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The center of origin of garlic ( Allium sativum L.) and its closest wild relative, Allium longicuspis, is considered Central Asia. Religious writings, historical records and ancient medical texts, especially from the Mediterranean and Asia, have repeatedly referenced and/or prescribed the use of garlic in health and disease. More recent studies have demonstrated that allicin and other garlic organosulfur compounds exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial and antimycotic effects. Garlic has been classified based on growth traits, morphology, presence/absence of flowering stalk, isozymes profiles, molecular markers and ecophysiological characteristics. In a recent intrageneric classification of Allium based on nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, garlic is typus species of genus, subgenus and section Allium , which includes 15 sections and around 300 species. Garlic is considered sterile and is mostly propagated asexually, but fertile wild garlic has been discovered and collected in its center of origin, in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Genetic and environmental factors affecting fertility and true seed production have been identified and studied, and Bt-resistant transgenic lines have been developed. Herein, we reviewed and critically discussed garlic historic and current use, its taxonomic and informal classifications, molecular mechanisms of garlic sterility, and progresses made toward unlocking sexual reproduction and its potential impact for garlic breeding and production.

Salinity in soil or water is a serious threat to global agriculture; the expected acreage affected by salinity is about 20% of the global irrigated lands. Improving salt tolerance of plants through breeding is a complex undertaking due to the number of traits involved. Grafting, a surgical mean of joining a scion and rootstock of two different genotypes with the desired traits, offers an alternative to breeding and biotechnological approaches to salt tolerance. Grafting can also be used to circumvent other biotic and abiotic stresses. Increasing salinity tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopresicum L.), a highly nutritious and economical vegetable, will have greater impact on the vegetable industry, especially in (semi) arid regions where salinity in soil and water are more prevalent. Besides, plants also experience salt stress when water in hydroponic system is recycled for tomato production. Grafting high yielding but salt-susceptible tomato cultivars onto salt-resistant/tolerant rootstocks is a sustainable strategy to overcome saline stress. Selection of salt-tolerant rootstocks though screening of available commercial and wild relatives of tomato under salt stress conditions is a pre-requisite for grafting. The positive response of grafting exerted by tolerant rootstocks or scion-rootstock interactions on yield and fruit characteristics of tomato under saline conditions is attributed to several physiological and biochemical changes. In this review, the importance of tomato grafting, strategies to select appropriate rootstocks, scion-rootstock interaction for growth, yield and quality characteristics, as well as the tolerance mechanisms that (grafted) plants deploy to circumvent or minimize the effects of salt stress in root zones are discussed. The future challenges of grafting tomato are also highlighted.

Glutathione (GSH) is an abundant tripeptide that can enhance plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Its main role is to counter free radicals and detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in cells under unfavorable conditions. Moreover, along with other second messengers (such as ROS, calcium, nitric oxide, cyclic nucleotides, etc.), GSH also acts as a cellular signal involved in stress signal pathways in plants, directly or along with the glutaredoxin and thioredoxin systems. While associated biochemical activities and roles in cellular stress response have been widely presented, the relationship between phytohormones and GSH has received comparatively less attention. This review, after presenting glutathione as part of plants’ feedback to main abiotic stress factors, focuses on the interaction between GSH and phytohormones, and their roles in the modulation of the acclimatation and tolerance to abiotic stress in crops plants.

To address the complex challenges faced by our planet such as rapidly changing climate patterns, food and nutritional insecurities, and the escalating world population, the development of hybrid vegetable crops is imperative. Vegetable hybrids could effectively mitigate the above-mentioned fundamental challenges in numerous countries. Utilizing genetic mechanisms to create hybrids not only reduces costs but also holds significant practical implications, particularly in streamlining hybrid seed production. These mechanisms encompass self-incompatibility (SI), male sterility, and gynoecism. The present comprehensive review is primarily focused on the elucidation of fundamental processes associated with floral characteristics, the genetic regulation of floral traits, pollen biology, and development. Specific attention is given to the mechanisms for masculinizing and feminizing cucurbits to facilitate hybrid seed production as well as the hybridization approaches used in the biofortification of vegetable crops. Furthermore, this review provides valuable insights into recent biotechnological advancements and their future utilization for developing the genetic systems of major vegetable crops.

Evaluating genetically superior genotypes is essential for developing new hybrid varieties. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity of 28 edible-podded pea genotypes by analyzing phenological traits, vigor, yield, and biochemical traits across two distinct agro-climatic zones in India. Significant variation was observed for most traits, with high genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation, heritability, and genetic advance, especially in vigor, yield, and biochemical traits. Phenological traits, except for the node at which the first flower appeared, exhibited minimal variability, indicating a high degree of uniformity. Yield per plant was negatively correlated with plant height but positively correlated with pod length, the number of seeds per pod, the number of pods per plant, and pod weight, indicating the potential for the simultaneous selection of these traits in breeding programs. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified six components explaining over 75% of the total variation, with yield and biochemical traits contributing the most to the observed diversity. These findings provide crucial insights for breeders aiming to improve quantitative traits, supporting the development of high-yielding and climate-resilient edible-podded pea varieties in India.

This study assessed eleven elements in 24 edible-podded peas, including sugar snap pea and snow pea genotypes aiming to identify promising parents for nutraceutical breeding. Elemental concentrations of pods (dry weight basis) were estimated through inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The ranges for these elements varied significantly, highlighting the diverse elemental profiles within the edible-podded pea genotypes. All the elements exhibited a high genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation along with considerable heritability and hereditary progress. Positive and significant correlations were recorded among all elements, suggesting the potential for simultaneous selection for these traits. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first two components accounted for 80.56% of the variation. Further, cluster analysis, based on Euclidean distance, grouped the 24 cultivars into two major clusters. Cluster I exhibited higher means for all estimated concentrations compared to Cluster II. Notably, Dwarf Grey Sugar and Arka Sampoorna from the snap pea group and PED-21-5 and Sugar Snappy from the sugar snap pea in Cluster II demonstrated superior elemental concentration in whole pods. The selected edible-podded pea genotypes serve as valuable genetic resources for new cultivar development, particularly in biofortification efforts targeting whole pod nutrient composition.

Recasting Caste confronts the mainstream sociology of caste at its root: Louis Dumont's Homo Hierarchicus and its main source, Max Weber's distinction between class and status. Conventional wisdom on caste is idealist, and most students of the subject therefore exaggerate ritual homogeneity and deflect attention from intracaste differentiation and inequality. In contrast, by focusing on intracaste differences, Professor Singh demonstrates that caste hierarchy is grounded in a monopoly of land rights and political power supported by religious and secular ideology. Drawing on the sociological, anthropological and historical literature, as well as primary sources, Recasting Caste refutes the widespread claim that, in India, caste consciousness always trumps class consciousness. It questions the twin myths that caste is a product of Hinduism and that caste is essential to the survival of Hinduism. It thereby reorients the entire field of study.

The genus Allium is one of the largest monocotyledon genera having 1000 designated species with commercial and economic significance. Allium cepa L. (onion) and Allium sativum L. (garlic) are the most imperative edible species of this genus which are cultivated and consumed globally. Despite that, not much systematic and focused research has been carried out in these crops due to constraints like biennial nature, high crossability, cross or sexual incompatibilities/limited sexual reproduction, obligate apomict, large genome size, high heterozygosity, etc. To create genetic variability, induced mutagenesis is the optimum and best alternative for Alliums especially for the development of genetically improved and wider adaptive cultivars under changing climatic scenario. Development of new cultivars having tolerance against various biotic and abiotic stresses needs continuous efforts and attention of the breeder. For that, sufficient and wide genetic variation in the germplasm is the driving force for the breeders to select best genotypes. Development of mutants can be an alternative breeding strategy since mutations cause heritable genetic variations, which provide the eventual foundation for the evolution of new cultivars, forms or species. Such variations could be created artificially through various chemicals or physical agents, known as mutagens. Mutation breeding is an efficient and conventional method of crop improvement. With the aid of modern omics and molecular markers, allium breeding could be accelerated to develop desired products under rapidly climate scenario. This is the first comprehensive and detailed review on induced mutagenesis and mutation breeding in alliums.