Abstract:To explore the genetic diversity of apricot leaf morphology and facilitate the collection of apricot germplasm resources and variety identification， this study investigated 28 leaf phenotypic traits across 142 germplasm resources. Leaf morphological characteristics were rapidly evaluated using picture recognition technology. The results of phenotypic trait diversity analysis showed the coefficients of variation （CV） of the 13 qualitative and 8 quantitative traits were higher than 10%， indicating rich genetic diversity on leaf morphology in the collection. Correlation analysis revealed highly significant positive correlations among leaf area， leaf perimeter， leaf length， and leaf width； highly significant negative correlations between leaf base shape， leaf base angle， and leaf length/width； and significant negative correlations between leaf roundness and leaf tip length. Principal component analysis indicated that the first principal component， consisting of leaf area， leaf circumference， leaf length， leaf width， and petiole length， mainly reflected traits related to leaf blade size. The second principal component reflected traits related to leaf blade color， while the third and fourth principal components reflected traits related to leaf blade shape and blade sawtooth height， respectively. Cluster analysis broadly classified these samples into eight taxa， including large-leafed-cuneate， small-leafed-light green， large-leafed-dark green， small-leafed-dark green， small-leafed-rounded， large-leafed-cordate， large-leafed-truncate， and mixed taxa， and the Ⅷ taxon was divided into six subgroups. Collectively， this study suggested three qualitative traits， leaf tip length， leaf margin sawtooth depth， and widest position of the leaf， to identify different apricot varieties， thus providing a reference for future evaluations of leaf morphology and variety recognition of apricot germplasm resources in China.

Abstract:In our laboratory， we created a chromosome fragment substitution line CSSL91， with high salinity-tolerance， using Dongxiang common wild rice and Nipponbare as parents. In this study， it was compared with Nipponbare and Pokkali， a strong salt-tolerant germplasm， and the results showed that the salt tolerance of CSSL91 was comparable to that of Pokkali. Using the F2：3 population constructed by CSSL91 and Nipponbare， the phenotypes were normally distributed with salt tolerance grade and seedling survival rate as indicators. QTL linkage location analysis showed that a total of five salinity tolerance-related QTLs were detected， which were distributed on chromosomes 4， 9， and 10， with the LOD values ranging from 2.95 to 3.97， and the phenotypic contribution rates ranging from 9.83% to 18.48%. Among that QTL-qST4 is the highest phenotypic contribution in the salt tolerance grade， which was located between DX-C4-1 and DX-S4-16 markers on chromosome 4. Simultaneously， the bulked segregation analysis （BSA） detected a QTL exceeding the threshold value in the interval of 0-5.0 Mb on chromosome 4， which was overlapped with QTL-qST4， indicating that QTL-qST4 was a reliable salinity tolerance locus； QTL-qST4-1 and QTL-qSSR4 based on salt tolerance grade and seedling survival， respectively， were both located between markers DX-C4-12 and DX-C4-13 on chromosome 4， with LOD values of 3.36 and 3.92， and phenotypic contributions of 13.97% and 9.49%， respectively. Two QTLs based on salt tolerance grades， QTL-qST9 and QTL-qST10， were located on chromosomes 9 and 10， respectively. QTL-qST4-1， QTL-qSSR4 and QTL-qST10 are the new QTLs with salinity tolerance in this study. The results of the present study will lay a foundation for the cloning of salinity tolerance-related genes and molecular markers to assist in the improvement of rice varieties in terms of salt tolerance.

Abstract:In order to establish the methods for DUS test in hosta (Hosta Tratt.), we investigated the phenotypic diversity at 19 quantitative traits in 76 varieties. The quantification period and tissue position for some phenotypic characters were analyzed. As a result, the width of petiole could be measured in its natural state, and the length of peduncle could be quantified from the base to the attach of first flower. The bracts of first flower were suitable as observation object for all characters of bract, and the 1st-3nd opening flower was optimal for quantitative traits about flower. All the candidate characters fulfilled the requirements of DUS testing and could be classified into 3 to 9 continuous grades. The characters in whole plants and the leaves could be measured at blossom, and the characters of inflorescence should be observed after the last flower opened.

Abstract:In every mid-December of 2009 to 2016, the annual growth of diameter circumference of 1740 ramets in 364 samples of Wickham germplasm resources from four countries preserved in 2008 by the Germplasm Repository of Rubber Tree (Hevea Spp.) Jing Hong City, Ministry of Agriculture, was made a tracing observation. Besides, the height under branch, trunk straightness, stem branching, lateral branch wheel, lateral branch thickness, lateral branch angle and lateral branch stretch were also observed by the end of December 2016. The diameter circumference annual growth rule and variation were analyzed based on investigating data from the samples of 364 Wickham germplasm resources, and the genetic diversity of eight indexes was calculated and multi-index comprehensive clustering was analyzed from the prospective of genetypes and countries respectively. The research was to provide a theoretical basis for revealing their genetic diversity and reasonable protection and utilization. According to the diameter circumference, 364 Wickham germplasm resources samples could be divided into 3 groups, they are slow-growing type (diameter circumference<50 cm), middle-growing type (in the range of 50 cm and 60 cm ) and fast-growing type (>60 cm ), respectively, among which the total growth averaged in 52.88 cm at the age of 8 with an amplitude of variation in 41.50 to 64.00 cm. The average total growth in slow-growing type was 47.49 cm and the amplitude of variation was 40.50 to 49.75 cm, it was 54.02 cm at variation amplitude of 50.00 to 59.75 cm for middle-growing type and 61.07 cm at variation amplitude of 60.00 to 64.00 cm for fast-growing type. The difference of average value was 13.58 cm between the fast-growing type and slow-growing type. From the degree of variation, the amplitude of annual variation coefficients were 10.87 %-25.81 %, 10.20%-26.89%, 9.32 %-25.62 % and 8.64 %-20.78 % for total, slow-growing, middle-growing and fast-growing, respectively. With the forest getting old, the annual increment and annual average growth of three groups all showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing, and both intersected only once at the time of 3a-4a during the eight years, the fast-growing type intersected more lately. Correlation analysis of diameter circumference annual growth showed that there was an extremely significant positive correlation between slow and middle group (excepted the 1a and 8a from middle group). That of fast-growing group also reached an extremely significant positive correlation at the age of 3. Eight indexes of genetic diversity were orderly from large to small: height under branch（1.835）>diameter circumference growth（1.713）> lateral branch wheel（1.222）> lateral branch thickness（1.192）>lateral branch angle（1.079）> trunk straightness（1.032）> stem branching（0.991）> lateral branch stretch（0.579. Most genetic diversity indexes were comparatively smaller. Clustering results showed that germplasm from the same country were mostly gathered in a group or several groups. Indonesia and Malaysia had the closest relations in four countries, the second was Indonesia and China, and Sri Lanka was farther. In conclusion, the variation of eight indexes from Wickham germplasm resources which preserved in China was not significant, and the abundance of genetic diversity was low. In the very early selection, it was recommended that eliminating choice at smaller forest age (such as the age of 2), and fast-growing resource option at larger forest age (such as the age of 4). Seven samples from fast-growing type germplasm resources can be used for cultivating the latex/timber clone or hybridizing as parent materials.

Abstract:With increasing environmental pollution and paying more attention to healthy body, functional foods become more and more popular in the world. As a member of rice family, pigmented rice is rich in trace elements, anthocyanins, alkaloids and other functional ingredients and has become one of the hotspots of functional food research and development. In this study, 214 lines from japonica rice cross combination Longjin 1/Xiangruanmi 1578 were employed, and the variation and correlation among total anthocyanin content, grain color grade and thousand grain weight of brown rice were analyzed. Grain color grade of brown rice ranged from 1 to 9, mean was 4.98 and the coefficient of variation was 57.87%. Total anthocyanin content of brown rice ranged from 0 to 5459.34 mg/kg, mean was 834.47 mg/kg and the coefficient of variation was 191.96%. Thousand grain weight of brown rice ranged from 11.96 to 26.24 g, mean was 17.75 g and the coefficient of variation was 12.89%. The total anthocyanin content, grain color grade and thousand grain weight of brown rice did not follow a normal distribution, but right skewed distribution, and among which total anthocyanin content of brown rice showed the largest skew degree. The kurtosis coefficients of total anthocyanin content and thousand grain weight of brown rice were positive, indicating a sharp peak. However, the kurtosis coefficient of grain color grade of brown rice was negative, indicating a flat peak. The total anthocyanin content of brown rice was extremely significant positive correlated with grain color grade of brown rice, and the correlation coefficient was 0.69. The total anthocyanin content and grain color grade of brown rice were extremely significant negative correlated with thousand grain weight of brown rice, and correlation coefficients were -0.20 and -0.34, respectively. Compared with high parent Longjin 1, the total anthocyanin content of brown rice of 27 lines increased extremely significant, accounting for 12.62% of 214 F5 lines. This study will lay the foundation for germplasm innovation of high anthocyanin rice.

Abstract:The 12 quantitative traits were selected and classified with 70 amaryllis varieties. And the measurement site of five quantitative traits were studied also. The results showed that all quantitative traits are suitable for DUS testing, while characteristic 2 has a weak distinguishing ability. 12 quantitative traits can be classified into 3-9 continuous grades respectively. The peduncles become narrow from base to apex with a different degree in different variety. The measurement of “Peduncle: maximum width at middle third” should be made at the middle of peduncle to reduce the error. The quantitative traits of different peduncles have little difference, except for length of peduncle and pedicel. The differences between quantitative traits of different flowers on the same peduncle were little. There is no significant difference between the lengths of outer petal, so do the width of them. Bulb size had a remarkable effect on quantitative traits.

Abstract:The 11 quantitative traits were classified and diversity of 54 morphological characteristics were analyzed with 22 gerbera varieties. The results showed that 11 quantitative traits can be classified to five or seven continuous grades, 3-7 or 2-8 incomplete scale was set up. There were 162 alleles for 54 morphological characteristics variations in 22 gerbera varieties, the average was 3.0. The average effective alleles was 2.0209 (1.0000 ~- 3.9672). The Shannons diversity index averaged from all morphological characteristics was 0.7578 with a range of 0.0000 ~ -1.4650. Similarity coefficient of 22 varieties was from 0.67 to 0.86. The 22 gerbera varieties can be divided into three groups according the threshold with similarity of 0.70. Varieties of single flower or bicolored varieties with 2 colors on the outer side of outer ray floret can effectively distinguish from other varieties.

Abstract:Forty accessions of local pepper cultivars in Hunan and 12 combinations of hybrids were analyzed with grey relation grade method. The results indicated that the contents of dry matter, Vc and capsaicin in fruit, resistances to TMV, CMV and anthracnose were more related with the first flower node, plant height, plant spread and branches per plant, etc., but comparatively less related with fruit length, fruit width, weight per fruit, fruit setting number and yield per plant. According to their grey relation grades, some important breeding materials such as Fudijian, Hexinliujiaojiao and Xiangtanwanlajiao were selected from these resources, and excellent hybrid pepper varieties Xiangyan 1, Xiangyan 3, Xiangyan 5, Xiangyan 9 and Xiangyan 10 have been successfully bred from the cross combinations, and all of them have played an important role in pepper breeding and production in the country. It implied that grey relation grade analysis can be used to guide the pepper breeding.