Jute mallow rich in proteins, vitamins and essential amino acids is an important leafy vegetable in Africa. Ethno-botanical knowledge on the crop in Ghana has been only incompletely documented and little is known about variation and diversity of local accessions. In order to document available ethnobotanical knowledge and investigate diversity of local accessions, 4000 farmers in twenty districts were surveyed using participatory rapid appraisal tools and techniques. 50 accessions of local germplasm were collected from these districts. Using randomized complete block design with three replications, the 50 accessions collected were characterized based on 12 quantitative and 6 qualitative traits. Results of the survey recorded several vernacular names of the crop and their meaning referring to the slimy nature of the leaves. Some local cultivars which were known in the past are no longer cultivated in farmers’ field suggesting genetic erosion of jute mallow in Ghana. Apart from food, respondents use jute mallow to treat fever, waist pain, stomach problems and loss of appetite indicating nutraceutical potential of the crop. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the accessions into four distinct clusters and individuals from the same geographical origin were separately classified. Quantitative traits such as leaf length, number of branches per plant, and number of leaves/plant defined the first principal component. Accessions Cagric 26, Cagric 28, Cagric 41, Cagric 08 and Cagric 01 recorded high yields. These accessions could serve as parents for breeding of improved cultivars.

Domestication of jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.): ethnobotany, production constraints and phenomics of local cultivars in Ghana

Genetic divergence, path analysis and molecular diversity analysis in cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L. Taub.).

Guar, the most popular vegetable, is tolerant of drought and is a valuable industrial crop enormously grown across India, Pakistan, USA, and South Africa for pharmaceutically and cosmetically usable galactomannan (gum) content present in seed endosperm. Guar genotypes with productive traits which could perform better in differential environmental conditions are of utmost priority for genotype selection. This could be achieved by employing multivariate trait analysis. In this context, Multi-Trait Stability Index (MTSI) and Multi-Trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI) were employed for identifying high-performing genotypes exhibiting multiple traits. In the current investigation, 85 guar accessions growing in different seasons were assessed for 15 morphological traits. The results obtained by MTSI and MGIDI indexes revealed that, out of 85, only 13 genotypes performed better across and within the seasons, and, based on the coincidence index, only three genotypes (IC-415106, IC-420320, and IC-402301) were found stable with high seed production in multi-environmental conditions. View on strengths and weakness as described by the MGIDI reveals that breeders concentrated on developing genotype with desired traits, such as quality of the gum and seed yield. The strength of the ideal genotypes in the present work is mainly focused on high gum content, short crop cycle, and high seed yield possessing good biochemical traits. Thus, MTSI and MGIDI serve as a novel tool for desired genotype selection process simultaneously in plant breeding programs across multi-environments due to uniqueness and ease in interpreting data with minimal multicollinearity issues.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/6/1221/pdf

A Framework for Identification of Stable Genotypes Basedon MTSI and MGDII Indexes: An Example in Guar (Cymopsis tetragonoloba L.)

Owing to the presence of 80% soluble dietary fibre, high protein content and high value gum, clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) has recently emerged as an economically important legume. The developing clusterbean seeds accumulate 90% galactomannans in the endosperm and, therefore, can be used as a model crop to understand galactomannan biosynthesis and its regulation. miRNAs are tiny master regulators of their corresponding target genes, resulting in variations in the amounts of their metabolic end products. To understand the role of these regulators in galactomannan biosynthesis regulation, small RNA libraries were prepared and sequenced from five tissues of clusterbean genotype RGC-936, and miRanalyzer and DSAP programs were used to identify conserved miRNAs and novel small RNAs. A total of 187 known and 171 novel miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed, of which 10 miRNAs were validated. A complicated network topology and 35% sharing of the target mRNAs between known and novel miRNAs suggest random evolution of novel miRNAs. The gene ontology (GO) annotation of potential target genes revealed the genes coding for signalling and carbohydrate metabolism (50.10%), kinases and other enzymes (20.75%), transcription factors (10.20%), transporters (8.35%) and other targets (10.6%). Two novel unigenes were annotated as ManS (mannosyltransferase/mannan synthase) and UGE (UDP- D-glucose 4-epimerase) and validated as targets for three novel miRNAs, that is Ct-miR3130, Ct-miR3135 and Ct-miR3157. Our findings reveal that these novel miRNAs could play an important role in the regulation of the galactomannan pathway in C. tetragonoloba and possibly other galactomannan-producing species.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/pbi.12866

Genome‐wide discovery of tissue‐specific miRNAs in clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) indicates their association with galactomannan biosynthesis

Morpho-agronomic and AFLP characterization to explore guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) genotypes for the Mediterranean environment

Twelve quantitative characters were taken under observation to estimate substantial variation and relationship among Guar ( Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.)Taub.,Fam.: Fabaceae) genotypes and to identify the best performing lines suited to southern parts of India, where the potential of growing the guar crop throughout the year. Analysis of variation for such quantitative traits in diverse line showed considerable and dissimilar level of variability. The largest variation was found for days to maturity, plant height, pods per plant and cluster per plant. Single plant yield was significant positively correlated with primary branches per plant, secondary branch per plant, cluster per plant, pods per cluster, pods per plant, however pod length was significant but negatively correlated with single plant yield. Principal component analysis showed the amount of variation by principal components 1 to 5 viz., 38, 16.4, 12.5, 9.5 and 6.6%, respectively. Clustering analysis based on various morphological traits assorted 42 guar genotypes into four main groups and six subclusters. Dendrogram based on hierarchal clustering grouped genotypes based on their morphological traits rather than geographic origin. Grouping of genotypes based on morphological traits is not always associated with their geographical origin. Out performed genotypes based higher yield potential, 100-seed weight, pods per plant and early maturity are identified for guar variety development and future breeding programme suited for South India. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v44i1.22724 Bangladesh J. Bot. 44 (1): 59-65, 2015 (March)

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Genetic diversity of Guar genotypes (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) based on Agro-Morphological traits

Clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) is commonly known as guar, a legume with drought hardiness suited to arid regions remained a neglected and underutilized crop till the shale rush began, of late it got momentum in the international market, and it became one of the most promising industrial crops in India. Seeds of clusterbean are used for extraction of gum which is called guar gum or guaran. Guar gum—a galactomannan polysaccharide—has many uses such as in the oil and petroleum industries (shale energy production or oil fracking), food industries, pharmaceutical industries, paper industries and mining fields. India is the major producer and exporter of guar to the world market. There is a tremendous variability available in Indian clusterbean germplasm, our objective of the present study to characterize and evaluate the Indian clusterbean genotypes using morphological qualitative traits. Forty-two genotypes collected across India were characterized for seven morphological traits: stem type, growth habit, leaflet texture, leaflet margin, leaflet size, flower colour and seed colour across three locations during kharif (rainy season) 2013. Coefficients of variation and principal component analysis revealed variability among the genotypes for the qualitative traits evaluated. PCA analysis showed that genotypes namely PNB, T local, HGS 884, RGC 471, MRSG6 were very different from each other. Cluster analysis separated genotypes into two major groups: one of vegetable genotypes (PNB, T local, M local, HVG2-30 and Amrit 11), and the other of gum genotypes. Among the gum genotypes RGC1066, RGC197 and FS277 formed a distinct sub cluster as they possess single stems (unbranched type), while the genotypes with white flower colour namely RGC936 and RGC471 formed a different sub cluster. The genotype MRSG6 showed brown seed with distinct grade of N 200 B which was distinctly unique and differed from the predominant grey-seeded group Correlation analysis among the traits showed that leaflet texture (pubescence) and leaflet shape (narrow) correlated highly with gum genotypes, on the contrary glabrous broad leaflets were linked with vegetable genotypes.

C. R. Anandakumar

Papers

Genetic diversity of Guar genotypes (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) based on Agro-Morphological traits

Characterization of Indian clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) genotypes using qualitative morphological traits