.4% of the phenotypic variance, among which 75 were stably detected in two or three environments. Besides, 47 QTL clusters, comprising 131 QTLs for representative traits, were identified. Our works laid solid foundation for fine mapping and cloning of QTL for yield and fiber quality traits in Asiatic cotton.

Physicomechanical properties and in vitro release behaviors of electrospun ibuprofen-loaded blend PEO/EC fibers.

Electrospinning is a fiber manufacturing technique with the possibility of encapsulating high levels of small molecule drugs while providing controlled release rates. In this study, electrospun blend fibers were produced from polyethylene oxide (PEO) and ethyl cellulose (EC) at various compositions to encapsulate a poorly water-soluble drug of ibuprofen (IBP) at 30% loading. Microscopic evaluation showed smooth and defect-free fiber morphologies for blank and IBP-loaded PEO/EC fibers. The average fiber diameters and fiber yields suggested a potential optimization on the blend fiber composition for the electrospun drug-eluting PEO/EC fibers, where the highest average fiber diameter and fiber yield occurred at 50PEO/50EC fiber composition. Surface wettability studies demonstrated the effects on surface hydrophobicity from blend fibers of water-soluble PEO and hydrophobic EC as well as the incorporation of IBP. In addition, blend fibers containing more PEO promoted the water absorption rates through dissolution of the polymer matrix. Furthermore, results from mechanical testing of the blend fibers showed the highest fiber elastic modulus and tensile strength at fiber compositions in between 75PEO/25EC and 50PEO/50EC, corresponding to the average fiber diameter measurements. The in vitro IBP release rates demonstrated a dependence on the EC compositions supported by the surface wettability and water absorption rate studies. In general, our work demonstrated the ability to electrospin blank and IBP-loaded PEO/EC fibers with the scientific understandings of EC compositions on modulations of fiber physicomechanical properties and in vitro drug release rates. The findings from the work indicated the potential engineering and pharmaceutical applications of electrospun drug-eluting fibers for topical drug delivery.

Enhancement of the Reliability of Animal Genotyping Regarding the Betterment of Wool Productivity in South-Kazakh Merino Sheep in Kazakhstan.

Enhancement of the production and productivity in animals is possible by improving the environment and changing the genetic structure of the herd which is done through selection. The present study aimed to investigate the efficiency of using genetic resources in the population of South-Kazakh merino sheep breed to improve and enhance the quality of wool productivity by determining a combination of phenotypic traits, morphobic and chemical parameters, as well as immunogenetic factors. Wool productivity was studied and accounted for by cutting each animal's wool during the period of shearing with an accuracy of 0.1 kg. At the age of 14 months, samples of wool were taken from 10 ewes of each group to study the yield of pure wool using physical and technological indicators. The value of reproducibility coefficients was determined by conducting correlation analysis. The value was estimated from 0.439 to 0.871 and 0.331 to 0.776 for the live weight and wool cutting, respectively. The number of woolens per 1 mm2 of skin positively correlated with pure wool cutting (0.276±0.135) and woolliness factor (0.293±0.134), while it negatively correlated with the live weight of sheep (-0.055±0.140), staple length (-0.146±0.139), and toner wool (-0.180±0.138). This negative correlation implies that the most densely woolly sheep will not necessarily have a breeding advantage for the herd improvement on a combination of signs. However, the outstanding wool density as a separate indicator of sheep woolen productivity has a great breeding advantage; therefore, in the merino population, it is necessary to create a small factory line of sheep with a very large wool density. A variety of sheep productivity indices in each age had a high correlation with a variety of maximum productivity levels of animals bred in the conditions of "Batay-Shu" LLP.

Genome-wide dissection of hybridization for fiber quality- and yield-related traits in upland cotton.

An evaluation of combining ability can facilitate the selection of suitable parents and superior F1 hybrids for hybrid cotton breeding, although the molecular genetic basis of combining ability has not been fully characterized. In the present study, 282 female parents were crossed with four male parents in accordance with the North Carolina II mating scheme to generate 1128 hybrids. The parental lines were genotyped based on restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and 306 814 filtered single nucleotide polymorphisms were used for genome-wide association analysis involving the phenotypes, general combining ability (GCA) values, and specific combining ability values of eight fiber quality- and yield-related traits. The main results were: (i) all parents could be clustered into five subgroups based on population structure analyses and the GCA performance of the female parents had significant differences between subgroups; (ii) 20 accessions with a top 5% GCA value for more than one trait were identified as elite parents for hybrid cotton breeding; (iii) 120 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms, clustered into 66 quantitative trait loci, such as the previously reported Gh_A07G1769 and GhHOX3 genes, were found to be significantly associated with GCA; and (iv) identified quantitative trait loci for GCA had a cumulative effect on GCA of the accessions. Overall, our results suggest that pyramiding the favorable loci for GCA may improve the efficiency of hybrid cotton breeding.

Gossypium Genomics: Trends, Scope, and Utilization for Cotton Improvement.

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the most important natural fiber crop worldwide. The diversity of Gossypium species also provides an ideal model for investigating evolution and domestication of polyploids. However, the huge and complex cotton genome hinders genomic research. Technical advances in high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis have now largely overcome these obstacles, bringing about a new era of cotton genomics. Here, we review recent progress in Gossypium genomics based on whole genome sequencing, resequencing, and comparative genomics, which have provided insights about the genomic basis of fiber biogenesis and the landscape of cotton functional genomics. We address current challenges and present multidisciplinary genomics-enabled breeding strategies covering the breadth of high fiber yield, quality, and environmental resilience for future cotton breeding programs.

Senescence-induced expression of ZmSUT1 in cotton delays leaf senescence while the seed coat-specific expression increases yield.

KEY MESSAGE: Sink-specific expression of a sucrose transporter protein gene from the C4 plant maize can promote carbohydrate accumulation in target tissues and increase both fiber and seed yield of cotton. Sucrose is the principal form of photosynthetic products transported from source tissue to sink tissue in higher plants. Enhancing the partition of carbohydrate to the target organ is a promising way to improve crop productivity. The C4 plant Zea mays exhibits a substantially higher rate of export of photosynthates than many C3 plants, and its sucrose transporter protein ZmSut1 displays important role in sucrose allocation. To investigate how use of ZmSUT1 gene to increase the fiber and seed yield of cotton, in this study, we expressed the gene in cotton under a senescence-inducible promoter PSAG12 and a seed coat-specific promoter BAN, respectively. We show that senescence-induced expression of ZmSUT1 results in an increase of sugar accumulation in leaves. Although the leaf senescence was postponed in PSAG12::ZmSUT1 cotton, the photosynthetic rate of the leaves was decreased. In contrast, seed coat-specific expression of the gene leads to an increase of sugar accumulation in fibers and bolls, and the leaf of transgenic BAN::ZmSUT1 cotton displayed higher photosynthetic capacity than the wild type. Importantly, both fiber and seed yield of transgenic BAN::ZmSUT1 cotton are significantly enhanced. Our data indicate the potential of enhancing yield of carbohydrate crops by the regulation of sugar partitioning.