Wide hybridization and introgression breeding in safflower: Effectiveness of different selection methods

Abstract

Possibility of using interspecific hybridization to increase genetic diversity of drought tolerance in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and effectiveness of different selection methods is poorly understood. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of (a) interspecific hybridization to expand genetic diversity in safflower for agronomic traits and drought tolerance in advance generations and (b) different selection methods (direct vs. indirect) for improving seed yield. Interspecific hybridizations were performed between species of C. tinctorius × C. palaestinus (TP), C. palaestinus × C. oxyacantha (PO) and C. tinctorius × C. oxyacantha (TO). Based on the field screening of genotypes in F3 generation, four groups of selected genotypes (derived from combination of direct and indirect selection under both drought and normal environments along with selection based on drought tolerance index (STI)) were evaluated in F4 and F5 generations. Indirect selection for seed yield was significantly more efficient than direct selection. Selection in stress environment resulted to more efficiency than selection in normal environment. No significant difference was observed between direct selection and selection based on STI. The result showed that TP was the best population to combine high seed yield and drought tolerance in safflower.

Phylogenomic investigation of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) and related species using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)

“…Intra-species relationships within safflower are not well understood. Based on morphological traits like flower color, inflorescence size, plant height and leaf shape, and their geographical distribution, between five and ten centers of diversity were postulated for safflower, all harboring region-specific ecotypes 1 , 9 , 18 , 19 , 25 . In our second GBS dataset we included a diverse set of 114 C. tinctorius accessions together with the section Carthamus species of our initial analysis but excluded the two obviously introgressed C. oxyacantha accessions.…”

“…Some of the previous reports considered C. oxyacantha m.bieb. , a species widespread in western Asia, as the wild progenitor of C. tinctorius 17 – 19 , while others found C. palaestinus eig from the Fertile Crescent the most likely progenitor 12 , 20 , 21 . The contribution of both C. palaestinus and C. oxyacantha in the origin of safflower has been reported based on chloroplast DNA diversity 22 .…”

Genetic variability, adaptability and, stability of safflower genotypes developed for the Brazilian conditions by REML/BLUP

“…Several studies have been carried out around the world to obtain safflower genotypes adapted to the most varied cultivation environments (Golkar et al., 2017; Espanani et al., 2019). Results represent the efforts of the FCA/UNESP breeding program to obtain safflower genotypes adapted to different environments, demonstrated mainly by the high performance of genotypes in terms of grain yield.…”

Adaptability and Stability of Safflower Genotypes for Oil Production

“…The greater acceptability and use of safflower as an oilseed depend on breeding for the traits of interest and developing cultivars adapted to different growing regions [ 5 , 7 ]. Several studies have been carried out in Iran [ 8 , 10 ] and Brazil [ 5 ] to obtain safflower genotypes adapted to the contrasting environments. Aside from the commercial release of new cultivars, it is necessary to study the performance of several genotypes in different growing regions to understand the genotype × environment interaction.…”