The genetic architecture of tomato flavor variation through crop domestication and improvement.

Exploring genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in hybrids of tomato in Trans-Gangetic Plains region

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop valued for its nutritional quality, wide adaptability and economic significance. The present study was conducted to evaluate genetic variability, character association and genetic diversity among tomato accessions for yield and its contributing traits. The experiment was carried out during the spring-summer season of 2020 and 2021 at the experimental field of horticulture, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University. A total of 26 tomato accessions, comprising 6 repatriated genotypes and 20 hybrids developed through a full diallel mating design, were evaluated in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications and 15 quantitative and quality-related characters. Significant variation was found among the different germplasms for all characters. Yield and yield contributing characters showed high heritability along with genetic gain, indicating major role of these characters in expression of these characters. Yield per plant exhibited a strong and positive relationship with number of fruits per plant, fruit width, fruit length and mean fruit weight. Path coefficient analysis indicated that the number of fruits per plant and reducing sugar content exerted the highest positive direct influence on yield. Principal component analysis explained 81.70 % of the total variation through five components. Cluster analysis grouped accessions into two major clusters irrespective of geographic origin, indicating wide genetic diversity. Accessions T10 and F1022 were identified as the most divergent and may serve as promising parents for yield improvement in tomato breeding programs.

Exploiting the genetic diversity of cultivated strawberry for genomic dissection of leaf and fruit powdery mildew resistance

These findings uncover new QTLs for PM resistance in strawberry, including on fruit, and provide validated strategies for breeding disease-resistant cultivars.

Performance evaluation of diverse tomato genotypes using quantitative genetic parameters and multivariate analysis

Tomato is one of the most widely consumed vegetable crops globally, valued for its diversified uses, year-round demand, and nutritional importance. It is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. Therefore, the development of high-performing tomato genotypes is essential to meet increasing market demand. This study evaluated the phenotypic performance and variability of 36 experimental tomato genotypes along with 3 check varieties, and analyzed their interrelationships using mean performance, quantitative genetic parameters, and multivariate approaches. The results revealed highly significant variation among the evaluated genotypes, with several genotypes surpassing the check varieties. Notably, genotypes V32, V22, and V33 emerged as particularly promising candidates, exhibiting high yield potential and low bacterial wilt incidence under natural field conditions. Correlation analysis indicated that the number of fruits plant-1, fruit diameter, and fruit weight were strongly associated with fruit yield. These findings highlight the importance of these traits in developing high-yielding tomato genotypes and identify promising genotypes for further multi-location and multi-season validation in tomato breeding programs.

Genetic architecture of Karnal bunt resistance in wheat: A review

Dissection of genetic architecture for tiller and yield - related traits in sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneum L.) by genome - wide association study.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important crop for food and energy security. Identifying SNPs and genes associated with sugarcane yield and related traits is crucial for developing high - yielding sugarcane cultivars through molecular breeding. Here, we measured nine phenotypic traits across 160 sugarcane genotypes and employed multiple statistical models (namely MLM, CMLM, MLMM, FarmCPU and SUPER) in GWAS to identify stable and pleiotropic loci. A total of 200 SNPs corresponding to 137 QTLs were detected to be significantly associated with nine traits using multiple statistical models, among which 18 QTLs were consistently identified by two or more models. Notably, the SNP S9A_47793177 on chromosome 9A showed the strongest association with phenotypic variation in aboveground biomass, with a phenotypic explanation rate of 70.54%. Additionally, several QTLs significantly associated with tillering - related traits were identified, suggesting that these QTLs may play crucial roles in the regulation of tillering. The QTLs and SNPs identified in this study provide a significant foundation for molecular marker - assisted breeding in sugarcane. This advancement can significantly enhance the efficiency of genetic improvement for sugarcane yield and tillering - related traits.

Genetic Transformation of Grapevine Using Agrobacterium- Mediated Gene Transfer

By introducing desirable traits into an existing genome while maintaining the plant’s genetic integrity, plant genetic engineering is an effective method for enhancing plants and remains to be seen whether the advantages of reduced chemical use and improved nutritional aspects lead to a world with food security that is environmentally sustainable.