Discovering new genes for alfalfa () growth and biomass resilience in combined salinity and infection through GWAS.

Salinity and infection represent significant challenges for alfalfa cultivation in South Africa, Europe, Australia, and, particularly, Tunisia. These constraints have a severe impact on both yield and quality. The primary aim of this study was to establish the genetic basis of traits associated with biomass and growth of 129 genotypes through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) under combined salt and infection stresses.

Improving productivity and soil fertility in Medicago sativa and Hordeum marinum through intercropping under saline conditions.

Background And Aims: Intercropping is an agriculture system used to enhance the efficiency of resource utilization and maximize crop yield grown under environmental stress such as salinity. Nevertheless, the impact of intercropping forage legumes with annual cereals on soil salinity remains unexplored. This research aimed to propose an intercropping system with alfalfa (Medicago sativa)/sea barley (Hordeum marinum) to explore its potential effects on plant productivity, nutrient uptake, and soil salinity.

Variability in Responses to Phoma medicaginis Infection in a Tunisian Collection of Three Annual Medicago Species.

Spring black stem and leaf spot, caused by Phoma medicaginis, is an issue in annual Medicago species. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the response to P. medicaginis infection in a collection of 46 lines of three annual Medicago species (M.

Impact of Biochar Application at Water Shortage on Biochemical and Physiological Processes in .

The application of biochar is mostly used to improve soil fertility, water retention capacity and nutrient uptake. The present study was conducted in order to study the impact of biochar at water deficiency conditions on the physiological and biochemical processes of seedlings. Seedlings were cultivated under greenhouse conditions in pots filled with a mixture of soil and sand mixed in the presence or absence of 2% biochar.

Evaluation of the Morpho-Physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Responses of Contrasting Lines under Water Deficit Stress.

is a forage crop of choice for farmers, and it is a model species for molecular research. The growth and development and subsequent yields are limited by water availability mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. Our study aims to evaluate the morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular responses to water deficit stress in four lines (TN6.

Medicago truncatula in Interaction with Fusarium and Rhizoctonia Phytopathogenic Fungi: Fungal Aggressiveness, Plant Response Biodiversity and Character Heritability Indices.

Fusarium and Rhizoctonia genera are important pathogens of many field crops worldwide. They are constantly evolving and expanding their host range. Selecting resistant cultivars is an effective strategy to break their infection cycles.

Morpho-Physiological, Biochemical, and Genetic Responses to Salinity in .

We used an integrated morpho-physiological, biochemical, and genetic approach to investigate the salt responses of four lines (TN1.11, TN6.18, JA17, and A10) of .

Salinity Adaptation and the Contribution of Parental Environmental Effects in Medicago truncatula.

High soil salinity negatively influences plant growth and yield. Some taxa have evolved mechanisms for avoiding or tolerating elevated soil salinity, which can be modulated by the environment experienced by parents or offspring. We tested the contribution of the parental and offspring environments on salinity adaptation and their potential underlying mechanisms.

The ecological genomic basis of salinity adaptation in Tunisian Medicago truncatula.

Background: As our world becomes warmer, agriculture is increasingly impacted by rising soil salinity and understanding plant adaptation to salt stress can help enable effective crop breeding. Salt tolerance is a complex plant phenotype and we know little about the pathways utilized by naturally tolerant plants. Legumes are important species in agricultural and natural ecosystems, since they engage in symbiotic nitrogen-fixation, but are especially vulnerable to salinity stress.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of salt adaptation in roots of contrasting Medicago truncatula genotypes.

Evolutionary diversity can be driven by the interaction of plants with different environments. Molecular bases involved in ecological adaptations to abiotic constraints can be explored using genomic tools. Legumes are major crops worldwide and soil salinity is a main stress affecting yield in these plants.

QTL mapping of physiological traits associated with salt tolerance in Medicago truncatula Recombinant Inbred Lines.

In this study, QTL mapping of physiological traits in the model Legume (Medicago truncatula) was performed using a set of RILs derived from LR5. Twelve parameters associated with Na+ and K+ content in leaves, stems and roots were measured. Broad-sense heritability of these traits was ranged from 0.

Population genomic analysis of Tunisian Medicago truncatula reveals candidates for local adaptation.

Genome-wide association studies rely upon segregating natural genetic variation, particularly the patterns of polymorphism and correlation between adjacent markers. To facilitate association studies in the model legume Medicago truncatula, we present a genome-scale polymorphism scan using existing Affymetrix microarrays. We develop and validate a method that uses a simple information-criteria algorithm to call polymorphism from microarray data without reliance on a reference genotype.

Morphological and microsatellite diversity associated with ecological factors in natural populations of Medicago laciniata Mill. (Fabaceae).

Genetic variability in 10 natural Tunisian populations of Medicago laciniata were analysed using 19 quantitative traits and 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci. A large degree of genetic variability within-populations and among-populations was detected for both quantitative characters and molecular markers. High genetic differentiation among populations for quantitative traits was seen, with Q(ST) = 0.

Quantitative and molecular genetic variation in sympatric populations of Medicago laciniata and M. truncatula (Fabaceae): relationships with eco-geographical factors.

Medicago laciniata is restricted to south of the Mediterranean basin and it extends in Tunisia from the inferior semi-arid to Saharan stages, whereas M. truncatula is a widespread species in such areas. The genetic variability in four Tunisian sympatric populations of M.