Phaseolus vulgaris L., known as common bean, is one of the most important grain legumes cultivated around the world for its immature pods and dry seeds, which are rich in protein and micronutrients. Common bean offers a cheap food and protein sources to ameliorate food shortage and malnutrition around the world. However, the genetic basis of most important traits in common bean remains unknown. This study aimed at identifying QTL and candidate gene models underlying twenty-six agronomically important traits in common bean. For this, we assembled and phenotyped a diversity panel of 200 P. vulgaris genotypes in the greenhouse, comprising determinate bushy, determinate climbing and indeterminate climbing beans. The panel included dry beans and snap beans from different breeding programmes, elite lines and landraces from around the world with a major focus on accessions of African, European and South American origin. The panel was genotyped using a cost-conscious targeted genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) platform to take advantage of highly polymorphic SNPs detected in previous studies and in diverse germplasm. The detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were applied in marker-trait analysis and revealed sixty-two quantitative trait loci (QTL) significantly associated with sixteen traits. Gene model identification via a similarity-based approach implicated major candidate gene models underlying the QTL associated with ten traits including, flowering, yield, seed quality, pod and seed characteristics. Our study revealed six QTL for pod shattering including three new QTL potentially useful for breeding. However, the panel was evaluated in a single greenhouse environment and the findings should be corroborated by evaluations across different field environments. Some of the detected QTL and a number of candidate gene models only elucidate the understanding of the genetic nature of these traits and provide the basis for further studies. Finally, the study showed the possibility of using a limited number of SNPs in performing marker-trait association in common bean by applying a highly scalable targeted GBS approach. This targeted GBS approach is a cost-efficient strategy for assessment of the genetic basis of complex traits and can enable geneticists and breeders to identify novel loci and targets for marker-assisted breeding more efficiently.
Inheritance and fruit production studies were carried out with an Abelmoschus esculentus cultivar, Okpa mkpe (P 1), which expresses a mutant trait that produces multiple small fruits per node (msfpn) and two elite A. esculentus cultivars, Awgu early (P 2) and Mpi ele (P 3), as well as a high yielding A. callei cultivar, Ogolo (P 4); all of which produce the conventional solitary fruit per node (sofpn). The aim was to meet consumer's need for small sized fresh marketable okra fruits in the region. The inheritance studies showed that the mutant trait was controlled by a pair of dominant genes. The fruit morphometric studies showed that the A. esculentus cultivars and their hybrids differed significantly in length of fruit (LOF), diameter of fruit (DOF), circumference of fruit (COF), area of fruit (AOF) and volume of fruit (VOF). The direct cross of the mutant parent to the two elite A. esculentus cultivars showed that all the F 1 hybrids produced small sized fruits. On the average, multiple small sized marketable fruits were produced on 61% of fruit-bearing nodes of P 1 , 58% of P 1 x P 2 hybrid and 52% of P 1 x P 3 hybrid fruitbearing nodes, respectively. The percentage reduction in fruit parameters of the msfpn fruits in comparison with the sofpn fruits ranged from 14.28 to 23% for LOF, 10.47 to 15.12% for DOF and 11.18 to 18.89% for COF fruit parameters. Attempts to cross the msfpn parent (P 1) with an A. callei (late okra) elite cultivar, P 4 , proved inconclusive. The discovery of the msfpn trait on an A. callei cultivar, Ojo ogwu, creates a possible opportunity for transferring the trait among A. callei cultivars. It is concluded that exploitation of the msfpn mutant trait could result to meeting okra consumers' need for small sized fruits in the region and pave the way for exporting small sized fruits; which are in great demand by okra canning industries overseas.
Aluminium (Al) toxicity is one of the major sources of environmental stress that limit plant growth and productivity in many acidic soils, especially in the tropics and sub-tropics. Al toxicity subsequently leads to food insecurity in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Though plants can synthesize their antioxidants; the need exists to investigate whether under Al toxicity-induced stress; beta-carotene (β-Carotene) supplementation could ameliorate the stress situation and enhance growth and productivity. A 3× 10− 2 mM aluminium chloride (AlCl3) at pH 4.6 was used to stress plants. β-Carotene was extracted from carrots and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine its peak absorbance at 295 nm. β-Carotene's activity was determined using the thiobarbituric acid method. The effects of 50 and 200 µM concentrations of β-Carotene on the hydroponic growth of Amaranthus hybridus, subjected to Al stress, were evaluated in this study. Pre- and post- β-Carotene treatments were applied to A. hybridus seedlings before and after Al treatment for 72 h. Results showed that post- β-Carotene treatments significantly ameliorated plants from Al stress when compared to pre- β-Carotene treatments. Higher doses of β-Carotene significantly increased leaf number, plant height, length and number of inflorescence, fresh and dry weights of shoot, root and inflorescence but significantly decreased root length. The present study suggests that plants of A. hybridus were susceptible to Al toxicity-induced stress and post-β-Carotene supplementation could significantly ameliorate the stress situation and enhance growth and productivity. However, intrinsic antioxidants could be adequate for plants not subjected to stress.
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