Omar Kayess

Cucumber improvement requires the simultaneous enhancement of yield, earliness, fruit quality, and postharvest performance, yet many breeding studies rely on single-season or single-trait evaluations. This study therefore assessed 18 diverse cucumber genotypes across two consecutive Rabi seasons (2025 and 2026) using 23 agronomic, phenological, yield, fruit-quality, and postharvest traits, of which 12 non-redundant core traits were retained for the principal genetic and multivariate analyses. Genotypic variability, GCV, PCV, broad-sense heritability, genetic advance, interannual correlation, principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, and multi-trait selection using MGIDI and MTSI were evaluated. Genotype effects were highly significant for nearly all estimable traits in both years (P−1 and fruit weight also exhibited high heritability (97.57% and 95.91%) and GAM (80.75% and 59.46%). Interannual repeatability was strongest for fruit number plant ⁻¹ (r=0.987), yield (r=0.986), and plant mortality (r=0.981), whereas shelf life was less stable (r=0.426, P=0.078). The first two principal components explained 57.29% of total variation, increasing to 70.92% with PC3. MGIDI selected CU-09, CU-11, and check variety Anuska, whereas MTSI selected CU-11, CU-01, and CU-06. Overall, CU-11 was the only genotype selected by both MGIDI and MTSI, indicating a favourable balance of multi-trait performance and relative interannual stability, while the other selected genotypes provided complementary breeding value for hybridization and further validation. These findings provide an integrated framework for improving productivity, stability, and postharvest performance in cucumber breeding programs.

Harnessing endophytic bacteria for plant disease management offers a promising sustainable strategy. We previously demonstrated that endophytic Bacillus spp. significantly suppress wheat blast disease under field conditions. Despite their promising biocontrol potential, the successful commercialization of microbial biopesticides depends on economical mass production, high microbial viability, prolonged shelf-life, and consistent field performance. This study optimized fermentation conditions, endospore production and carrier formulations of three endophytic Bacillus strains (B. subtilis BTS-3 and B. velezensis BTS-4 and BTLK6A) for the sustainable management of wheat blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT). Sugarcane molasses was evaluated as a low-cost alternative to commercial nutrient broth, while supplementation with 500 ppm MnCl₂·4H₂O enhanced growth and endospore production for Bacillus spp. Talc- and molasses-based liquid formulations were subsequently developed and evaluated for storage stability. A talc formulation containing 1% (w/w) carboxymethyl cellulose and 1.5% (w/w) calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) provided the highest survival up to 180 days, maintaining a population density of 1 × 10⁵–10⁶ CFU g⁻¹, whereas liquid formulations exhibited a faster decline in cell viability. Despite these differences, both formulation types significantly reduced blast disease severity by 48.78–75.98% compared to the only MoT- inoculated control in the field. Seed priming consistently outperformed foliar application and enhanced tiller production (9.40–16.62%), thousand-grain weight (13.47–32.41%), and grain yield (up to 321 g/m²), achieving up to 38.58% higher yield than the MoT-inoculated control. Taken together, these findings establish a cost-effective approach for developing stable talc- and molasses-based formulations, thereby enhancing the commercial viability and large-scale deployment of biological control strategies for sustainable wheat blast management.

Soil salinity constrains wheat establishment, particularly during germination and early seedling development. This study evaluated the morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses of four wheat cultivars—BARI Gom 33, BARI Gom 28, BARI Gom 26, and BARI Gom 22—exposed to salinity levels of 0, 4, 8, and 12 dS m⁻¹ under controlled conditions. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomised design with three replications. Germination percentage, shoot and root length, fresh and dry biomass, SPAD-based relative chlorophyll content, Na⁺ and K⁺ concentrations, the Na⁺/K⁺ ratio, and proline content generally increased. SPAD values also varied among salinity treatments and cultivars, but these measurements should be interpreted as indicators of relative chlorophyll content rather than as measures of direct photosynthetic efficiency. Among the evaluated cultivars, BARI Gom 22 showed comparatively better performance under the highest salinity treatment, maintaining 51.67% germination; shoot and root lengths of 8.35 and 5.17 cm, respectively; a Na⁺/K⁺ ratio of 0.398; a proline content of 4.37 μmol g⁻¹ FW; and a SPAD value of 59.52. Correlation, principal component, and hierarchical clustering analyses demonstrated clear associations among growth, ionic, and biochemical traits across salinity treatments. Overall, the results indicate comparatively greater seedling-stage salinity tolerance in BARI Gom 22 among the four cultivars evaluated. Further field-based assessment is required to determine whether this response is maintained through later developmental stages and ultimately translates into improved grain production under saline conditions.

Harnessing endophytic bacteria for disease management offers a promising sustainable strategy owing to their biocontrol activity in agriculture. Our previous research has shown that endophytic Bacillus spp. significantly suppressed wheat blast disease in field. Despite their promising biocontrol potential, the successful commercialization of microbial biopesticides depends on economical mass production, high microbial viability, prolonged shelf-life, and consistent field performance. This study optimized fermentation conditions, endospore production and carrier formulations of three endophytic Bacillus strains (B. subtilis, BTS-3 and B. velezensis BTS-4 and BTLK6A) for sustainable management of wheat blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT). Sugarcane molasses was evaluated as a low-cost alternative to commercial nutrient broth, while supplementation with 500 ppm MnCl2.4H2O enhanced growth and endospore production for Bacillus spp. Talc- and molasses-based liquid formulations were subsequently developed and evaluated for storage stability. Talc formulation containing 1% (w/w) carboxymethyl cellulose and 1.5% calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) provided the highest survival up to 180 days, maintaining a population density of approximately ~10⁵-10⁶ CFU g⁻¹, whereas liquid formulations exhibited a faster decline in cell viability. Despite these differences, both formulation types significantly reduced blast disease severity by 48.78-75.98% compared to the only MoT infected control in the field. Seed priming consistently outperformed foliar application and also enhanced tiller production (9.40–16.62%), thousand-grain weight (13.47-32.41%), and highest grain yield (321 g/plot), achieving up to 38.58% higher yield than the MoT-inoculated control. These findings established an effective approach for developing stable talc- and molasses-based formulations capable of maintaining bacterial viability and supporting the field efficacy for sustainable wheat blast management.

Genetic diversity is crucial for plant breeding programs which provide necessary germplasm for selection and development of targeted traits. So, development and screening of suitable germplasm is vital. To enhance heat stress tolerance in wheat, an experiment was conducted using 60 F ₆ wheat advanced lines (ALs), their parents, and check varieties at the Genetics and Plant Breeding Department, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) elucidated substantial variation among the ALs and studied traits. Maximum grain yield plot ⁻¹ was recorded in AL 49 (603.8 g), AL 21 (612.4 g), AL 51 (580.9 g), and AL 20 (554.1 g). Phenotypic coefficients of variation were slightly higher than genotypic coefficients, indicating minimal environmental influence on the ALs. Grain filling duration, grains spike ⁻¹ , and plant height exhibited high heritability with moderate to high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean. These traits also showed strong positive genotypic and phenotypic interlink with yield. Path coefficient assessment further revealed that these traits had a high direct positive effect on yield. Among the microsatellite markers analysed, 14 markers were polymorphic, with an average PIC value of 0.67. Cluster analysis using phenotypic and molecular data grouped genotypes into three clusters, demonstrating substantial variation among the selected best 10 ALs. These ALs could serve as a potential germplasm in heat stress breeding or may be released as new varieties after multi‐location trials.