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Open access Aug 2026

Metabolic analysis of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars in response to Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia Kurdjumov) infestation

Wheat is one of the most widely consumed cereal grains globally and plays a critical role in food security. As a staple crop in many households, it provides essential nutrients and contributes significantly to daily caloric intake. Although wheat is attacked by multiple pests, the Russian wheat aphid (RWA), Diuraphis noxia, remains one of the most damaging, causing considerable yield losses. While resistance breeding has long been the preferred control strategy, newly emerging RWA biotypes have increasingly overcome previously effective resistance genes. This highlights the need for alternative approaches, with metabolomics emerging as a valuable tool for identifying metabolic biomarkers that can support faster and more effective resistance breeding. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the effect of the South African Russian wheat aphid biotype 5 (RWASA5) on the metabolic profiles of two wheat cultivars, Tugela and Tugela DN. The cultivars were infested with RWASA5 and harvested at 0, 4, 8, 24, and 48 h post-infestation, followed by untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) profiling. A total of 19 metabolites were identified, of which 12 were upregulated and 7 were downregulated. Phenolic compounds were the dominant class, with secoisolariciresinol diglucoside showing a significant increase in Tugela DN following RWASA5 infestation. Flavonoids formed the most abundant phenolic subgroup. Enriched pathways included glycerophospholipid, linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid metabolism. These findings indicate that RWA infestation triggers distinct metabolic shifts in wheat and provide insights into wheat–RWA interactions for crop improvement.

Confidence M. Nape, F. Makhubu, N. Madala et al. · 0 citations
Review Jul 2026

Genomics assisted breeding for mildew resistance in cucumber: from gene discovery to future innovations

This review highlighted the genetic resources, screening strategies, disease scoring systems, inheritance patterns, resistance-associated QTLs, molecular markers and candidate genes involved in cucumber mildew resistance, and discussed genome-assisted breeding approaches, including QTL mapping, genome-wide association studies, marker-assisted selection, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, transgenic approaches and high-throughput phenotyping tools for improving resistance breeding efficiency.

R. Dhall, Neha Rana, Gurpreet Kaur et al. · 0 citations
Review Open access Jul 2026

Unlocking the genetic potential of Triticum urartu for wheat improvement: a review

The narrow genetic base of cultivated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) remains a major constraint to genetic improvement, particularly in addressing current and emerging production challenges. Expanding this genetic base is essential to overcome yield plateaus and meet the food demands of a growing global population. Wild relatives and ancestral progenitors of wheat harbour extensive, underutilized genetic diversity that can be harnessed for crop improvement. Among these, Triticum urartu, the A-genome donor of bread and durum wheat, presents a potentially valuable reservoir of traits related to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, and grain quality. In this review, we summarise current knowledge on the potential of T. urartu as a source of resistance to major wheat diseases including powdery mildew, stem rust (notably the highly virulent race Ug99), leaf rust, and stripe rust. In addition, we discuss the potential of T. urartu as a source of drought and heat tolerance, enhanced photosynthetic traits and quality associated traits. We further highlight the successful introgression of T. urartu chromosomes into diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid wheat backgrounds, demonstrating its compatibility across multiple ploidy levels. Advances in doubled haploid (DH) technology have recently accelerated the generation of homozygous wheat–T. urartu introgression lines, thereby facilitating rapid trait fixation and efficient germplasm development. The application of molecular marker technologies, including SNP-based kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) assays, has further improved the characterization of T. urartu genetic diversity and the precise tracking of introgression lines. The increasing availability of validated SNP datasets in public repositories and the development of scalable high- and -medium throughput genotyping platforms are further accelerating wheat–T. urartu introgression programs.

Veronica Faith Guwela, Martin R. Broadley, M. Hawkesford et al. · 0 citations
Open access 2026

Assessment of anthracnose resistance and agromorphological traits in fifth-generation lima bean populations

ABSTRACT Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) is an important socioeconomic legume in northeastern Brazil, particularly among small- and medium-scale farmers. Despite its nutritional value and role in food security, crop yield is often compromised by diseases such as anthracnose. This study aimed to evaluate six groups of lima bean populations at the fifth generation (F5), derived from crosses between genotypes conserved in the P. lunatus Active Germplasm Bank at the Universidade Federal do Piauí, which differed in morphological traits and levels of anthracnose resistance. Populations were grown under field conditions and evaluated for agromorphological and phytopathological traits, including yield, seed morphology, and disease resistance. Statistical analyses were performed using restricted maximum likelihood/best linear unbiased prediction and likelihood ratio test methods with the aid of SELEGEN, R, and Genes software. Among the populations, significant phenotypic variability was observed. Population P6 was notable for its earliness, a desirable trait that contributes to disease escape; P2 and P4 showed white seed coats and commercially attractive seeds, whereas P4, P5, and P6 exhibited superior performance in pod, seed, and anthracnose resistance traits. The presence of BGP-UFPI 832 genotype in the most promising crosses suggests its potential to transmit favorable alleles. These results indicate that populations P4, P5, and P6 are potential candidates for breeding programs focused on developing higher-yielding, locally adapted, and anthracnose-resistant cultivars.

Kathully Karolaine Brito Torres, M. V. D. Brito, João Vitor Morais Sousa et al. · 0 citations
Review Open access Aug 2026

Breeding jassid-resistant okra (Abelmoschus esculentus): from morpho-biochemical traits to precision breeding

Okra, an economically important vegetable in tropical and subtropical regions, faces severe yield constraints due to sap-sucking pests, particularly jassids (Amrasca spp.). These insects cause hopper burn, leaf curling, and chlorosis, leading to estimated yield losses of 30-100% under severe infestation. Farmers’ heavy reliance on chemical control to manage these insects poses environmental, economic, and health risks, underscoring the need for host-plant resistance as a sustainable component of integrated pest management. Successful breeding for jassid resistance requires in-depth knowledge of its underlying mechanisms. This review synthesizes current knowledge on jassid resistance in okra, focusing on morphological (trichome density, leaf thickness), biochemical (phenolics, defensive enzymes), and physiological traits that confer antixenosis and antibiosis, as well as the largely untapped potential of wild Abelmoschus species as reservoirs of novel and durable resistance alleles. We examine advances in genomics, including QTL mapping, genome-wide association studies, and transcriptomics, as tools for dissecting complex resistance mechanisms in okra’s polyploid genome. We further discuss biotechnological and precision breeding strategies such as genomic selection, gene editing, and speed breeding, as avenues to accelerate the development of jassid-resistant cultivars. We conclude by proposing a multi-trait ideotype that integrates morphological, biochemical, and genetic resistance while maintaining high yield and product quality and is supported by an integrated breeding framework that combines conventional and genomic approaches. Key research priorities include discovering new sources of resistance, functionally validating resistance loci, and integrating high-throughput phenotyping with genomic selection to enhance breeding precision and efficiency in okra improvement programs.

F. Vihou, B.B. Yarou, Ya-ping Lin et al. · 0 citations
Open access 2026

Estimation of genetic variability and gene action for grain yield in finger millet

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.)) is a climate resilient crop, with an elevated nutritional profile; cultivated mainly in semi-arid and arid regions of Africa and Asia. Despite its importance as a climate smart and nutrient dense crop, its production has not reached full potential partly due to limited availability of improved varieties. The objective of this study was to assess yield and related traits genetic variability, heritability and number of genes in finger millet (FM). The field study comprising of ten FM genotypes, was carried out during the 2023-2024 summer cropping season at Lupane State University Farm in the Northwestern Zimbabwe. There were significant (P<0.05) genetic variations among the genotypes for all traits studied. Several grain yield traits (grain yield per plant, number of productive tillers, ear head weight, and thousand grain weight) showed high broad sense heritability (estimated at 0.97, 0.90, 0.88 and 0.86, respectively). Moreover, the narrow difference between trait phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation, suggests a predominance of additive gene action. High genetic advance, as a percentage of mean for these traits, suggests that direct selection would be effective for achieving early genetic gains. A combination of high broad sense heritability with high genetic advance as a percentage, coupled with preponderance of additive gene action, suggests that these traits can respond to selection within this population. Grain yield per plant was significantly and positively correlated with ear head weight (r = 0.72), number of productive tillers (r = 0.70) and thousand grain weight (r = 0.66); but showed a negative correlation with plant height (r = -0.62). Path analysis further revealed that these traits exert a positive direct effect on grain yield, suggesting that selecting these specific traits would be effective in increasing yield. This study noted that despite the intricate inheritance of some quantitative traits, strategic selection can still lead to significant genetic improvement.

O. Mapako, M. Maphosa · 0 citations