Browsing by Author "McPhee, Kevin"

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Evaluation of environment and cultivar impact on lentil protein, starch, mineral nutrients, and yield
(Wiley, 2021-12) Chen, Chengci; Etemadi, Fatemeh; Franck, William; Franck, Sooyoung; Abdelhamid, Magdi T.; Ahmadi, Jafar; Mohammed, Yesuf Assen; Lamb, Peggy F.; Miller, John H.; Carr, Patrick M.; McPhee, Kevin; Zhou, Yi; Torabian, Shahram; Qin, Ruijun
Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is an important source of protein, starch, and mineral nutrients in many parts of the world. However, the impact of environment and cultivar on the enrichment of these nutrients is not well understood. Four lentil cultivars (‘Avondale’, ‘CDC Richlea’, ‘CDC Maxim’, and ‘CDC Imvincible’) varying in color, seed size, and maturity were evaluated at five Montana locations with diverse climatic and soil conditions over 3 yr. Significant cultivar, location, and year effects were found for yield, protein, starch, and minerals. Grain protein concentration was the highest at Moccasin (262 g kg−1) and lowest at Richland (246 g kg−1), whereas starch concentration was the highest at Richland (455 g kg−1) and lowest at Moccasin(441gkg−1). Among cultivars, Avondale was the top yielding cultivar (1965 kg ha−1)and adaptable to most of the environments; CDC Imvincible was the top protein producer (265 g kg−1); and CDC Richlea is the leading starch producer (456 g kg−1). Grain protein concentration was negatively correlated with starch. Lentil grains varied in nutrient concentrations across locations, with the north central Montana region producing 10- to 20-times greater selenium concentration than other locations. CDC Maxim had the highest iron (62.1 mg kg−1) and zinc (31.5 mg kg−1) concentrations.Seed protein concentration was positively correlated with phosphorus, sulfur, cop-per, and boron. Seed starch is positively correlated with magnesium and manganese.Results suggest that plant breeding and production site selection could enrich lentil nutrient concentrations to help combat malnutrition in the world.
Exploring the genetics of lesion and nodal resistance in pea (Pisum sativum L.) to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum using genome-wide association studies and RNA-Seq
(2018-06) Chang, Hao-Xun; Sang, Hyunkyu; Wang, Jie; McPhee, Kevin; Zhuang, Xiaofeng; Porter, Lyndon D.; Chilvers, Martin I.
The disease white mold caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a significant threat to pea production, and improved resistance to this disease is needed. Nodal resistance in plants is a phenomenon where a fungal infection is prevented from passing through a node, and the infection is limited to an internode region. Nodal resistance has been observed in some pathosystems such as the pea (Pisum sativum L.)-S.Â sclerotiorum pathosystem. In addition to nodal resistance, different pea lines display different levels of stem lesion size restriction, referred to as lesion resistance. It is unclear whether the genetics of lesion resistance and nodal resistance are identical or different. This study applied genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and RNA-Seq to understand the genetic makeup of these two types of resistance. The time series RNA-Seq experiment consisted of two pea lines (the susceptible \'Lifter\' and the partially resistant PI 240515), two treatments (mock inoculated samples and S.Â sclerotiorum-inoculated samples), and three time points (12, 24, and 48Â hr post inoculation). Integrated results from GWAS and RNA-Seq analyses identified different redox-related transcripts for lesion and nodal resistances. A transcript encoding a glutathione S-transferase was the only shared resistance variant for both phenotypes. There were more leucine rich-repeat containing transcripts found for lesion resistance, while different candidate resistance transcripts such as a VQ motif-containing protein and a myo-inositol oxygenase were found for nodal resistance. This study demonstrated the robustness of combining GWAS and RNA-Seq for identifying white mold resistance in pea, and results suggest different genetics underlying lesion and nodal resistance.
Genotypic variability in root length in pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) cultivars in a semi-arid environment based on mini-rhizotron image capture
(Wiley, 2022-01) Bourgault, Maryse; Lamb, Peggy F.; McPhee, Kevin; McGee, Rebecca J.; Vandenberg, Albert; Warkentin, Tom
Physiological breeding is an approach that complements conventional breeding by providing characterizations of traits present in breeding populations. This allows breeders the ability to choose crosses based on desirable and adaptive traits, an approach that may be more reliable than selection on yield alone. In this study, we determined how much genotypic variability was present in selected lines of modern field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) cultivars from Montana, North Dakota, Washington, and Saskatchewan, Canada, and if root growth, particularly at depth, improves the fitness of lines to semi-arid environments. We conducted experiments at the Northern Agricultural Research Center of Montana State University from 2017 to 2019 inclusively to investigate root growth with mini-rhizotrons in 29 field pea lines and 25 lentil lines. Results suggest there is large genotypic variability in root length across the soil profile and the proportion of root length found below 30 cm in both crops, and these root traits appear independent of each other. In field pea, the highest yielding cultivars were intermediary in both total root length and the proportion of root length below 30 cm, suggesting large root systems and/or deeper root profiles are not necessarily beneficial in this environment. By contrast, in lentil, total root length and root length found below 30 cm was well correlated with biomass and yield. For breeders interested in in improved adaptation to semi-arid environments, it may be too early to optimize root systems, and above-ground traits may still yield a better return on investment.
Intercropping chickpea–flax for yield and disease management
(Wiley, 2023-03) Zhou, Yi; Chen, Chengci; Franck, William L.; Khan, Qasim; Franck, Sooyoung; Crutcher, Frankie K.; McVay, Kent; McPhee, Kevin
Ascochyta blight (caused by Ascochyta rabiei) is a primary concern of chickpea production worldwide. Intercropping chickpea with a non-host crop has the potential to suppress this disease and improve resource use efficiency for enhanced crop yield. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of seeding rate and row configuration of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)–flax (Linum usitatissimum L) intercropping on (1) yield and seed quality, (2) disease incidence and severity of Ascochyta blight of chickpea, and (3) land productivity of this intercropping system. Field trials were conducted at the Eastern Agricultural Research Center, Sidney, MT, and the Southern Agricultural Research Center, Huntley, MT, in 2020 and 2021. Chickpea was planted with flax in four intercropping configurations (70% chickpea–30% flax in mixed rows, 50% chickpea–50% flax in alternate rows, 50% chickpea–50% flax in mixed rows, and 30% chickpea–70% flax in mixed rows). Chickpea yield decreased with increased flax proportion in the mixed rows intercrop. Flax displayed higher competitiveness than chickpea, resulting in decreased yield and protein concentration in chickpea but increased yield and protein content in flax. Land equivalent ratio of intercropping was greater than one, showing improved land productivity (2%–23% greater than monocropping). Intercropping reduced Ascochyta blight disease incidence and severity; the 50% chickpea–50% flax and 30% chickpea–70% flax intercropping configurations could reduce the disease severity to 50% (in Huntley) and 67% (in Sidney) of that in the monocropping. These results indicated that seed ratio and planting configurations of chickpea–flax intercropping may be manipulated to increase land use efficiency and reduce Ascochyta blight in chickpea. Canadian Development Center ‘CDC Leader’ yielded greater than Royal in the higher disease pressure environment in Huntley indicated that selection of disease resistant cultivars is important for managing Ascochyta blight in chickpea.
Intercropping chickpea-flax for yield and disease management
(Wiley, 2022-12) Zhou, Yi; Chen, Chengci; Franck, William L.; Khan, Qasim; Franck, Sooyoung; Crutcher, Frankie K.; McVay, Kent; McPhee, Kevin
Ascochyta blight (caused by Ascochyta rabiei) is a primary concern of chickpea production worldwide. Intercropping chickpea with a non-host crop has the potential to suppress this disease and improve resource use efficiency for enhanced crop yield. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of seeding rate and row configuration of chickpea (Cicer arietinum, L.)-flax (Linum usitatissimum, L) intercropping on 1) yield and seed quality, 2) disease incidence and severity of Ascochyta blight of chickpea, and 3) land productivity of this intercropping system. Field trials were conducted at the Eastern Agricultural Research Center (EARC), Sidney, MT, and the Southern Agricultural Research Center (SARC), Huntley, MT, in 2020 and 2021. Chickpea was planted with flax in 4 intercropping configurations (70% chickpea – 30% flax in mixed rows, 50% chickpea – 50% flax in alternate rows, 50% chickpea – 50% flax in mixed rows, and 30% chickpea – 70% flax in mixed rows). Chickpea yield decreased with increased flax proportion in the mixed rows intercrop. Flax displayed higher competitiveness than chickpea, resulting in decreased yield and protein concentration in chickpea but increased yield and protein content in flax. Land equivalent ratio (LER) of intercropping was greater than 1, showing improved land productivity (2% -23% greater than monocropping). Intercropping reduced Ascochyta blight disease incidence and severity; the 50% chickpea – 50% flax and 30% chickpea – 70% flax intercropping configurations could reduce the disease severity to 50% (in Hunley) and 67% (in Sidney) of that in the monocropping. These results indicated that seed ratio and planting configurations of chickpea-flax intercropping may be manipulated to increase land use efficiency and reduce Ascochyta blight in chickpea. CDC Leader yielded greater than Royal in the higher disease pressure environment in Huntley indicated that selection of disease resistant cultivar is important for managing Ascochyta blight on chickpea.
Nitrogen fixation among pea and lentil varieties in the Northern Great Plains
(Wiley, 2023-08) Baber, Kaleb; Jones, Clain; McPhee, Kevin; Miller, Perry R.; Lamb, Peggy
Pulse crops, including lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.), can improve the sustainability of Northern Great Plains cropping systems, largely through biological N fixation. Greater N fixation amounts can help producers to increase yield while decreasing N fertilizer inputs for the following crop. There may be potential to breed greater N-fixing pulse varieties, yet little is known about varietal differences in N fixation. Nitrogen fixation of pea and lentil varieties was quantified at two sites in Montana from 2019 to 2021 using an N difference approach and the 15N natural abundance method. Riveland and CDC Richlea were frequently high N-fixing lentil varieties, both fixing ca. 130 kg N ha−1 in the site-year with the most favorable growing conditions. No pea variety had consistently greater N fixation than others, despite N fixation ranging from 88 to 135 kg N ha−1 in one site-year among varieties. Nitrogen fixation by lentil had an inverse relationship with days to flowering but was not correlated with days to maturity. Nitrogen fixation by pea was positively correlated with days to maturity but was not correlated with days to flowering. Breeding lentil and pea for high N fixation by selecting high N-fixing varieties is likely difficult, as varieties performed differently under variable environmental conditions. Breeding efforts based on traits, such as days to flowering, could be more successful. There were more positive correlations between N fixation parameters and seed yield for pea than for lentil, suggesting that breeding for greater yields could increase N fixation for pea but not lentil.
Optimized High Throughput Ascochyta Blight Screening Protocols and Immunity to A. pisi in Pea
(MDPI AG, 2023-03) Annan, Emmanuel N.; Nyamesorto, Bernard; Yan, Qing; McPhee, Kevin; Huang, Li
Ascochyta blight (AB) is a destructive disease of the field pea (Pisum sativum L.) caused by necrotrophic fungal pathogens known as the AB-disease complex. To identify resistant individuals to assist AB resistance breeding, low-cost, high throughput, and reliable protocols for AB screening are needed. We tested and optimized three protocols to determine the optimum type of pathogen inoculum, the optimal development stage for host inoculation, and the timing of inoculation for detached-leaf assays. We found that different plant development stages do not affect AB infection type on peas, but the timing of inoculation affects the infection type of detached leaves due to wound-induced host defense response. After screening nine pea cultivars, we discovered that cultivar Fallon was immune to A. pisi but not to A. pinodes or the mixture of the two species. Our findings suggest that AB screening can be done with any of the three protocols. A whole-plant inoculation assay is necessary for identifying resistance to stem/node infection. Pathogen inoculation must be completed within 1.5 h post-detachment to avoid false positives of resistance for detach-leaf assays. It is essential to use a purified single-species inoculum for resistant resource screenings to identify the host resistance to each single species.