https://www.genresj.org/index.php/grj/issue/feed Genetic Resources 2025-05-16T11:09:26+00:00 Sandra Goritschnig s.goritschnig@cgiar.org Open Journal Systems <p><strong><img style="float: left; margin-right: 15px; height: 200px;" src="https://www.genresj.org/public/site/images/newtvision/1_bc_v8-vale-orange.png" />Genetic Resources</strong> is an open access peer-reviewed journal publishing original research, reviews, short communications and other articles on plant and animal genetic resources, serving stakeholders within and across domains. It is a platform to share domain specific and interdisciplinary knowledge and tools used by the global community of practitioners involved in monitoring, collecting, maintaining, conserving, characterizing and using genetic resources for food, agriculture and forestry. </p> https://www.genresj.org/index.php/grj/article/view/genresj.PMKY4140 Assessment of phenotypic diversity of Ñuña, a local common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from the northern Andes in Peru 2024-11-21T09:28:46+00:00 Angel Esteban Santa Cruz Padilla asantacruz@inia.gob.pe Jorge Luis Vásquez-Orrillo jorge.vasquez.orrillo@gmail.com Ricardo Manuel Bardales-Lozano rbardaleslozano@gmail.com Hipolito Murga-Orrillo hmurga@unaaa.edu.pe <p>Ñuña is a local type of common bean (<em>Phaseolus vulgaris</em> L.) cultivated in the Andean region of Peru. It stands out for its ability to expand and burst when roasted; however, its phenotypic diversity has not yet been fully explored. This study determined the phenotypic variability of Ñuña conserved in the Germplasm Bank of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation of Peru. The analysis considered qualitative and quantitative traits, using multivariate statistics and comparison of means. Results revealed high phenotypic variability in both qualitative and quantitative traits. In qualitative traits, Multiple Correspondence Analysis found that the dark and light colours of the seed heads contributed most significantly to the variability of the accessions. Phylogenetic hierarchical analysis formed four clusters, representing 37% (I), 4% (II), 7% (III), and 52% (IV) of the accessions, respectively. For quantitative traits, Principal Component Analysis showed no discrimination between regions of origin but indicated a highly positive correlation between leaf length and width, and between pod length and width, as well as seed length, width, thickness and weight. Hierarchical analysis of quantitative characters also formed four clusters, representing 22% (A), 16% (B), 30% (C), and 31% (D) of the accessions, respectively. These clusters, analyzed for means comparison, showed significant differences (p &amp;lt; 0.05) with higher values in cluster B for pod length and width, and seed length, width, thickness and weight. Understanding the variability of the qualitative and quantitative traits of Ñuña is crucial for future genetic improvement studies aimed at achieving cultivars with desirable characteristics.</p> 2025-02-07T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2025 Angel Esteban Santa Cruz-Padilla, Jorge Luis Vásquez-Orrillo, Ricardo Manuel Bardales-Lozano, Hipolito Murga-Orrillo https://www.genresj.org/index.php/grj/article/view/genresj.ZFEE2261 Morphological and biochemical characterization of Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun) germplasm grown in Central Ethiopia 2025-05-16T11:09:26+00:00 Ermias Estifanos ermiasestifo@yahoo.com Tileye Feyissa tileye.feyissa@aau.edu.et Kassahun Tesfaye kassahun.tesfaye@betin.gov.et Alemu Lencho alemulencho@gmail.com Christina Eynck christina.eynck@agr.gc.ca <p>Ethiopian mustard (<em id="e-70b6ee7a02b8">Brassica carinata</em> A. Braun) shows potential for diverse applications, including as leafy greens, green manure and oilseed feedstock for biofuels. This study evaluated the seed and oil production potential and phenotypic diversity of 49 <em id="e-c9a411f07078">B. carinata</em> accessions through trials conducted in 2018 at the Holeta and Asela Research Centers in Ethiopia, using a lattice design. Data were collected on phenological, morphological, agronomic and seed quality traits. The analysis revealed significant variability across most traits, except for silique width and oil and protein content at Asela, and main raceme length and total glucosinolate content at Holeta. Combined analysis showed significant genotype-by-location interactions for flowering date, seeds per silique and seed yield per hectare, indicating a strong environmental influence on these traits. Phenotypic and genotypic correlation analyses identified strong positive correlations between leaf traits and phenology, seed yield and seed quality, while oil content was negatively associated with protein and glucosinolate content. Principal component analysis identified five components at Asela and six components at Holeta with eigenvalues greater than one, explaining over 77% of the total variation at both locations. Key traits such as plant height, seed yield and oil content contributed significantly to these principal components. Cluster analysis grouped the accessions into three clusters based on distinct trait combinations. Accessions 17545, 21373, 24203 and 24495 consistently performed well across multiple traits across sites, making them strong candidates for breeding programmes focused on improving seed yield and quality in <em id="e-253ea3b99db1">B. carinata</em>.</p> 2025-05-16T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2025 Ermias Estifanos, Tileye Feyissa, Kassahun Tesfaye, Alemu Lencho, Christina Eynck https://www.genresj.org/index.php/grj/article/view/genresj.BWNF7962 Overview of germplasm collecting activities for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in Sudan from 2002 to 2022 2025-03-07T11:21:12+00:00 Ibrahim Mohamed El Tahir eltahir81@yahoo.com Ali Zakaria Babiker alizbali@yahoo.com Elsadig Ahmed Abdalla elsadigabdalla@gmail.com Awadelkarim Alam Elhuda Ahmed awad3115@gmail.com Mashaer Obaed Yousif Goda mashaer_goda@yahoo.com Magdi Ahmed Mohamed Elgabri elgabri2025@gmail.com <p>From 2002 to 2022, the Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Research Centre (APGRC) in Sudan conducted 56 collecting missions for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) in Sudan. These missions aimed to conserve the country’s crop genetic diversity and covered different states and almost all ecological zones within the country, from the desert in the north to the high-rainfall savannah in the far south. Different farming systems were included, such as rain-fed, irrigated and flood-irrigated systems. The most covered states were West Darfur in the far west followed by South Kordofan in the western-central region. A total of 7,720 PGRFA accessions were collected encompassing diverse crops and plant species within different plant groups. Cultivated varieties made up 90% of the whole collection, while crop wild relatives accounted for 8%, and range plants represented the remaining 2%. Cereals were the most collected group (48%), followed by vegetables (17%). The least represented groups were range plants, medicinal plants and fibre crops. Sorghum was the most represented crop in the collection with 2,481 accessions, followed by pearl millet with 1,022 accessions. Hundreds of accessions of cowpea, okra, sesame and other crops were also collected. A total of 181 accessions of natural range plants were collected from selected states. The materials collected during these germplasm collecting missions will be conserved at the APGRC genebank, characterized and evaluated for different traits. Further germplasm collection activities may be carried out in the future to address any identified gaps.</p> 2025-03-07T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2025 Ibrahim Mohamed El Tahir, Ali Zakaria Babiker, Elsadig Ahmed Abdalla, Awadelkarim Alam Elhuda Ahmed, Mashaer Obaed Yousif Goda, Magdi Ahmed Mohamed Elgabri https://www.genresj.org/index.php/grj/article/view/genresj.GBCL6863 Survey on threatened medicinal plants diversity of Northwestern Syria 2025-02-24T11:17:21+00:00 Munzer Aldarvish drgeneral2015@yahoo.com Anas Al Kaddour anaskadour1@yahoo.com Akram Bourgol akrambourgol@giz.de Yasser Ramazan yasserramadan86@outlook.com Yousef Hallak yousefha1977101@gmail.com Stephen Cavers scav@ceh.ac.uk Joan Cottrell joan.cottrell@forestresearch.gov.uk <p>Throughout history, many plant species have been used as natural medicines to prevent and treat human diseases. Due to its geographical location, climate, and history, Syria contains a remarkable diversity of medicinal plants. However, in recent years a prolonged period of conflict has resulted in widespread ecosystem destruction, human population displacement, and disruption of farming practices. Although poorly documented this is believed to have resulted in a significant decline in medicinal plant populations. <em id="e-8e0a651f24a7">ex situ</em> conservation initiatives, the locations of medicinal plants exposed to deterioration were identified from the results of a questionnaire. Seeds from seven species: chamomile (<em id="e-0417c329bce9">Matricaria chamomilla</em> L.), wild thyme (<em id="e-0810d1a738a6">Thymus capitatus</em> L.), sage (<em id="e-072bfce51ad6">Salvia officinalis</em> L.), hyssop (<em id="e-3024915d8320">Hyssopus officinalis</em> L.), caper (<em id="e-e58683036d0d">Capparis spinosa</em> L.), basil (<em id="e-75d378895253">Ocimum basilicum</em> L.), and watercress (<em id="e-495b0b3146ff">Nasturtium officinale</em> R. BR.) were collected for the establishment of <em id="e-e3991c5329a7">ex situ</em> collections in the future. We discuss the potential for recovery initiatives to protect and conserve these species and to support the sustainable use of medicinal plant genetic resources in Northern Syria. Such endeavours are vital for the continued well-being of the Syrian population and humanity as a whole.</p> 2025-02-24T00:00:00+00:00 Copyright (c) 2025 Munzer Aldarvish, Anas Al Kaddour, Akram Bourgol, Yasser Ramazan, Yousef Hallak, Stephen Cavers , Joan Cottrell