The North-eastern (NE) India, comprising of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, possess diverse array of locally adapted non-Basmati aromatic germplasm. The germplasm collections from this region could serve as valuable resources in breeding for abiotic stress tolerance, grain yield and cooking/eating quality. To utilize such collections, however, breeders need information about the extent and distribution of genetic diversity present within collections. In this study, we report the result of population genetic analysis of 107 aromatic and quality rice accessions collected from different parts of NE India, as well as classified these accessions in the context of a set of structured global rice cultivars. A total of 322 alleles were amplified by 40 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers with an average of 8.03 alleles per locus. Average gene diversity was 0.67. Population structure analysis revealed that NE Indian aromatic rice can be subdivided into three genetically distinct population clusters: P1, joha rice accessions from Assam, tai rices from Mizoram and those from Sikkim; P2, chakhao rice germplasm from Manipur; and P3, aromatic rice accessions from Nagaland. Pair-wise FST between three groups varied from 0.223 (P1 vs P2) to 0.453 (P2 vs P3). With reference to the global classification of rice cultivars, two major groups (Indica and Japonica) were identified in NE Indian germplasm. The aromatic accessions from Assam, Manipur and Sikkim were assigned to the Indica group, while the accessions from Nagaland exhibited close association with Japonica. The tai accessions of Mizoram along with few chakhao accessions collected from the hill districts of Manipur were identified as admixed. The results highlight the importance of regional genetic studies for understanding diversification of aromatic rice in India. The data also suggest that there is scope for exploiting the genetic diversity of aromatic and quality rice germplasm of NE India for rice improvement.

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Yellow Mosaic Virus (YMV) is a serious disease of soybean. Resistance to YMV was mapped in 180 soybean genotypes through association mapping approach using 121 simple sequence repeats (SSR) and four resistance gene analogue (RGA)-based markers. The association mapping population (AMP) (96 genotypes) and confirmation population (CP) (84 genotypes) was tested for resistance to YMV at hot-spot consecutively for 3 years (2007-2009). The genotypes exhibited significant variability for YMV resistance (P < 0.01). Molecular genotyping and population structure analysis with 'admixture' co-ancestry model detected seven optimal sub-populations in the AMP. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) between the markers extended up to 35 and 10 cM with r2 > 0.15, and >0.25, respectively. The 4 RGA-based markers showed no association with YMV resistance. Two SSR markers, Satt301 and GMHSP179 on chromosome 17 were found to be in significant LD with YMV resistance. Contingency Chi-square test confirmed the association (P < 0.01) and the utility of the markers was validated in the CP. It would pave the way for marker assisted selection for YMV resistance in soybean. This is the first report of its kind in soybean.

potential as a therapeutic agent for osteoporosis and cancerlinked bone loss [7,8]. Recent findings also suggest embelin as a novel adjuvant therapeutic candidate for the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer that is resistant to radiation therapy. [9] Morphology Embelia ribes Burm. f., is a large scandent shrub; branches long, slender, flexible, terete with long internodes, the bark studded with lenticels. Leaves coriaceous, 5-9 by 2-3.8 cm., elliptic or elliptic lanceolate, shortly and obtusely acuminate, entire, glabrous on both sides, shining above, paler and somewhat silvery beneath, the whole surface covered with scattered minute reddish sunken gland (conspicuous in the young leaves), base rounded or acute; main nerves numerous, slender; petioles 6-16 mm. long, more or less margined, glabrous. Flowers penta-merous, numerous, small, in lax panicled racemes which are terminal and from the upper axils; branches of the panicle often 7.5-10 cm long with more or less glandular pubescent; bracts minute, setaceous, deciduous. Calyx is about 1.25 mm. long; sepals connate about 1/3 rd of the way up, the teeth 5, broadly triangular-ovate, ciliate. Petals 5, greenish yellow, free, 4 mm. long, elliptic, subobtuse, and pubescent on both sides. Stamens 5, shorter than the petals, erect; filaments inserted a little below the middle of the petals. Fruit is globose, 3-4 mm. diam., smooth, succulent, black when ripe, like a peppercorn when dried, tipped with the persistent style [10]. Fig 1.