Explore the vast range of titles available.

Sesame ( Sesamum indicum L.), an important oilseed crop, requires genetic improvement to ensure food security. Exploitation of a small fraction of genetic diversity is a major limiting factor for this crop. ICAR-NBPGR holds a large sesame base collection (6,000 unique accessions), originating from India and other countries. The study aims at the characterization of a sesame germplasm collection and development of working core set representing the variability of entire germplasm collection in the National Genebank. Characterization was carried out in an Augmented Block Design (ABD) under multi-environmental conditions (six locations representing five agro-ecological zones of India) for two consecutive years based on 33 agro-morphological traits, different levels of biotic stress (phyllody, dry root rot), abiotic stress (water logging, drought), and seed quality parameters (oil, protein, lignan, fatty acids). For core set preparation, the coincidence rate (CR%) for range and the variable rate (VR%) for coefficient of variation were maximum. Levene’s test and Newman-Keuls tests were performed to compare the entire and core collection. Diversity between the two (entire and core collection) was compared using Shannon–Weaver diversity index. We developed a sesame core set of 773 accessions, which consists of 12.88% of the entire collection. Developed core set exhibited a Coincidence rate (CR)% of 99.8% and a variable rate (VR%) of CV 103.59%. A multipurpose core set of sesame germplasm was assembled to benefit the plant breeding community (for trait introgression), farmers, and researchers to develop climate-resilient sesame cultivars.

Objectives A composite core collection (CCC) in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) will help utilize genetic resources efficiently. This study reports, using genomics tools, a representative minimal set (CCC) that capture maximal genetic diversity from a set of 5,856 sesame accessions being conserved at the National Genebank (NGB) of the ICAR-NBPGR. The CCC will serve as a valuable resource for researchers and breeders to facilitate sesame improvement for traits such as yield, disease resistance, stress resilience, and nutritional content. Ultimately, this work contributes to the broader goal of improving sesame for an ever-increasing demand for vegetable oil, to meet our food security challenges. Data description This study presents ddRAD-seq data for a total of 5,856 sesame accessions that includes 2,496 accessions (a subset of 5,856 accessions) that was reported by us recently. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) short-reads over 2.16 Terabases of sequence data were generated, with each sample averaging 1.2 million reads. The study identifies a set of 1,768 sesame accessions as the CCC that captures maximal diversity, genotypic and phenotypic. This will aid researchers in trait discovery, association studies, pre-breeding, and parental selection for complex traits viz., yield, disease resistance, stress resilience, and other economically important traits.

Coastal strands ecosystem is a narrow strip of land adjacent to seashore and is often prone to natural or man-made disturbances. Conserving the endangered and endemic plant species having coastal strands as their niche habitat is challenging and requires special conservation drives. One such endemic species along the coastal strands of Indian sub-continent (Eastern coasts of Southern India and Sri Lanka) is the potentially saline tolerant crop wild relative (CWR) of sesame, Sesamum prostratum Retz. In our recent collecting expedition for this species, we have reported the dwindling nature of this species’ occurrence and a risk assessment for this species as per the IUCN guidelines underscored to be of critically endangered (CR) category. The IUCN had already declared this endemic species as CR in Sri Lanka during 2012. Using this as a case study for the way forward, we discuss here on the appropriate management measures that can be taken up to efficiently conserve the endemic species of disturbed habitats to prevent them from the risk of extinction through suitable conservation measures. Importance of CWRs in crop improvement through trait introgression and crop diversification through de novo domestication events are demonstrated in rice and tomato using gene editing tools. Potentialities of the trans situ conservation measures, the most appropriate, to avoid further decline in the occurrences of S. prostratum Retz., and its applicability for other threatened (endemic) species of fragmented habitat is also discussed.

The study of the Trichosanthes cucumerina group from India based on field investigations, followed by herbarium and literature-based study, distinguishes four taxa, two of which are new combinations. Trichosanthes lobata Roxb. is synonymized to T. cucumerina L. subsp. cucumerina. Also associated with the autonymic subspecies, the cultivar ‘Anguina' is newly recognized as T. cucumerina subsp. cucumerina ‘Anguina' K. Pradheep, D. R. Pani & K. C. Bhatt [≡ T. anguina L.]. Trichosanthes brevibracteata Kundu var. sublobata Kundu is transferred as T. cucumerina subsp. sublobata (Kundu) K. Pradheep, D. R. Pani & K. C. Bhatt. Trichosanthes villosula Cogn. is transferred at reduced rank as T. cucumerina subsp. villosula (Cogn.) K. Pradheep, D. R. Pani & K. C. Bhatt [≡ T. villosula Cogn.], and T. perrottetiana Cogn. is synonymized to this subspecies.