Czech Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding - Latest articles

List of Reviewers 2025

Editorial Department

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2026, 62(1)  

Early activation of CIPK3 in the cold-tolerant potato Solanum commersonii

Roberta Smimmo, Grazia Buonfantino, Clizia Villano, Domenico Carputo, Vincenzo D'Amelia, Riccardo Aversano

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2026, 62(1):49-52 | DOI: 10.17221/51/2025-CJGPB  

Solanum commersonii shows tolerance to low temperatures, a key target trait for potato breeding. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CIPKs) play a significant role in plant defence response to several stresses, including cold. In this study, we observed the expression of ScCIPK1, ScCIPK3, ScCIPK23 and ScCIPK24 in S. commersonii exposed to 4 °C at multiple time intervals. Initial findings revealed that these genes were under-expressed after 10 and 30 minutes of cold stress, except ScCIPK3. Notably, after 24 hours, all genes displayed higher expression levels compared to the non-stressed controls. These...

Genetic diversity analysis of Solanum accessions from Czech collections of potato genetic resources using nuclear SSR markers

Zuzana Rottová, Tereza Anna Javůrková, Petr Sedlák, Jiří Ptáček, Eloy Fernández-Cusimamani, Vladimíra Sedláková

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2026, 62(1):36-48 | DOI: 10.17221/97/2025-CJGPB  

The genus Solanum comprises numerous wild and cultivated species that are important for potato breeding. This pilot-scale study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity in 44 accessions from Solanum sect. Petota, comprising wild species, Andean landraces, and modern cultivars, obtained from the Potato Research Institute Havlíčkův Brod, Ltd. and the Department of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. Nuclear microsatellite markers (SSR, 29 loci) were applied via five multiplex PCR reactions and analysed using capillary electrophoresis. Binary data matrices were...

The identification of wheat leaf rust resistance genes and their utilisation value in 42 wheat cultivars

Xue Li, Zhanhai Kang, Jiaqi Zhang, Sufen Dong, Man Li, Xing Li

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2026, 62(1):25-35 | DOI: 10.17221/78/2025-CJGPB  

Leaf rust is an important wheat disease that considerably reduces the wheat production in most wheat growing regions worldwide. This study aimed to identify leaf rust resistance genes in 42 wheat varieties to find genetic sources with the broadest spectrum of resistance against leaf rust pathotypes, to enable effective breeding for disease resistance. In this study, 42 wheat cultivars were inoculated with 18 pathotypes of Puccinia triticina Eriks. at the seedling stage to postulate the Lr genes in the cultivars. Resistance to leaf rust at the adult stage was then tested in field trials under natural infection during the 2019 to 2020...

Microsatellite markers as a useful tool for species identification and assessment of genetic diversity of the Tilia species in the Czech Republic

Pavlína Máchová, Helena Cvrčková, Olga Trčková, Kateřina Vítová, Johana Pechačová, Václav Buriánek, Petr Maděra, Kateřina Houšková, Tomáš Vyhnánek, Pavel Hanáček

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2026, 62(1):14-24 | DOI: 10.17221/102/2025-CJGPB  

Diagnostic morphological traits distinguishing Tilia cordata and T. platyphyllos are not always apparent. Precise species identification is crucial for conservation management and for establishing genetic resources of forest reproductive material. In this study, we employed fifteen microsatellite (SSR) markers to identify diagnostic loci for reliable species discrimination between T. cordata and T. platyphyllos species and to evaluate the genetic diversity. A total of 250 trees were sampled from eight natural autochthonous populations of T. cordata and T. platyphyllos in the Czech Republic, and additional...

Evaluation of gamma-irradiated Pisum sativum germplasm for agronomic traits and tolerance to Didymella pinodes

Efi Sarri, Anastasios Katsileros, Sofia Migardou, Panagiotis Viliotis, Ioannis Sidiropoulos, Dimitris Sifnaios, Pavlos Diamantis, Nikolaos Sklavounos, Eleni M. Abraham, Penelope J. Bebeli, Nasya Tomlekova, Dimosthenis Kizis, Eleni Tani

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2026, 62(1):1-13 | DOI: 10.17221/84/2025-CJGPB  

Ascochyta blight, caused by a complex of pathogenic fungi including Didymella pinodes, Ascochyta pisi, and Phoma pinodella, is a major disease of field pea (Pisum sativum), causing severe losses through lesions on leaves, stems, and pods. Mutation breeding using gamma irradiation is a non-GMO strategy to induce genetic variation and accelerate the development of improved genotypes. In this study, the M₂ generation of the forage pea cultivar Dodoni (Pisum sativum L. var. arvense), derived from M₀ seeds irradiated with 100 Gy, was evaluated for tolerance to D. pinodes (CBS 251.47)...

INDEX OF VOLUME 61

Editorial Department

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(4):I-IV  

Insights into panicle trait variation and DUF-640 gene conservation in Indonesian foxtail millets (Setaria italica)

Marisa Vidya Luthfiani, M. Reza Pahlevi, Bambang Sapta Purwoko, Sintho Wahyuning Ardie

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(4):235-246 | DOI: 10.17221/86/2025-CJGPB  

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is a resilient yet underutilised C₄ cereal valued for its adaptability to abiotic stress and high nutritional content. While panicle traits have been linked to yield in many cereals, the spatial arrangement of foxtail millet panicles remained unexplored, especially among locally adapted genotypes. This study aimed to characterise spatial panicle architecture traits and to analyse the DUF-640, a gene controlling primary branch number, among Indonesian foxtail millet genotypes. Results revealed substantial variation in panicle architecture, including primary branch number, grain number, and grain...

Evaluation of genetic characteristics and physicochemical property of Korean wheat landraces (Triticum aestivum L.)

Yumi Lee, Sejin Oh, Seong-Wook Kang, Jaeyoung Ock, Gitak Ryu, Seul Lee, Jinhee Park, Jin-Young Moon, Jin-Young Kim, Jongtae Lee, Seong-Woo Cho

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(4):210-221 | DOI: 10.17221/48/2025-CJGPB  

This study has evaluated the genetic characteristics and wheat processing-related properties of four Korean wheat landraces (KWLs). The KWLs were found to possess the vernalization alleles vrn-A1, vrn-B1, and Vrn-D1 and the photoperiod alleles Ppd-A1b, Ppd-B1b, and Ppd-D1a. The Korean cultivated variety Keumgang also shared these alleles with the exception of vrn-D1. With regard to grain hardness, KWL 2 was shown to possess Pina-D1a and Pinb-D1b like Keumgang, while other KWLs were classified as carrying Pina-D1a and Pinb-D1a. All KWLs were found to be non-waxy, carrying the...

Genetic characterisation of a novel male sterile two-type line system 19F08AB in Brassica napus L.

Lirong Zhao, Zikang Chen, Ruting Xie, Hui Dong, Haibo Yu, Dongsuo Zhang, Zhaoxin Hu, Shengwu Hu

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(4):222-234 | DOI: 10.17221/47/2025-CJGPB  

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a major global oilseed crop and exhibits significant heterosis. The discovery and characterisation of novel male-sterile accessions remain fundamental for harnessing heterosis in rapeseed breeding. Previously, we developed a male sterile two-type line system 19F08AB in B. napus. In this study, anther abortion in 19F08A was characterised using the squash method. The inheritance of male sterility in 19F08A and its genetic relationship to reported male sterile accessions in rapeseed was investigated using classical genetic analysis and male-sterility-gene-specific molecular markers. Results indicated that...

Expression and analysis of StNR and StNiRs, key enzyme genes of nitrogen assimilation in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) with different nitrogen efficiencies

Yuzhu Han, Zhijun Han, Yue Lu, Zhongcai Han, Jiayue Zhang, Jingying Zhang, Hongyu Qiao, Hongxia He

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(4):193-209 | DOI: 10.17221/22/2025-CJGPB  

The potato is a pivotal food crop on a global scale. Nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR) are the key enzymes in nitrogen assimilation. In previous research, we found that the nitrogen assimilation process was effectively regulated by StNR and StNiRs in potato and that there were significant differences in nitrogen utilisation efficiency between different potato varieties. In this study, three potato variants with different nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) were subjected to various nitrogen supply levels and photoperiod treatments. The results indicated that the relative expression levels of StNR and StNiRs in their leaves...

Mechanisms of overwintering frost tolerance in alfalfa roots based on 4D-Label-free quantitative proteomics

Yajun Ma, Yu Zhang, Qiaoxian Zhang, Guo Sun, Yajun Yan, Chuan Wang, Wenbin Mian, Tianhui Yang, Ting Gao

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(4):181-192 | DOI: 10.17221/27/2025-CJGPB  

The present study investigates the differential protein expression levels between the frost-tolerant variety Qingda No.1 and the frost-sensitive variety Gannong No.9. The analysis was conducted using 4D-Label-free quantitative proteomics technology, with the samples collected prior to and after overwintering. The results showed that the protein expression of Qingda No.1 changed more significantly during the overwintering process, with 451 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) being identified, of which 224 were up-regulated and 227 down-regulated. In contrast, the protein expression of Gannong No.9 differed from that of alfalfa roots of the...

Obituary of Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jaroslava Ovesná, CSc. (1959-2025)

Dagmar Janovská, Dagmar Cvrčková

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(3):180 | DOI: 10.17221/59/2025-CJGPB  

It is with great sadness that we announce our respected colleague and prominent scientist, Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jaroslava Ovesná, CSc., passed away on June 17, 2025, following a lengthy battle with an illness at the age of 65 years. She served as a member of the editorial board of the Czech Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding from 2000 to 2017. From 1984, immediately after graduating in biochemistry from the Faculty of Science of Charles University, until her passing, she worked at the Czech Agrifood Research Centre (CARC), formerly the Crop Research Institute (CRI).

Transcriptome analysis reveals differential gene expression in tomato under high-temperature stress

Yun Li, Xin Ye, Lingzeng Lv, Na Chen

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(3):160-179 | DOI: 10.17221/45/2025-CJGPB  

Tomato is a major global crop, extensively cultivated in China. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its responses to high-temperature stress remain poorly understood. This study investigates these mechanisms by examining a heat-resistant tomato variety, Hm 2-2 (R), and a heat-sensitive variety, BY 1-2 (S), under high temperature (40 °C). Total RNA was extracted from samples taken at 0 and 24 h post-treatment, followed by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened based on the criteria of |log₂ fold change| ≥ 2 and false discovery rate ≤ 0.05. Gene ontology (GO) function annotation and...

Assessing genetic variability and heritability in the F₄ population of mutant Bioguma and Gando Keta local Indonesian sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

Endang Lestari, Karlina Syahruddin, Heny Herawati, Suarni Suarni, Moch Subechan, Suwarti Suwarti, Slamet Priyanto, Herniwati Herniwati, Diana Widiastuti

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(3):151-159 | DOI: 10.17221/15/2025-CJGPB  

This study examined the genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance in the F₄ generation of sorghum to enhance grain productivity. The study was conducted at Citayam Research Station, Depok Indonesia (March–September 2023), and evaluated 102 progenies of the F₄ population from a Bioguma (a mutant line) × Gando Keta (a local variety) cross using an Augmented block design with four replications. The results of this experiment indicated that the F₄ generation outperformed the Gando Keta grain yield components, but remained inferior to Bioguma. The yield traits were influenced by the non-additive gene action,...

Impact of nitric oxide on sunflower growth and drought tolerance mechanisms

Аіdаnа Sugirbеkоva, Mehmet Hamurcu, Anamika Pandey, Mohd. Kamran Khan, Fevzi Elbasan, Zuhal Zeynep Avsaroglu, Ayse Humeyra Omay, Sait Gezgin

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(3):138-150 | DOI: 10.17221/25/2025-CJGPB  

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), a globally significant oilseed crop, faces substantial yield losses due to drought stress, a major environmental constraint. In this study, the effects of nitric oxide (NO) to increase drought tolerance in four sunflower genotypes (resistant Irtysh, RAR 56 and sensitive Zarya, RAR 133) showing different stress responses were investigated. Conducted in a controlled hydroponic system, the experiment applied 100 µM NO under 12% polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought, assessing growth, physiological, and biochemical parameters. PEG alone reduced shoot and root growth, relative water content (RWC), and ion...

Study of the genetic potential of autochthonous populations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) for use in breeding purposes

Marina Antic, Željko Lakić, Branislav Radulović, Vera Popović

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(3):128-137 | DOI: 10.17221/21/2025-CJGPB  

The testing and evaluation of native populations of perennial ryegrasses (Lolium perenne L.) collected from the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina were conducted from 2020 to 2022 at experimental fields and laboratories of the Institute for Genetic Resources and the Agricultural Institute of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka. Six native populations (labelled G1–G6) and two cultivars, Esquire and Tivoli (labelled G7 and G8), were analysed in this study. The following traits were examined: the plant height (cm), number of generative stems per plant, inflorescence length (cm), number of spikes per inflorescence, seed mass per inflorescence...

Genome-wide identification and in silico expression analysis of CCO gene family in Citrus sinensis (orange) in response to citrus greening

Sadaf Sarwar, Muhammad Shafiq, Layba Tasawar, Iram Gull, Jannat Akram, Maha Al-Roshdi, Gabrijel Ondrasek, Muhammad Shafiq Shahid

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(3):113-127 | DOI: 10.17221/11/2025-CJGPB  

Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (sweet orange) is the most important cultivated citrus fruit in the world. However, Hanglongbing (HLB) disease, caused by Candidatus Liberibactor asiaticus (CLAs), poses a major threat to sweet orange production, by hindering colour, quality and export. Carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (CCOs), which include carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) and 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases (NCEDs), are essential for plant growth, development, and adaptation to phytohormonal, biotic, and abiotic stresses. This study identified 14 CsCCO genes in C. sinensis. Structural and conservation studies were conducted...

List of varieties registered in the Czech Republic in 2024

Tomáš Mezlík

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(2):110-112 | DOI: 10.17221/16/2025-CJGPB  

Reciprocal hybridisation of Aloe species (Aloe arborescens with A. vera) and their characterisation in a highland region of Venezuela

José Imery-Buiza, Wendy Ozols-Narbona

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(2):100-109 | DOI: 10.17221/7/2025-CJGPB  

Aloe vera and A. arborescens are succulent plants widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food supplements. The objective of this study was to perform interspecific crosses and agronomically characterise three genotypes cultivated in a Venezuelan highland region (altitude 1 727 m, 13–17.9 °C). Successful hybridisation was achieved only when A. arborescens pollen (P1) was used on A. vera pistils (P2), whereas the reciprocal cross was largely unsuccessful. Hybrid seed germination reached 11.86%, and adult hybrids exhibited significant vegetative superiority over P1, particularly in leaf volume, leaf weight, and...

Characterization of carotenoid profiles and presence of functional markers in sub-tropical maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines

Peter Amoah, Victor O. Adetimirin, Bismark Anokye, Oluyinka J. llesanmi, Nnanna Unachukwu, Elisabeth Ivania Aporva

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(2):86-99 | DOI: 10.17221/143/2024-CJGPB  

Biofortification provides a sustainable, pragmatic strategy to address the lack of vitamin A and the associated health complications. The objectives of the study encompassed the quantification of the carotenoid content of 147 maize inbred lines, the identification of variable regions within the ZEP1 gene, the correlation of these observed variances in the presence of this gene with carotenoid content, and the identification of lines harbouring the favourable alleles of the crtRB1 gene. The observed correlations among the carotenoids synthesised by distinct branches of the biosynthetic process were both significant and positive. Utilising...

Ectopic expression of the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) VuCERK1 gene confers enhanced resistance to Pto DC3000 hrcC^- in Arabidopsis

Weida Chen, Lifen Gao, Gao Chen, Ting Yang, Zixin Zhao, Wenhao Xia, Niannian Fan, Siming Chen

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(2):77-85 | DOI: 10.17221/112/2024-CJGPB  

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) play multiple roles in plants. As a kind of PRRs, chitin elicitor receptor kinase 1 (CERK1) proteins were reported to function in plant resistance to fungal and bacterial pathogens, and tolerance to salt stress. In this study, a predicted cowpea CERK1 homologous gene, designated as VuCERK1, was identified by database search. VuCERK1 protein contains 618 amino acid residues, with a predicted molecular mass of 67.5 kDa and a predicted isoelectric point of 5.04. VuCERK1 shows 58% and 60% sequence identity with AtCERK1 and OsCERK1, respectively. VuCERK1 also shows similar subcellular pattern with AtCERK1...

Agronomic and pod traits in relation to pod shattering in cultivated soybeans

Bingjie Tu, Qingying Zhang, Xiaobing Liu, Shaopeng Yu, Nan Xu, Jia Liu, Changkai Liu

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(2):67-76 | DOI: 10.17221/119/2024-CJGPB  

Pod dehiscence or pod shattering from mature soybean (Glycine max L.) is one of the most outstanding disadvantages in domesticated cultivars. Pod shattering in relation to 16 quantitative traits and 3 qualitative traits among 140 cultivars of vegetable soybeans, grain soybeans and small-grain soybeans was evaluated over two years. We found the pod shattering percentage is positively correlated with the number of productive branches, pod width, pod length, pod area, 100-seed weight, 1-seeded-pod percentage, 2-seeded-pod percentage and seed protein content, but negatively correlated with the plant height, pod height at the bottom, number of nodes...

Association ana­lysis of the molecular characteristics and floral traits of Iris × germanica

Feng Tian, Ya Tian, Fang Yu, Jinsen Qian, Feijian Wang, Xue Li, Tongyin Li, Xiaofei Zhang, Dazhuang Huang, Xiaojie Zhao

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(2):55-66 | DOI: 10.17221/93/2024-CJGPB  

Iris × germanica L. (bearded iris) is a popular ornamental plant with numerous commercially important cultivars; however, little is known about the genetic diversity and population structure of the species, as limited DNA markers have been explored. In this study, 34 722 expressed sequence tag (EST)-simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were identified from RNA sequencing data. The most abundant SSR motifs belonged to the tri-nucleotide type, of which the most common were AGG/CCT followed by AAG/CTT. Overall, 50 primer pairs derived from these EST-SSRs were randomly selected and synthesized, and 22 primer pairs with good polymorphism effects...

LIST OF REVIEWERS 2024

Editorial Department

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(1):I  

Overexpression of a sorghum SnRK1βγ2 gene increases the biomass in Setaria viridis but not in rice

Chudamani Sharma Prakash, Lihua Wang, Qi Shen, Jieqin Li, Yi-Hong Wang

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(1):50-53 | DOI: 10.17221/63/2024-CJGPB  

Sorghum as a C₄ crop has been shown to be both drought tolerant and photosynthetically productive. In this study, we demonstrated that sorghum SbSnRK1βγ2 (SbSNF4-2), the γ subunit of the sucrose non-fermenting 1 (SNF1)/SNF1-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) heterotrimeric complex, increased the plant height and biomass in Setaria viridis, a C4 relative of sorghum, but not in rice, a C3 relative, when overexpressed driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter. However, the overexpression did not increase the tiller number in S. viridis, although it caused modest increases in the tiller number in both sorghum...

The insertion of an ancestral gene in Nicotiana tabacum plants reduces free radicals during saline irrigation

Claudia Marissa Calderón Torres, Victoria Abril Mancilla Galván, Miguel Murguía Romero

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(1):43-49 | DOI: 10.17221/107/2024-CJGPB  

Transgenic organisms modified with ancestral genes for nitrogen metabolism are rare. Previously, it was reported that genetically modified Nicotiana tabacum with the ARO4 gene of aromatic amino acid synthesis from the yeast Debaryomyces hansenii increases its growth during moderate salt stress. In this investigation, it was explored if the changes in the expression of the gene DhARO4 in Nicotiana tabacum, during saline irrigation, are related to the chlorophyll content and the total reactive oxygen species production. Seedlings of transgenic and wild type Nicotiana tabacum germinated in standard conditions...

High levels of type II Fusarium head blight resistance conferred in wheat by combining wheat gene Fhb1 with Lophopyrum elongatum gene Fhb7^The2 

Jan Dvorak, Karin R. Deal, Patrick E. McGuire, Emily J. Conley, James A. Anderson, George Fedak, Julia A. Malvick, Han Chen, Hans-Georg Müller

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(1):31-42 | DOI: 10.17221/104/2024-CJGPB  

Wheat Fusarium head blight (FHB) leads to losses of grain yield and quality. Ingestion of diseased grain is detrimental to human health due to the mycotoxins present in the grain. Developing resistant cultivars for environments where FHB is prevalent is therefore an important breeding objective. One of the most effective wheat genes conferring type II resistance to FHB is Fhb1, originally discovered in the Chinese cultivar (cv) Sumai 3. Another excellent FHB resistance gene is Fhb7 located on the long arm of Lophopyrum elongatum chromosome 7E. Several alleles of Fhb7 have been identified. Allele Fhb7^The2...

Detection of genomic loci associated with days to heading in tropical japonica rice through QTL-seq

Khairul Yusuf Nasution, Dani Satyawan, Muhamad Yunus, Azri Kusuma Dewi, Puput Melati, Marina Yuniawati Maryono, Ita Dwimahyani, Wening Enggarini, Sobrizal

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(1):23-30 | DOI: 10.17221/66/2024-CJGPB  

This study investigated the genetic basis of days to heading (DTH) in tropical japonica rice using F₂ populations derived from late-maturing Rojolele and early-maturing Rojolele Srinuk varieties. Phenotypic analysis of DTH showed continuous distribution and positive skewness. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) from early and late-heading bulks were used to identify three candidate regions with strong association to DTH: qDTH3.1 and qDTH3.2 on chromosome 3, and qDTH7.1 on chromosome 7, with the latter linked to the Oryza sativa Pseudo-Response Regulator 37 (OsPRR37)...

Unravelling population structure and marker trait association using SSR markers among the identified drought tolerant rice landraces (Oryza sativa L.)

Shanmugam Manju Devi, John Amalraj Joel, Muthurajan Raveendran, Ramamoorthy Pushpam, Sengalan Muthuramu, Raman Pushpa, N. Sritharan, Periyasamy Prasanna, Ramalingam Suresh

Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 2025, 61(1):1-22 | DOI: 10.17221/12/2024-CJGPB  

With climate change, plants face numerous stresses, notably drought for rice cultivation. Improving rice drought tolerance is vital for sustainable production in water-scarce regions. Identification of drought tolerant genotypes at the seedling stage of the crop contributes to build a climate resilient genotype during the period of water scarcity and under challenging environmental conditions. Hence, polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000) induced drought conditions could be used for testing the drought tolerance in rice at an earlier stage of the crop. Optimization of PEG-6000 concentration for screening index at -6 bar was done using three drought-tolerant...