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The identification of promising commercial varieties for irrigated crops in semiarid conditions based on characters of interest to sugarcane agro-industries is important, considering the search for high sugarcane yields to obtain sustainable crops. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate production components of agroindustrial interest of different sugarcane varieties grown under subsurface drip irrigation in the Semiarid region of Brazil, during two crop cycles. A randomized block experimental design was used, in an 8×2 factorial arrangement (varieties and cycles) with three replications. The sugarcane juice quality, sugar yield, and culm yield were evaluated in each cycle. Gross sugar percentage, sugarcane culm yield, juice apparent sucrose content, and juice purity were affected by the crop cycles. Soluble solids content presented strong significant correlation with most variables of agroindustrial interest. The path coefficient analysis showed that juice apparent sucrose content was the explanatory character with higher direct effect on soluble solids and that this variable presented high indirect effects on most explanatory variables. The sugarcane varieties RB72454 and Q124 are recommended for production managements with drip irrigation under semiarid conditions. Soluble solids content can be used as an alternative for direct selection of varieties with higher sugar yields in different cycles.

Rice is one of the main and pivotal grain crops that feed more than half of the world’s population, due to the increasing population, food shortage has become a real problem. Amid the study them to find out the direct and indirect effects of the studied traits on grain yield by path coefficient analysis. Twenty-two genotypes planted during the summer agricultural season of 2021 at the Rice Research Station in Al-Mishkhab, 20 km south of Najaf province. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used with three replicates. The results of the mean squares of the genotypes were significant for all the studied traits at the 1% probability level. A positive significant correlation showed between the grain yield, the length of the deltoid, the number of branches in the panicles and the number of panicles grains (0.566, 0.513 and 0.503), respectively, while, it was not significant with the weight of 1000 grains (0.051). The genetic path analysis indicated to the direct effect of the length of panicles on the grain yield was high (0.413), while it was moderate with the number of branches in the panicle (0.206), and neglected with the number of grains per plant and the weight of 1000 grain (0.056, -0.040) respectively. Therefore, the traits of the length of panicles can be considered the best criteria for its adoption as a selection index for the yield of grains to give it the strongest positive correlation and the highest direct effect on the grain yield among the studied traits.

Aim: The present study was conducted to estimate the character association among yield and its associated traits and identify tolerant genotypes of Indian mustard under abiotic stress condition. Methodology: 70 genotypes and 5 check varieties of Indian mustard, viz., RH-749, NRCHB-101, RH-406, Giriraj, and Kranti were sown in augmented block design, for two consecutive seasons during Rabi 2020-21 and 2021-22, under three conditions, viz., timely sown, drought and late sown (terminal heat stress) at Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. The morphological and physiological data were observed to determine the traits associated with seed yield under abiotic stress condition. The heat susceptibility index (HSI) and drought susceptibility index (DSI) were calculated based on seed yield to categorize genotypes according to their response under stress condition. Results: Plant height, biological yield, secondary branches, number of silique on main raceme and silique per plant showed significant positive correlation with seed yield per plant under all three conditions, and the highest positive direct effect on seed yield/plant under all three conditions as per path analysis was exhibited by biological yield and harvest index. Genotypes viz., HUJM-07-06, PM-25 and Vaibhav were found to be most heat tolerant whereas Urvashi, RB-50 and BPR-543-2 were found to be most drought tolerant. Interpretation: It can be interpreted that direct selection for such traits may aid in improving seed yield per plant under stress condition and thus, be used in breeding programs to select genotypes suitable under stress environment. Key words: Drought, Indian mustard, Path coefficient analysis, Susceptible indices, Terminal heat stress

Comprehensively understanding water consumption behavior is necessary to design efficient and effective water use strategies. Despite global efforts to identify the factors that affect domestic water consumption, those related to domestic water use in rural regions have not been sufficiently studied, particularly in villages that have gained access to improved water supply. To address this gap, we investigated 247 households in eight villages in the Wei River Basin where three types of improved water supply systems are implemented. Results show that domestic water consumption in liters per capita per day was significantly correlated with water supply pattern and vegetable garden area, and significantly negatively correlated with family size and age of household head. Traditional hygiene habits, use of water appliances, and preference for vegetable gardening remain dominant behaviors in the villages with access to improved water supply. Future studies on rural domestic water consumption should pay more attention to user lifestyles (water appliance usage habits, outdoor water use) and cultural backgrounds (age, education).

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds, used as raw materials in the food and cosmetic industries globally, require high seed-producing varieties, as most developed ones focus on medical purposes. This study identified morphological traits affecting high seed yield in local hemp accessions collected from 63 locations across 11 districts in three northern Thailand provinces. The 37 surviving accessions were evaluated, clustered based on morphological data, and compared with hemp varieties RPF1 and RPF2. Cluster analysis classified these into five clusters, with Cluster 1 having the highest seed weight per plant (840.68 g) and longest inflorescence (11.25 cm). First-year correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship (p [less than or equal to] 0.01) between seed weight per plant and inflorescence length (0.50) and stem diameter (0.46). In the second year, the number of flowers per inflorescence significantly correlated with seed weight per plant (0.55). Path coefficient analysis showed a high direct effect on seed yield from inflorescence length (0.37) and stem diameter (0.32) in the first year and branch length (0.80), height (0.73), and number of flowers per inflorescence (0.72) in the second year. Moreover, 24 hemp lines from the second year with seed yield potential were selected for the hemp breeding program. Morphological traits directly affecting seed yield can be used as selection criteria in the hemp breeding programs.

Phenotypic stability under stress environment facilitate the fitness of genotype and opens new horizons to explore the cryptic genetic variation. Variation in tolerance to drought stress, a major grain yield constraint to global maize production, was identified, at the phenotypic and genotypic level. Here we found a prominent hybrid H that showed fitness over four growing seasons for grain yield under water stress conditions. Genotypic and phenotypic correlation of yield attributing traits over four seasons demonstrated that cobs per plant, 100 seed weight, number of grains rows per cob, total dry matter, cob diameter had positive association ( = 0.3-0.9) to grain yield. The perturbation was found for chlorophyll content as it showed moderate to strong association ( < 0.01) over four seasons, might be due to environment or genotype dependent. Highest heritability (95%) and genetic advance (79%) for grain yield was found in H over four consecutive crop growing seasons. Combined analysis over four seasons showed that studied variables together explained 85% of total variation in dependent structure (grain yield) obtained by Principal component analysis. This significant finding is the best example of phenotypic stability of grain yield in H and made it best fitted for grain yield under drought stress scenario. Detailed genetic analysis of H will help us to identify significant loci and alleles that made H the best fitted and it could serve as a potential source to generate novel transgressive levels of tolerance for drought stress in arid/semiarid regions.

Wheat is a vital crop, providing calories, nutrients and versatility in the food industry. However, the combination of heat and drought stress, exacerbated by climate change, poses a significant threat to wheat production, leading to potential yield losses. To ensure the sustainability of wheat production it is crucial to prioritize research on developing stress-tolerant wheat genotypes. The current study focused on identifying the traits that are important for developing stress-tolerant wheat varieties under timely sown irrigated, drought stress, heat stress, and combined stress conditions. It addresses the knowledge gap regarding the combined effects of heat and drought stress on wheat physiology and yield, aiming to shed light on the intricate interactions between these stresses. The experiment was conducted at CCS HAU, Hisar, during the Rabi seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. By evaluating variability parameters, conducting correlation analysis, and path coefficient analysis among 80 diverse wheat genotypes, this research identifies genetic factors contributing to stress tolerance and helps select plants with desirable characteristics. The results showed that traits i.e., malendialdehyde, wax covering on blade, wax covering on sheath and wax covering on spike had high potential for improvement through selection among genotypes for grain yield and its component traits. The study also highlighted the importance of selecting wheat varieties with early maturity to mitigate the risk of yield loss under combined stress conditions. Moreover, the interaction between drought and heat stress can increase oxidative stress, leading to elevated malondialdehyde levels. Selecting varieties with lower malondialdehyde and optimal canopy temperature is important. Understanding the complex response of wheat to heat, drought, and their combined stress is essential for improving crop quality and production potential. Overall, this research contributes to the field of plant breeding by facilitating the development of wheat varieties with high and stable yields in challenging environments.

Saline conditions affect plant development and significantly reduce its yield. Maize (Zea mays) is the one of main cash crops in Pakistan, and unfavourable saline conditions are among the core reasons for its reduced productivity, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The identification of potential genotypes is essential for genetic modifications. By considering this situation, the current experiment was conducted to evaluate the inbred maize lines under different salinity levels. We evaluated ten maize inbred maize lines at seedling stage under three salinity levels (0 mM, 75 mM, and 125 mM NaCl). The highly significant (p ≤ 0.001) differences in inbred lines, salinity levels, and in their interaction were revealed by analysis of variance results for most of the traits. The results indicated that inbred lines D-135 and NCIL-20-4 performed better under saline conditions. Our results showed that salinity severely affects seedling growth. Accordingly, a significant decline was observed in root length, shoot length, root weight, and shoot weight, and these traits offered the maximum values for heritability and genetic advance. From the correlation and path coefficient analysis, it has been concluded that root length, shoot length, fresh root weight, and root density are the traits that can be beneficial for the identification of better germplasms under saline conditions and that are helpful for improving tolerance against saline conditions.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the main staple cereal food crop cultivated in southern Africa. Interactions between grain yield and biochemical traits can be useful to plant breeders in making informed decisions on the traits to be considered in breeding programs for high grain yield and enhanced quality. The objectives of this study were to estimate the heritability of grain yield and its related traits, as well as quality traits, and determine the association between quality protein maize (QPM) with non-QPM crosses. Grain yield, and agronomic and quality trait data were obtained from 13 field trials in two countries, for two consecutive seasons. Significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations were recorded for grain yield with protein content (rG = 0.38; rP = 0.25), and tryptophan with oil content (rG = 0.58; rP = 0.25), and negative rG and rP correlations were found for protein with tryptophan content and grain yield with tryptophan content. Path analysis identified ear aspect, ears per plant, and starch as the major traits contributing to grain yield. It is recommended that ear aspect should be considered a key secondary trait in breeding for QPM hybrids. The negative association between grain yield and tryptophan, and between protein and tryptophan, will make it difficult to develop hybrids with high grain yield and high tryptophan content. Hence, it is recommended that gene pyramiding should be considered for these traits.

Waterlogging is severe abiotic stress during mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek var. radiata) production. Waterlogging impacts yield loss for the legume crop by around 40%-70%, depending on the severity and duration of the waterlogging. In total, 107 collected mung bean varieties were evaluated under managed waterlogging. The F2 population from crossing between waterlogging-tolerant and -susceptible mung bean varieties were screened under waterlogging conditions. Morphological responses to the waterlogging were recorded. Correlation and path coefficient analyses were used to identify essential traits for waterlogging tolerance and seed yield potential under water stress. Mung bean varieties in clusters 5 and 6 were high waterlogging tolerance with survival rates of 66.66% and 61.11%, respectively. Of 199 F2 lines from crossings between the Kamphaeng Sean2 and W162, 20 lines presented high waterlogging tolerance. The injury score was negatively correlated with the number of leaves at the final date of waterlogging (-0.845) and 1 wk after terminating the waterlogging (-0.885). At the final date of waterlogging condition, the number of leaves and leaf greenness stability index directly affected leaf injury at -0.5928 and -0.4385. One week after waterlogging termination, only the number of leaves affected the leaf injury at -0.8599. The number of leaves directly affected seed yield components at 0.6534 and higher than the direct effect of the other traits. Thus, the number of leaves was a suitable morphological parameter along with the injury score for selecting waterlogging tolerance. The number of leaves was a suitable parameter for selecting high seed yield potential under waterlogging conditions.