Nasir Mahmood Minhas's research while affiliated with PMAS - Arid Agriculture University and other places

Performance of nine hybrids along with six genotypes including three lines (Roma, Nagina and Continental) and three testers (Peto-86, Riograndi and Naqeeb) was studied following Line × Tester design. Variances due to treatments, parents, crosses and Line × Tester were found significant for all traits apart from clusters plant-1 in parents. Predominance of non-additive gene action was observed for all the traits excepting days to 50% flowering and maturity. Thus heterosis breeding may be rewarding for genetic enhancement of such characters. Tester's contribution towards total variance was higher in comparison to lines. Line × tester contributed significantly in plant height, clusters plant-1 , fruit length, fruit width and average fruit weight. Based on GCA effects, the tester Naqeeb and line Nagina performed better for yield and its related components. Similarly while considering SCA effects, two cross combinations viz., Riograndi × Continental and Naqeeb × Roma were perceived as potential crosses with desirable SCA values for increased yield and are recommended for further evaluation.

Objective: To estimate frequencies of metabolic risk phenotypes and their associations in body mass index and waist circumference-based obesity categories. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from August 2014 to March 2016. Anthropometric and clinical data of young adults was collected. All subjects were categorised into body mass index, waist circumference-based obesity categories and common metabolic risk phenotypes (hypertension, hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia) frequencies and their associations were estimated in age and gender adjusted models. Data was analysed using SPSS 21. Results: Of the 2,000 participants, 800(40%) were females and 1,200(60%) were males. There were 500(25%) participants in each group, i.e. underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese. The overall mean age was 23.68±4.33 years (range: 16-30 years). All clinical parameters were significantly raised in general and abdominally obese class (p<0.05). Based on body mass index and waist circumference, the frequency of general obesity was 324(16.2%) and abdominal obesity was 994(49.7%). Co-morbid metabolic risk phenotypes were as follows: hypertension 1,098(54.9%) and 924(46.2%); hyperglycaemia 1,116(55.8%) and 550(27.5%); dyslipidaemia 300(15%) and 194(9.7%), respectively. The strongest associations of body mass index and waist circumference alone catergorised obesity were found with hyperglycaemia, (Odds ratio: 7.23, 6.49) followed by dyslipidemia (Odds ratio: 5.60, 5.67) and hypertension (Odds ratio: 3.28, 3.02). . Conclusions: Body mass index and waist circumference were found to be powerful, discriminating predictors of co-morbidities linked with general and abdominal obesity.

A set of eight parental diallel involving seven commercial wheat cultivars and one breeding line was made to investigate the nature of gene action determining inheritance pattern of grain quality characters. Highly significant differences were observed among the genotypes for 1000 grain weight, protein content, wet gluten and lysine content. Adequacy tests were employed to estimate the fitness of data sets to additive dominance model. Both the tests i.e. analysis of uniformity of Wr, Vr and joint regression analysis validated the data of these traits for genetic analysis. Gene actions for grain quality traits were ascertained following Hayman's analysis of variance. Results of the genetic analysis revealed that both additive and dominance genetic components were involved in the manifestation of characters under study. However, additive gene effects were more pronounced in the genetic control of these traits. Non significance of b1, b2 and b3 values revealed the absence of directional dominance, symmetrical distribution of genes among the parental lines and absence of specific genes action respectively in all the traits. Maternal effects were also noted in 1000 grain weight, protein content and wet gluten percentage. It is concluded that additive effects are crucial in the expression of grain quality characters of wheat in germplasm under study and single plant selection may be recommended in segregating generations for effective improvement in these characters.

Sustainable production of food crops relies on germplasm improvement and genetic diversity. The use of multivariate techniques is an important strategy for germplasm classification and study of genetic relationships among genotypes. Wheat germplasm comprising of 50 genotypes contributed by CIMMYT was evaluated for seven quantitative traits through cluster and principal component analyses. The first three PCs with eigen values >1 contributed 70.59% of the variability amongst genotypes. The characters contributing more positively with PC1 were number of spikelets per spike, spike length and grain yield (gram per plot). The cluster analysis sequestrated 50 genotypes into 5 clusters based on Ward's method. The cluster IV and V were more clearly separated than cluster I, II and III. The cluster analysis revealed that considerable variation existed among genotypes that could be implicated in selection of wheat for the development or improvement of cultivars and germplasm.

The objective of the present study was to develop an efficient callus induction protocol for a fine rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety Basmati-370. Mature grains of this variety were used for callus induction. The Chu's N6 medium was used as basal medium for callus induction and was supplemented with sucrose, Myo-inositol, Casein, agar (4 g L-1, 5 g L-1, 6 g L-1) and growth hormone 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid in different concentrations of 2ppm and 2.5ppm. The genotype responded well for all the three concentrations of agar (4 g L-1, 5 g L-1, 6 g L-1) and two concentrations of 2,4-D (2ppm, 2.5ppm), however, the combination of 4 g L-1 agar with 2.5ppm 2,4-D gave excellent results with maximum callus induction of 93.42% followed by 4 g L-1 agar with 2ppm 2,4-D and 5 g L-1 with 2.5ppm 2,4-D which also gave better results with the observed callus induction of 92.75% and 91.11%, respectively.

The objective of this study was to test genotypes and to evaluate media for effectiveness in promoting whole plant regeneration by somatic embryogenesis in two wheat genotypes viz., Inqilab-91 and Pavon-76. Embryogenic callus was obtained by culturing seeds of both varieties on gel-solidified Linsmaier and Skoog's (LS) medium with 3.5 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The callus cultures were maintained by subsequent subcultures onto fresh media at 4-5 weeks interval. The embryogenic calli carefully cleared of any surrounding non-embryogenic callus were grown on the gel-solidified basic Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium with 3% (w/v) sucrose after at least two subcultures. Seven different combinations of BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) and IAA (Indole-3-acetic acid) i.e., 0 & 0.1, 0.5 & 0.1, 2.5 & 0.1, 5.0 & 0.1, 0.5 & 0, 2.5 & 0 and 5.0 & 0 mg/L, respectively, and one control were assayed. Highest frequency of green spot formation and plant regeneration (84% in Inqilab-91 and 52% in Pavon-76) was achieved at 0.5 & 0.1 mg/L of BAP and IAA, respectively. Higher concentrations of BAP in the media proved to be toxic and fatal for callus in some cases. Significant difference was observed among cultivars to callus in vitro and regenerate whole plants.

Mature healthy seeds of two genotypes of wheat viz. Inqilab-91 and Pavon-76, were inoculated on the gel-solidified LS media supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4-D. Callus induction frequency differed significantly in both genotypes tested and remained 48 and 100% in Inqilab-91 and Pavon-76, respectively. Higher levels of 2,4-D were found to inhibit callus proliferation while lower concentrations allowed morphogenesis to occur. It was found that 3.5 mg/L 2,4-D was the most appropriate concentration in LS media for adequate callus induction and proliferation, and 2 mg/L for subsequent subcultures from mature wheat seeds. Good embryoid production was apparent in third and fourth weeks of callus subculture. Average fresh weights of the calli for Inqilab-91 and Pavon-76 were 0.37 and 0.36 g per explant source, respectively. Calli fresh weights were found to be significantly and positively correlated with dry weights.

Information about combining ability is important for making breeding strategies. A nine parent diallel excluding reciprocals was formed for the inbreds developed by the Maize Programme at NARC, Islamabad. These inbreds were derived from material from temperate, subtropical and tropical ecologies and their combining ability effects were estimated for 11 biometric traits. GCA effects were highly significant for all the traits under study, but SCA effects were less significant in certain cases suggesting predominance of additive genes. High GCA effects for grain yield were observed in the temperate material i.e. QPM-1 (0.168), QPM-3 (0.169) and QPM-5 (0.485), while SCA effects were remarkable for hybrids QPM-3 × NCML-1078 (0.890), NCML-1071 × NCML-1084 (0.878) and NCML-1082 × NCML-1083 (0.831). Temperate material also gave high GCA effects for striking characters contributing towards high grain yield i.e. plant and ear heights, leaf area, ears plant-1, ear weight and kernels row -1 . Tropical inbreds gave eminent GCA effects for days to pollen shedding, ear weight and grain moisture at harvest. Considering its negative GCA and SCA effects for days to pollen shedding, subtropical material was marked as a valuable source for inducing earliness.