Ecological Genetics and Genomics最新文献

{"title":"Multivariate analysis and agro-morphological characterization of exotic cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) germplasm under Indian agro-climatic conditions","authors":"Divya Chaudhary,&nbsp;Jyotsna Verma,&nbsp;Dileep Tripathi,&nbsp;Rinky Resma Panda,&nbsp;Rajneesh Kumar,&nbsp;Neeta Singh,&nbsp;Padmavati Ganpat Gore,&nbsp;Ankit Saroha,&nbsp;Dhammaprakash Pandhari Wankhede,&nbsp;Kuldeep Tripathi","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100523","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100523","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study assessed genetic variability, correlation and multivariate analysis in 645 exotic cowpea collections. These accessions, along with five checks, were evaluated using an augmented block design (ABD) over two consecutive years (2022-23 and 2023-24) for 26 agro-morphological traits. ANOVA revealed significant differences among accessions for all quantitative parameters except SPP, indicating substantial variability. In the genetic variability analysis, high GCV and PCV were observed for DF50, HSW, PDL, and PH, indicating a high degree of variation in these traits. High heritability and high GAM for most traits except PB and SPP indicated that selection would be effective for these traits. High phenotypic diversity (H′ ≥ 0.60) was observed for the qualitative traits IPC, SS, SC, TT, Ssol, LC, SCC, FC and PS. A significant positive correlation was found among yield-contributing traits, with SPP positively associated with PL and PDL, and HSW correlated with SL, SW, PL, TLL and TLW, suggesting their utility for indirect selection in breeding programs. PCA analysis identified EC724705, EC723906, EC724358, EC723854, EC724530, EC724289, EC723685, EC723735, EC724538, EC723698, EC723695, EC724759, EC724269 and EC723992 as the potential parental candidates for heterosis breeding. The large-scale evaluation of 645 exotic accessions identified unique variability patterns and promising donor accessions for future cowpea improvement programmes. Cluster analysis showed that accessions in Cluster III have the potential to improve key agronomic traits, including HSW, PB, PDL, SW, TLL and TLW, making them valuable for cowpea breeding. This study elucidates genetic diversity and trait relationships in exotic cowpea germplasm, supporting the identification of promising accessions for genetic enhancement, climate-resilient breeding, sustainable crop improvement and the strengthening of food and nutritional security under changing climatic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100523"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-environment evaluation of high-yielding and stable bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in Ethiopia","authors":"Teka Selomun,&nbsp;Atsbha Gebreslasie,&nbsp;Zeray Siyoum,&nbsp;Azeb Hailu,&nbsp;Mizan Tesfay,&nbsp;Tesfay Gebrekirstos,&nbsp;Kiros Gebretsadkan","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bread wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) is an essential staple crop for global food security, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where productivity is constrained by the absence of high-yielding, stable varieties. Understanding genotype-environment interactions is vital for identifying adaptable, high-yielding genotypes. This study evaluated 30 bread wheat genotypes across environments in Eastern and Southeastern Tigray, Ethiopia, employing an alpha lattice design with three replications. Phenological, morphological, and yield traits were recorded and analyzed using R software (version 4.5.2). Genotype performance, stability, and adaptability were assessed through Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) analysis, Eberhart and Russell regression, Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) model, weighted average of scores from the BLUP (WAASB) interaction matrix, and Multi-trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI). Significant (P ≤ 0.05) genetic variation was observed among genotypes for traits such as days to heading and maturity, plant height, spike length, and seeds per spike, all contributing to biomass and grain yield. Environmental factors accounted for 83.31% of the total variation, while genotype effects constituted 6.64%. Grain yield ranged from 1671.6 to 2982.8 kg ha⁻¹, with an average of 2502.17 kg ha⁻¹. Genotypes ETBW7698, ETBW6850, and ETBW8481 demonstrated superior yield performance and stability across environments, consistently outperforming check varieties based on AMMI, Eberhart and Russell regression, BLUP, WAASB interaction matrix, and MGIDI analyses. The identified genotypes (ETBW8481, ETBW6850, and ETBW7698) exhibited high yield potential, stability, and wide adaptability, making them promising candidates for further verification and potential release. Continued research on the genetic mechanisms underlying yield traits is recommended to enhance wheat breeding programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100528"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide association studies and genomics-assisted breeding in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum): Advancing climate resilience, nutritional security, and sustainable production","authors":"Werkissa Yali","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100521","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Pearl millet (&lt;em&gt;Pennisetum glaucum&lt;/em&gt; [L.] R. Br.) is one of the most climate-resilient cereal crops. It plays a vital role in food and nutritional security in arid and semi-arid regions because of its exceptional tolerance to drought, heat, and low-fertility soils. However, accelerating climate change, increasing production constraints, and the growing demand for nutrient-dense cultivars require breeding strategies that are faster and more precise than conventional approaches. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have emerged as powerful tools for dissecting the genetic architecture of complex traits by exploiting natural allelic diversity and historical recombination within diverse germplasm collections. This review critically synthesizes recent advances in GWAS and genomics-assisted breeding for pearl millet improvement, with emphasis on genomic resources, GWAS methodologies, candidate gene discovery, functional validation, and breeding applications. We evaluate the strengths, limitations, and breeding suitability of widely used GWAS models, including the generalized linear model, mixed linear model, Fixed and Random Model Circulating Probability Unification, Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway, and the multi-locus mixed model. Furthermore, we summarize major marker-trait associations, quantitative trait loci, and candidate genes associated with grain yield, flowering time, drought and heat tolerance, disease resistance, nitrogen-use efficiency, and grain iron and zinc biofortification. Particular emphasis is placed on linking GWAS-derived loci and quantitative trait loci with positional candidate genes and transcription factors, while distinguishing putative genomic associations from functionally validated breeding targets. Particular emphasis is also placed on integrating GWAS with transcriptomics, RNA sequencing, expression quantitative trait locus analysis, multi-omics, and CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing to facilitate functional validation of candidate genes and accelerate precision breeding. The review further examines how genomic selection, artificial intelligence-assisted phenotyping and prediction, and speed breeding can be integrated to shorten breeding cycles, increase selection intensity, and accelerate the deployment of favorable alleles. We also discuss major challenges, including population structure, linkage disequilibrium, genotype × environment interactions, limited detection of rare alleles, phenotyping bottlenecks, and insufficient functional validation. Finally, we highlight future research priorities, including whole-genome resequencing, pan-genomics, high-throughput phenotyping, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled genomic prediction, speed breeding, and integrated locus-to-gene-to-cultivar pipelines&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt; Unlike previous reviews, this article provides a comprehensive framework that integrates GWAS, functional genomics, multi-omics, genome editing, geno","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100521"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coral reef genomics in the era of global bleaching: Mechanisms of thermal adaptation, epigenetic acclimatization, and holobiont resilience","authors":"Abinawanto,&nbsp;Alfi Sophian","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100526","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fourth global coral bleaching event (2023–2025), which impacted 84% of the world's coral reef area across all three major ocean basins, has created an unprecedented imperative to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying coral thermal tolerance and resilience. Reef-building corals are complex holobionts—meta-organisms comprising the coral host, endosymbiotic <em>Symbiodiniaceae</em> algae, bacteria, archaea, and viruses—whose genomic interactions determine survival under climate stress. This review synthesizes the rapidly evolving field of coral reef genomics, focusing on three interconnected dimensions: (1) the population genomics of coral thermal adaptation, including standing genetic variation, polygenic architecture of bleaching tolerance, and gene flow dynamics; (2) epigenomic mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation-mediated acclimatization and its transgenerational inheritance; and (3) holobiont metagenomics, including the functional roles of coral-associated microbial communities in supporting host resilience. We further evaluate emerging genomic conservation tools—selective breeding, assisted gene flow, and genomic prediction of bleaching tolerance—that leverage these molecular insights for reef restoration. We highlight the critical importance of Indo-Pacific coral systems, including those of Indonesia, as genomic reservoirs of adaptive diversity. Priorities for future research in this field are identified, including the need for long-term genomic monitoring frameworks and the expansion of reference genome databases for under-represented tropical species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100526"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Utilization of rbcL and TTS1 genes for genetic diversity assessment in Amaranthus species","authors":"Sirikul Thummajitsakul,&nbsp;Rattiporn Kosuwin,&nbsp;Sunisa Krainara,&nbsp;Wittaya Kaewsri,&nbsp;Kun Silprasit","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amaranthus species are widely consumed, nutritious leafy vegetables. However, their genetic structure and diversity in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand, remain unexplored. Therefore, our objective was to determine genetic structure and diversity of amaranth in the local region based on partial chloroplast ribulose 1,5 biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) and nuclear internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) genes. Specimens (n = 49) were collected using a convenience sampling method from agricultural and roadside regions, while four samples were purchased from supermarkets and a fresh market. Partial sequences of the rbcL and ITS1 genes were amplified and sequenced. To confirm taxonomic identity, each sequence was individually analyzed and compared against the GenBank database using the BLASTn tool, ensuring high similarity with the target Amaranthus species. The results indicated that the rbcL region exhibited a greater number of variable, parsimony-informative, and singleton sites compared to the nuclear ITS1 region. Furthermore, rbcL showed higher values for genetic distance, average inter- and intraspecific distances, polymorphic sites, mutations, and nucleotide diversity. The maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods of the rbcL region demonstrated that most samples were recognized into <em>Amaranthus dubius</em>, while 4 samples were recognized into <em>Amaranthus retroflexus</em>, <em>Amaranthus tricolor</em>, <em>Amaranthus viridis</em> and <em>Spinacia oleracea</em>. The finding indicated that the chloroplast rbcL gene performed greater phylogenetic resolution under the conditions and sampling strategy employed in this study than the nuclear ITS1 gene. Understanding this genetic patterns is crucial for assessing the status of local biological resources and establishing a fundamental database for ecosystem management, food security and future sustainable utilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100525"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic review of breeding objectives, trait preferences, and selection criteria in chevon production","authors":"Katlego Precious Nkgapele,&nbsp;Obert Tada","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Goat production is vital to livelihoods in low- and middle-income countries, yet productivity remains suboptimal due to ill-defined breeding objectives. This systematic review synthesizes global evidence on breeding objectives, trait preferences, and selection criteria in chevon production systems (2014–2024) to inform context-specific genetic improvement programs. Following PRISMA guidelines and the PICO framework, 33 studies were identified, primarily from Sub-Saharan Africa. Data were analyzed using a narrative synthesis approach due to study heterogeneity, with risk of bias assessed via the ROBIS tool. Results indicate that breeding objectives are predominantly economic, focusing on income generation, meat production, and household savings. Growth traits, specifically growth rate and body size, are universally preferred across production systems. However, the prioritization of reproductive traits such as twinning ability and kidding interval varies by environment. Adaptive traits, including disease resistance and coat color, are critical in resource-constrained, high-stress agro-ecological zones. Selection criteria display distinct sex-specific patterns: bucks are selected for growth and morphology, while does are prioritized for reproductive efficiency and maternal performance. The findings emphasize the necessity of aligning breeding strategies with region-specific farmer preferences, market demands, and environmental adaptation. Structured programs that integrate these multi-dimensional traits are essential for enhancing the productivity and resilience of meat goat populations. This review provides consolidated evidence base for developing sustainable, genotype-by-environment (GxE) sensitive breeding goals in diverse ecological contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100529"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Invisible bridges: Genetic connectivity among turtle grass (Thalassia hemprichii) populations in marine protected and non-protected areas along the Tanzanian coast","authors":"Jackson L. Saiperaki,&nbsp;Rajabu M. Jafari,&nbsp;Silvia F. Materu,&nbsp;Cyrus Rumisha","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Turtle grass (<em>Thalassia hemprichii</em>) is a key seagrass species supporting marine biodiversity along the Tanzanian coast, but its populations have declined due to anthropogenic and climatic pressures. Although Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and replanting initiatives have been implemented to restore degraded seagrass beds, restoration success is constrained by limited knowledge of genetic population structure. This gap hinders the identification of genetically diverse donor populations and well-connected restoration sites. To address this, 146 internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of <em>T. hemprichii</em> from four MPAs and two non-protected areas (NPAs) along the Tanzanian coast were analyzed to assess genetic diversity and connectivity patterns. The results revealed low nucleotide and haplotype diversity among the populations, with the Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park (MBREMP) displaying a slightly higher genetic diversity. The Tajima's D and Fu's Fs values of the pooled ITS sequences were negative (Tajima's D = −2.53, p &lt; 0.01; Fu's Fs = −9.83, p &lt; 0.01), and mismatch distribution analysis showed a unimodal distribution of pairwise nucleotide differences. Furthermore, the analyzed indices of genetic differentiation were non-significant (F_ST = −0.016, p &gt; 0.05; Φ_ST = 0.003, p-value&gt; 0.05, 1023 permutations). The results indicate strong genetic connectivity among <em>T. hemprichii</em> populations in both MPAs and NPAs along the Tanzanian coast, suggesting that restored meadows are unlikely to become genetically isolated due to ongoing natural gene flow. The relatively high genetic diversity at MBREMP highlights its suitability as a donor population to support successful seagrass restoration efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100527"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic variation of grey pomfret Pampus cinereus along the Bangladesh and Malaysia coastlines with phylogeography in the Indo-West Pacific based on mitochondrial COI and Cyt β","authors":"M.M. Mahbub Alam,&nbsp;Md. Moshiur Rahman,&nbsp;Jayed Mahbub Aomio,&nbsp;Nur Asma Ariffin,&nbsp;Mohammad Asmat-Ullah,&nbsp;Shamima Nasren,&nbsp;Sarker Mohammed Ibrahim Khalil,&nbsp;Md. Abdullah-Al Mamun,&nbsp;Muhammad Anamul Kabir,&nbsp;Ahasan Habib","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Pampus cinereus</em> is extensively distributed in the Indo-West Pacific (IWP) region, and has significant ecological and commercial value. Genetic variation of <em>P. cinereus</em> alongside the coast of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal and the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia, and its phylogeography in the IWP, was assessed utilizing mitochondrial COI (N = 140) and Cyt β (N = 79) sequences. Intra-population genetic diversity of <em>P. cinereus</em> based on COI was characterized with low haplotype diversity (<em>h</em> = 0.1466 ± 0.0658) in Bangladesh and moderate haplotype diversity (<em>h</em> = 0.3417 ± 0.1403) in Malaysia, but low nucleotide diversity: <em>π</em> = 0.0002 ± 0.0004 and <em>π</em> = 0.0006 ± 0.0006, respectively, and which is reflected by shallow genealogy with a lack of significant genetic differentiation between sampling sites. The DNA sequences mismatch distribution based on COI follows the sudden expansion model. Based on the COI gene, the times since expansion for the Bangladesh and Malaysia populations was around 230.8 Kyr and 33.4 Kyr ago, respectively. The results are consistent with recent population expansion or reduced mitochondrial genetic variation, but alternative explanations cannot be excluded. Female effective population size (N_ef) of <em>P. cinereus</em> populations from Bangladesh and Malaysia were 0.67 (CI:6.89 × 10⁻¹⁰ to 5.30) and 0.02 (CI:4.52 × 10⁻⁴ to 0.09) million individuals, respectively. The phylogeny, based on COI and Cyt β variation, did not reveal any distinct geographical pattern within the IWP (Φ_ST and F_ST <em>p &gt; </em>0.05 for both genes) and thus, characterized by a lack of significant genetic differentiation between sampling sites. The results will be useful for further study and better management and conservation of the species through regional cooperation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100520"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148958429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Process optimization for amylase production by Bacillus subtilis R4 under agro-waste solid-state fermentation using statistical tools","authors":"Trisha Tiwari ,&nbsp;Chandrashekhar Parab ,&nbsp;Vimalkumar Prajapati ,&nbsp;Swati Patel ,&nbsp;Vaibhavkumar Mehta ,&nbsp;Mrugesh D. Khunt","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100478","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100478","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is recognized as an efficient method for microbial enzyme production using low-cost agro-waste. In this study, 32 microbial isolates obtained from soil samples collected from ecological fields (rice, sweet potato, and elephant foot yam) were screened on starch agar plates for extracellular amylase production. Four promising isolates (R3, R4, SP8, and EFY11) were characterized based on morphological, biochemical, and amylolytic activity in liquid fermentation. Among them, isolate R4 exhibited the highest enzymatic activity and was selected for further investigation. Molecular identification using 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed R4 as <em>Bacillus subtilis</em>, and the sequence was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. PV934264). Amylase production by <em>B. subtilis</em> R4 was enhanced through SSF using wheat bran as the substrate. Initially, the one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) approach was applied to evaluate the influence of various physicochemical parameters and media components on enzyme yield. Significant factors were subsequently identified using the Plackett–Burman (PB) design, which revealed fructose, pH, temperature, and moisture level as key variables. Further optimization using Central Composite Design under Response Surface Methodology (CCD-RSM) resulted in the development of a predictive model with an R² value of 0.8403. Validation under optimized conditions (fructose 0.075 g, pH 7.5, temperature 52 °C, and moisture level 10.5 mL) predicted an amylase activity of 36.98 U/gds, while experimental trials yielded 37.26 U/gds. The close agreement between predicted and observed values confirms the reliability of the model. These findings demonstrate the potential of <em>B. subtilis</em> R4 as a promising candidate for cost-effective amylase production from agricultural waste.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article 100478"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148167308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isolation and characterization of halotolerant plant growth promoting bacteria from salt affected agricultural fields","authors":"Rinkal Dhiman,&nbsp;Neerja Rana","doi":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100480","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.egg.2026.100480","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salt stress is one of the most vulnerable abiotic problems in agriculture turning agronomically useful land into unproductive areas. It has a major effect on soil properties and plant growth, affecting both vegetative and reproductive development. The use of halotolerant PGPR is an ecofriendly approach for enhancing plant growth under saline conditions. Hence, they can be used as biofertilizer in the salt affected agricultural fields. The present investigation was aimed to isolate, characterize and identify the halotolerant bacterial isolates from saline soils. A total of 103 bacterial isolates were screened for salt tolerance ability and 42 isolates which were able to tolerate higher (10 per cent) concentration of sodium chloride were further screened for other halotolerant traits viz. ACC deaminase and EPS production. The isolates showing maximum activity for halotolerant traits were further screened for qualitative as well as quantitative estimation of multifarious plant growth promoting traits. Out of 35 isolates, 28 isolates were found phosphate solubilizers (80 per cent), 25 were nitrogen fixers (71.4 Per cent), 20 were ammonia producers (57.1 per cent), 17 isolates were HCN producers (48.5 per cent) and 15 were siderophore producers (42.8 per cent). The 2 isolates with maximum halotolerant and PGP traits were selected and characterized morphologically and biochemically. These bacterial isolates were identified as <em>Sphingobacterium detergens</em> and <em>Sphingobacterium multivorum</em> after molecular identification. Both bacterial isolates were able to grow at pH 7, temperature 35 °C and incubation period of 48h. Both the halotolerant isolates were evaluated for their effect on seed germination in okra under salt stress of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100-mM. Both of them increased the seed germination percentage, radicle length and fresh weight of germinated seeds over control seeds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37938,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Genetics and Genomics","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article 100480"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148167313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}