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Agronomy
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Toward a "Green Revolution" for Crop Breeding
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Toward a "Green Revolution" for Crop Breeding

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 19369

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Eleni Tani

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: epigenetics and abiotic/biotic stresses; plant breeding under abiotic and biotic stresses; breeding for weed management; relationships between wild relatives and cultivated species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Eleni Abraham

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: fodder crops; plant breeding; plant genetics; biotic stresses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the history of agriculture, desirable traits beneficial for farming rather than natural growth have been artificially selected through breeding of elite varieties. Each successful step in crop breeding, e.g. wild plant domestication, crop introduction and the ‘Green Revolution’, led to a period of rapid population growth (Yu and Li, 2021). The "green revolution" is generally referred to as a breakthrough in the international agricultural movement. The introduction of new varieties of wheat and rice, along with applicated fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanized farm equipment has produced an impressive increase in world food production (Wolf, 1986). Because of this movement, agriculture has met the food needs of most of the world’s population even as the population increased dramatically during the past decades. But there has been a price to pay, and it includes among others, contamination of groundwaters, release of greenhouse gases, loss of crop genetic diversity and eutrophication of rivers and lakes. It is yet to be discovered whether high-intensity agriculture can be sustained, because of the loss of soil fertility, the erosion of soil, the increased incidence of crop diseases, and the high energy and chemical inputs associated with it (Tilman, 1998). This situation is alarming to agriculturalists worldwide because it was recognized that ultimately, it would be impossible to continue increasing the amounts of fertilizers and pesticides applied to these grain crops (Pimentel, 1996). Furthermore, growing energy shortages and increasing costs of agricultural chemicals are expected to constrain the worldwide use of fertilizers and pesticides. Because the demand of producing more food with fewer inputs never ends, the search is on for practices that can provide sustainable yields via low-intensity agriculture, preferably comparable to those of high-intensity agriculture but with fewer environmental costs. Although the Green Revolution has greatly increased crop yields and contributed to food security, the extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides has caused serious public health and environmental problems (Bull, 1982; WHO/UNEP, 1989; Pimentel, 1989; El Sebae, 1989; Dinham, 1993; WRI, 1992, Pingali, 2012, Liu et al., 2020). Therefore, to develop new Green Revolution, sustainable crops with high yield and low nitrogen demands has become a new challenge for crop breeders.  Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

  • Breeding and sustainable agriculture
  • Low-intensity agriculture
  • Participatory breeding
  • Organic breeding

Dr. Eleni Tani
Dr. Eleni Abraham
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Green Revolution
  • sustainable crop
  • crop breeding
  • low-intensity agriculture

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2762 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Lupin Cultivars Based on Phenotypical, Molecular and Metabolomic Analyses
by Athanasios Mavromatis, Irini Nianiou-Obeidat, Alexios Polidoros, Zoi Parissi, Eleni Tani, Maria Irakli, Konstantinos A. Aliferis, Ioannis Zafeiriou, Photini V. Mylona, Efi Sarri, Evgenia-Anna Papadopoulou, Rafail Tagiakas, Leonidas Kougiteas, Stavroula Kostoula and Eleni M. Abraham
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 370; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy13020370 - 27 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1808
Abstract
Lupins are an important source of protein that could replace soybeans in the diet of ruminants and monogastrics, without reducing their performance. Lupinus albus (L. albus) is the main species of the genus Lupinus that is cultivated in the Mediterranean region. [...] Read more.
Lupins are an important source of protein that could replace soybeans in the diet of ruminants and monogastrics, without reducing their performance. Lupinus albus (L. albus) is the main species of the genus Lupinus that is cultivated in the Mediterranean region. The aim of the present research was to study commercial cultivars and advanced breeding lines of L. albus by using phenotypical, molecular and biochemical data, in order to be used in breeding projects. Seven commercial cultivars (Estoril, Fas Sweet, Multitalia, Magnus, Orus, Ulysse Sulimo and Figaro) and three advanced lines from the company AGROLAND (LKML, LKAP and LKAU) were used. Eleven morphological traits were described using UPOV Guidelines (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants). Additionally, agronomical traits and yield components were measured. Regarding the nutritional value, grain samples were analyzed for N and the crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), total alkaloids (TA), total phenolic content (TP), total tannins content (TT) and condensed tannins (CT) were calculated. Genetic diversity among genetic materials was assessed by SSRs molecular markers. The metabolomic analysis for four selected cultivars (Figaro, Magnus, Multitalia and Sulimo) was performed on the seeds with the GC/EI/MS technique. According to the results, the advanced lines were most productive but also with higher content of total alkaloids than the commercial cultivars. The only exception was the cultivar Multitalia that was characterized by a high content of alkaloids. Based on the SSRs, the cultivars Magnus, Orus and Estoril were grouped together while the breeding lines LKAP, LICML and LKAU were grouped with Multitalia. Regarding the metabolomic profile, the cultivars Multitalia and Magnus were together, while Sulimo was grouped with Figaro. Finally, the content of several beneficial metabolites for human and animal nutrition was significantly increased in Sulimo and Figaro, compared to Magnus and Multitalia. Both commercial varieties and lines have characteristics that can be exploited and used in breeding programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward a "Green Revolution" for Crop Breeding)
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20 pages, 1912 KiB  
Article
Salinity Effect on Plant Growth Parameters and Fruit Bioactive Compounds of Two Strawberry Cultivars, Coupled with Environmental Conditions Monitoring
by Nikoleta-Kleio Denaxa, Aggeliki Nomikou, Nikolaos Malamos, Eleni Liveri, Petros Anargyrou Roussos and Vasileios Papasotiropoulos
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2279; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12102279 - 23 Sep 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2767
Abstract
Salinity stress is one of the most vital abiotic stresses, impairing the productivity of crops in both irrigated and dry areas. A pot experiment was carried out in a greenhouse environment, aiming to examine the relevant tolerances and evaluate the effect of salinity [...] Read more.
Salinity stress is one of the most vital abiotic stresses, impairing the productivity of crops in both irrigated and dry areas. A pot experiment was carried out in a greenhouse environment, aiming to examine the relevant tolerances and evaluate the effect of salinity stress on plant growth, fruit physiological, and quality traits of two strawberry cultivars, Camarosa and Rociera. The plants were irrigated with water with electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.4 dS m−1 (control), or with a salt solution with either ECs 2 dS m−1 (moderate salt stress) or 4 dS m−1 (elevated salt stress). Furthermore, several meteorological parameters, as well as soil moisture, were monitored inside the greenhouse. The results showed that salinity induced osmotic stress, water deprivation, and toxic effects, affecting the growth parameters and yield of both cultivars. The elevated salt stress imposed a negative impact on Rociera’s fruits carbohydrates, organic acids, and anthocyanins, while the antioxidant capacity increased. However, Rociera exhibited high total yield/plant and total yield even under elevated salt stress compared to Camarosa. Camarosa plants grown under high salt levels presented low salinity tolerance index, plant water content, and growth parameters. The fruits exhibited low fresh weight but high sweetness index and antioxidant power. An accumulation of soluble sugars under saline conditions, especially sucrose, was also detected in cv. Camarosa fruits when compared to Rociera. Therefore, the two cvs. exhibited a different pattern of response to salinity stress concerning their physiological, biochemical and nutritional characteristics; however, either could be an interesting alternative for cultivation in areas where a slight salinization of the water or soil imposes a limitation on the rather salt-sensitive crops. Agronomic and biochemical evaluation of salinity stress coupled with monitoring of greenhouse microclimatic conditions will lead to a better understanding of the effects on plant growth and quality characteristics, enhancing the productivity of strawberry cultivars, especially under salt-affected environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward a "Green Revolution" for Crop Breeding)
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12 pages, 299 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Desired-Genetic-Gain Selection Indices in Late Generations as an Insight on Superior-Family Formation in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
by Rasha Ezzat Mahdy, Zaharh M. A. Althagafi, Rasha M. Al-Zahrani, Hanan H. K. Aloufi, Reem A. Alsalmi, Amany H. A. Abeed, Ezzat Elsayed Mahdy and Suzan A. Tammam
Agronomy 2022, 12(8), 1738; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12081738 - 23 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1384
Abstract
Wheat is one of the most important sources of food worldwide. A selection index helps in making selection decisions and permits the exploitation of information on correlated traits to improve yields. Two cycles of pedigree selection based on the desired-genetic-gain selection index were [...] Read more.
Wheat is one of the most important sources of food worldwide. A selection index helps in making selection decisions and permits the exploitation of information on correlated traits to improve yields. Two cycles of pedigree selection based on the desired-genetic-gain selection index were imposed to identify the best index to isolate promising lines. The base population was composed of 120 families of bread wheat in the F6 generation. Eight combinations were constructed from six traits, i.e., days to heading (DH), number of spikes/plant (NS/P), grain yield/plant (GY/P), number of grains/spike (NG/S), mean spike weight (MSW) and mean grain weight (GW). The narrow-sense heritability of NS/P, NG/S, MSW and GW increased from cycle 1 to cycle 2, revealing an increase in the observed gain and homogeneity of the selected families for these traits from cycle to cycle. After the second cycle, the observed gain in GY/P ranged from 9.5 to 23.75% of the mid-parent. The best index for improving GY/P was index 2 (composed of GY/P, NS/P, NG/S, MSW and GW). The indices involving DH were inferior for improving GY/P. The desired-genetic-gain index was efficient in simultaneously improving several involved traits and was a good method to preserve genetic variability. Furthermore, six superior promising families were identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward a "Green Revolution" for Crop Breeding)
22 pages, 3472 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Genotypic and Environmental Effects on Biomass Yield, Nutritional and Antinutritional Factors in Common Vetch
by Zoi Parissi, Maria Irakli, Evangelia Tigka, Panayiota Papastylianou, Christos Dordas, Eleni Tani, Eleni M. Abraham, Agisilaos Theodoropoulos, Anastasia Kargiotidou, Leonidas Kougiteas, Angeliki Kousta, Avraam Koskosidis, Stavroula Kostoula, Dimitrios Beslemes and Dimitrios N. Vlachostergios
Agronomy 2022, 12(7), 1678; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12071678 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2155
Abstract
Vicia sativa L. (common vetch) is an annual legume species of high economic and ecological importance which is characterized by high nutritive value for animal feeding and its ability to adapt to various edaphic–climatic conditions. However, limited information is available about genotypic and [...] Read more.
Vicia sativa L. (common vetch) is an annual legume species of high economic and ecological importance which is characterized by high nutritive value for animal feeding and its ability to adapt to various edaphic–climatic conditions. However, limited information is available about genotypic and environmental effects on agronomic, nutritional, and antinutritional traits of common vetch genotypes. Thus, in the present study, four advanced breeding lines and three commercial cultivars were evaluated for yield biomass, color assessment, fiber, crude protein (CP), and polyphenols in three locations (Spata, Larissa, and Thessaloniki) for two consecutive growing seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020). The effects of genotype, environment and their interaction (GXE) were significant for all the studied traits. The main source of variation for yield, color, CP, and polyphenols was the environment as it explained 71.5–89.7% of the total variation, whereas for the fibers content it was the GXE interaction. On the other hand, genotype had a much smaller effect on all the traits studied (2.9–16.6%). According to GGE biplot analysis, the ‘Alexandros’ cultivar was the most high-yielding and stable, whereas ‘Leonidas’ was the best performing in terms of nutritional and antinutritional traits. However, one advanced line combined high and stable yield biomass with high nutritive value, indicating the possibility for simultaneous improvement of both features. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward a "Green Revolution" for Crop Breeding)
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Review

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15 pages, 994 KiB  
Review
Seed Priming Applied to Onion-Like Crops: State of the Art and Open Questions
by Andrea Pagano, Anca Macovei, Xianzong Xia, Gregorio Padula, Roman Hołubowicz and Alma Balestrazzi
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 288; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy13020288 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2535
Abstract
Cultivation of onion and onion-like crops has become a challenge in the context of climate change and innovative solutions are needed to support breeders as well as farmers, starting from the crucial issues of seed quality. Seed priming is routinely used to enhance [...] Read more.
Cultivation of onion and onion-like crops has become a challenge in the context of climate change and innovative solutions are needed to support breeders as well as farmers, starting from the crucial issues of seed quality. Seed priming is routinely used to enhance germination performance and seedling resilience. Although common for radish, tomato, carrot or head cabbage seeds, the technique has been less popular for onion-like crops. This review provides a state-of-the-art picture of the scientific and technological advances that have so far contributed to enhance seed germination and vigour in onion-like crops. A brief description of the different types of priming approaches is provided whereas attention is focused on the following: (i) the impact of seed priming in terms of improved germination, seedling development and resilience to environmental stresses; (ii) the concept of seed quality hallmarks translated from model plants to the genus Allium; (iii) the drawbacks that currently impair the fully exploitation of seed priming in this specific sector of the agrifood chain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward a "Green Revolution" for Crop Breeding)
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12 pages, 765 KiB  
Review
Releasing the Full Potential of Cannabis through Biotechnology
by Li Li, Shuhao Yu, Jiquan Chen, Chaohua Cheng, Jian Sun, Ying Xu, Canhui Deng, Zhigang Dai, Zemao Yang, Xiaojun Chen, Qing Tang, Jianguang Su and Xiaoyu Zhang
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2439; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy12102439 - 08 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 7500
Abstract
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is a dioecious plant cultivated worldwide for thousands of years. Besides the narcotic and therapeutic effects, Cannabis can be used as raw materials in multiple fields, including bioenergy, textiles, food, and ecological restoration. It is also an efficient [...] Read more.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is a dioecious plant cultivated worldwide for thousands of years. Besides the narcotic and therapeutic effects, Cannabis can be used as raw materials in multiple fields, including bioenergy, textiles, food, and ecological restoration. It is also an efficient bioremediation agent for contaminated soil, as well as greenhouse gas absorption. With the expansion of the market, there has been an increased demand to develop Cannabis cultivars with enhanced traits. As a major science breakthrough, the advent of the CRISPR/Cas system will revolutionize the basic and applied research in Cannabis. This article provides an overview of the recent advances in the optimization of a transformation system and in the gene editing of Cannabis. To achieve the full potential of this environmentally friendly and sustainable crop, we highlight future directions of genetic modification as well as several bottlenecks to overcome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toward a "Green Revolution" for Crop Breeding)
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