Plant genetics: Mechanisms of wild soybean adaptation

Multivariate analysis of long-term climate data in connection with yield, earliness and the problem of global warming

Climate change is the key challenge to agriculture in the XXI century. Future agricultural techniques in the Russian Federation should involve the optimization of land utilization. This optimization should apply algorithms for smart farming and take into consideration possible climate variations. Due to timely risk assessment, this approach would increase profitability and production sustainability of agricultural products without extra expenditures. Also, we should ground farming optimization not on available empirical data encompassing limited time intervals (month, year) or human personal evaluations but on the integral analysis of long-term information bodies using artificial intelligence. This article presents the results of a multivariate analysis of meteorological extremes which caused crop failures in Eastern and Western Europe in last 2600 years according to chronicle data and paleoreconstructions as well as reconstructions of heliophysical data for the last 9000 years. This information leads us to the conclusion that the current global warming will last for some time. However, subsequent climate changes may go in any direction. And cooling is more likely than warming; thus, we should be prepared to any scenario. Plant breeding can play a key role in solving food security problems connected with climate changes. Possible measures to adapt plant industry to the ongoing and expected climate changes are discussed. It is concluded that future breeding should be based on the use of highly adapted crops that have already been produced in pre-breeding programs, ready to meet future challenges caused by potential climate change.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the molecular basis of photoperiod-regulated sex differentiation in tropical pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata Duch.)

BACKGROUND

Photoperiod, or the length of the day, has a significant impact on the flowering and sex differentiation of photoperiod-sensitive crops. The "miben" pumpkin (the main type of Cucurbita moschata Duch.) is well-known for its high yield and strong disease resistance. However, its cultivation has been limited due to its sensitivity to photoperiod. This sensitivity imposes challenges on its widespread cultivation and may result in suboptimal yields in regions with specific daylength conditions. As a consequence, efforts are being made to explore potential strategies or breeding techniques to enhance its adaptability to a broader range of photoperiods, thus unlocking its full cultivation potential and further promoting its valuable traits in agriculture.

RESULTS

This study aimed to identify photoperiod-insensitive germplasm exhibiting no difference in sex differentiation under different day-length conditions. The investigation involved a phenotypic analysis of photoperiod-sensitive (PPS) and photoperiod-insensitive (PPIS) pumpkin materials exposed to different day lengths, including long days (LDs) and short days (SDs). The results revealed that female flower differentiation was significantly inhibited in PPS_LD, while no differences were observed in the other three groups (PPS_SD, PPIS_LD, and PPIS_SD). Transcriptome analysis was carried out for these four groups to explore the main-effect genes of sex differentiation responsive to photoperiod. The main-effect gene subclusters were identified based on the principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses. Further, functional annotations and enrichment analysis revealed significant upregulation of photoreceptors (CmCRY1, F-box/kelch-repeat protein), circadian rhythm-related genes (CmGI, CmPRR9, etc.), and CONSTANS (CO) in PPS_LD. Conversely, a significant downregulation was observed in most Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factors. Regarding the gibberellic acid (GA) signal transduction pathway, positive regulators of GA signaling (CmSCL3, CmSCL13, and so forth) displayed higher expression levels, while the negative regulators of GA signaling, CmGAI, exhibited lower expression levels in PPS_LD. Notably, this effect was not observed in the synthetic pathway genes. Furthermore, genes associated with ethylene synthesis and signal transduction (CmACO3, CmACO1, CmERF118, CmERF118-like1,2, CmWIN1-like, and CmRAP2-7-like) showed significant downregulation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study offered a crucial theoretical and genetic basis for understanding how photoperiod influences the mechanism of female flower differentiation in pumpkins.

Origin, variation, and selection of natural alleles controlling flowering and adaptation in wild and cultivated soybean

Soybean (Glycine max) is an economically important crop worldwide, serving as a major source of oil and protein for human consumption and animal feed. Cultivated soybean was domesticated from wild soybean (Glycine soja) which both species are highly sensitive to photoperiod and can grow over a wide geographical range. The extensive ecological adaptation of wild and cultivated soybean has been facilitated by a series of genes represented as quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control photoperiodic flowering and maturation. Here, we review the molecular and genetic basis underlying the regulation of photoperiodic flowering in soybean. Soybean has experienced both natural and artificial selection during adaptation to different latitudes, resulting in differential molecular and evolutionary mechanisms between wild and cultivated soybean. The in-depth study of natural and artificial selection for the photoperiodic adaptability of wild and cultivated soybean provides an important theoretical and practical basis for enhancing soybean adaptability and yield via molecular breeding. In addition, we discuss the possible origin of wild soybean, current challenges, and future research directions in this important topic.