Prakash Narayan Tiwari

Drought stress is a universal crisis in sustaining the growth and production of major legumes, including the chickpea. Drought severely reduces the biomass of chickpea plants, with the effect on leaves appearing the most apparent. The aim of this study was to investigate, using various physiological and biochemical markers throughout the pod filling stage, how 78 desi chickpea genotypes tolerated drought stress. Most of the evaluated characteristics showed significant variations between control and drought treatments. The mean performance of most of the investigated parameters significantly decreased under moisture-stressed conditions. RWC, SWD, MSI, and CTD were investigated under terminal drought-stressed conditions. Except for saturated water deficit (SWD), all remaining characteristics declined with increasing stress. Genotypes SAGL152210, SAGL152252, SAGL152347, SAGL22-115, and JG11 were recognized as drought-tolerant based on physiological characteristics. Biochemical markers viz., protein content, total soluble sugar, lipid peroxidation, and proline content, had an impact on osmotic adjustment. Based on non-enzymatic biochemical traits, genotypes SAGL22-115, ICC4958, ICCV201108, ICCV201107, SAGL152252, and JG11 were identified for their capability to survive under drought-stressed conditions. H₂O₂ content, CAT, SOD, POD, APX, and DPPH were considered antioxidant agents. Genotypes SAGL152208, SAGL22-105, SAGL22-112, ICC201108, SAGL152278, SAGL152252, SAGL162371, SAGL162390, ICC 4958, and JG315 may be considered drought-tolerant based on antioxidant activities. These genotypes are believed to be better equipped with physio-biochemical mechanisms and antioxidant defense systems at the cellular level and can be used in breeding programs to breed drought-tolerant cultivar(s). They can also be screened in the future, allowing the line(s) that have remained consistent over time to be recognized and registered as drought-tolerant donors.

Background: Being a vital source of high-quality dietary protein, chickpea is an unavoidable legume. The present investigation was performed to study the applicability of the microsatellite markers linked with drought tolerance in Indian chickpea genotypes collected from different genetic background. Methods: In Rabi 2021-22, forty chickpea genotypes including national check for drought tolerance, elite cultivars, released varieties and advanced breeding lines were screened employing forty microsatellite markers linked with drought tolerance associated traits. Result: Among forty drought tolerance related microsatellite markers, twenty-six were found to be polymorphic and produced a total of 66 alleles, with a mean of 2.5 alleles per locus. Model-based population structure analysis clearly distinguished the drought tolerant genotypes including ICC4958, JG74, JAKI9218, JG16, JG6, JG14 and JG11. The principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) further confirmed these results. Findings of the present investigation would have a greater potential for further utilization in breeding of drought specific chickpea cultivar(s).

Chickpea is widely grown in rainfed areas of developing countries because of its nutritional abundance and adaptability. To overcome the environmental effect of drought on yield, a characteristic-linked selection strategy is proved as well-thought-out and advantageous for the development of drought-tolerant cultivars. To precisely understand the contribution of various physio-biochemical and yield-attributing traits toward drought tolerance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), forty chickpea genotypes were evaluated in the years 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 under normal irrigated as well as drought-stressed conditions. Among the studied genotypes, genotype ICC4958 retained the highest chl content (0.55 mg g⁻¹ FW), minimal electrolyte leakage, and superoxide dismutase (1.48 U/mg FW) and peroxidase (2.21 µmol/min/g FW) activities while cultivar JG11 maintained the maximum relative water content and proline accumulation. The principal-component-based biplots prioritized the physio-biochemical and yield-accrediting characteristics based on their association significance and contribution to terminal drought tolerance. Under drought stress, grain yield per plant was depicted to have a strongly positive association with canopy temperature depression, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities as well as total soluble sugar, proline, and chlorophyll content, along with the numbers of pods and biological yield per plant. These identified physio-biochemical and yield-attributing traits can be further deployed to select drought-tolerant chickpea genotypes for the breeding of climate-smart chickpea genotypes.

Flax, or linseed, is considered a “superfood”, which means that it is a food with diverse health benefits and potentially useful bioactive ingredients. It is a multi-purpose crop that is prized for its seed oil, fibre, nutraceutical, and probiotic qualities. It is suited to various habitats and agro-ecological conditions. Numerous abiotic and biotic stressors that can either have a direct or indirect impact on plant health are experienced by flax plants as a result of changing environmental circumstances. Research on the impact of various stresses and their possible ameliorators is prompted by such expectations. By inducing the loss of specific alleles and using a limited number of selected varieties, modern breeding techniques have decreased the overall genetic variability required for climate-smart agriculture. However, gene banks have well-managed collectionns of landraces, wild linseed accessions, and auxiliary Linum species that serve as an important source of novel alleles. In the past, flax-breeding techniques were prioritised, preserving high yield with other essential traits. Applications of molecular markers in modern breeding have made it easy to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for various agronomic characteristics. The genetic diversity of linseed species and the evaluation of their tolerance to abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, heavy metal tolerance, and temperature, as well as resistance to biotic stress factors, viz., rust, wilt, powdery mildew, and alternaria blight, despite addressing various morphotypes and the value of linseed as a supplement, are the primary topics of this review.

Genome editing aims to revolutionise plant breeding and could assist in safeguarding the global food supply. The inclusion of a 12–40 bp recognition site makes mega nucleases the first tools utilized for genome editing and first generation gene-editing tools. Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) are the second gene-editing technique, and because they create double-stranded breaks, they are more dependable and effective. ZFNs were the original designed nuclease-based approach of genome editing. The Cys2-His2 zinc finger domain’s discovery made this technique possible. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are utilized to improve genetics, boost biomass production, increase nutrient usage efficiency, and develop disease resistance. Plant genomes can be effectively modified using genome-editing technologies to enhance characteristics without introducing foreign DNA into the genome. Next-generation plant breeding will soon be defined by these exact breeding methods. There is abroad promise that genome-edited crops will be essential in the years to come for improving the sustainability and climate-change resilience of food systems. This method also has great potential for enhancing crops’ resistance to various abiotic stressors. In this review paper, we summarize the most recent findings about the mechanism of abiotic stress response in crop plants and the use of the CRISPR/Cas mediated gene-editing systems to improve tolerance to stresses including drought, salinity, cold, heat, and heavy metals.

Chickpea production is seriously hampered by drought stress, which could be a great threat in the future for food security in developing countries. The present investigation aimed to screen the drought-tolerant response of forty desi chickpea genotypes against drought stress through various physio-biochemical selection indices and yield-attributing traits. Principle component-based biplot analysis recognized PG205, JG2016-44, JG63, and JG24 as tolerant genotypes based on physiological selection indices. These genotypes retained higher relative water content, stomatal conductance, internal CO₂ concentration, and photosynthetic rate. ICC4958, JG11, JAKI9218, JG16, JG63, and PG205 were selected as tolerant genotypes based on biochemical selection indices. These genotypes sustained higher chlorophyll, sugar and proline content with enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities. With respect to yield trials, JAKI9218, JG11, JG16, and ICC4958 had higher seed yield per plant, numbers of pods, and biological yield per plant. Finally, JG11, JAKI9218, ICC4958, JG16, JG63, and PG205 were selected as tolerant genotypes based on cumulative physio-biochemical selection indices and yield response. These identified drought-tolerant genotypes may be further employed in climate-smart chickpea breeding programs for sustainable production under a changing climate scenario.

Curcuma caesia belongs to the genus Curcuma and the family of Zingiberaceae, which is a very important but unexplored medicinal plant. It is locally known as black turmeric or kali halide and is mainly used by the local tribal community as traditional medicine for the health sector. The rhizome of black turmeric has wide applications in the economic pharma sector due to essential active ingredients. This research aims to standardize a rapid, simple and efficient protocol for DNA extraction in Curcuma caesia which can be used for another genus of Zingiberaceae to obtain DNA from leaf samples. Changes in the concentration of components of DNA extraction buffer have improved the quantity of DNA from leaf samples compared to rhizomes. Extracted DNA samples also proved more efficient in PCR amplification of DNA barcode primers. The protocol developed in the present study is more efficient for leaf samples of Curcuma caesia compared to rhizome samples.