This paper examines genetic erosion in rice landraces thriving in traditional smallholder agricultural systems in the Sarangani uplands, Philippines. In these marginal areas, the crop is closely interwoven with tribal culture and is vital in ensuring food security among upland households. Field visits unveiled high varietal diversity for upland rice and a rich tapestry of indigenous knowledge associated with its cultivation and use. Study results, however, revealed the tapering of the crop's genetic base due to farmers' changing priorities, pest infestation, weakening seed supply systems, shift to cash crops, natural calamities, environmental degradation, government programmes and peace and order problems. Consequently, these pressures undermined traditional agricultural systems in Sarangani upland communities causing food and water scarcity, hunger and suffering on a catastrophic scale. Interdisciplinary strategies aimed at simultaneously averting further varietal losses and environmental degradation while improving human well-being are therefore warranted. Furthermore, making traditional rice farming a lucrative endeavour will induce the younger generation to remain in the uplands and choose farming as a profession. This way, biocultural restoration of agriculture will be attained and the continued presence of the tribal groups in the Sarangani uplands will be ensured for a very long time.

Stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a devastating fungal disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The best economical technique for disease control is breeding for genetic resistance to stripe rust. To find resistance genes in landrace PI388222 from Pakistan, a segregating population was developed by a cross between PI388222 and susceptible Australian spring wheat line Avocet ‘S’. The F2:4 seeds were harvested and seeds were planted in the greenhouse of Washington State University Pullman, to grow F4:5 recombinant inbred lines (RIL). A variable set of seedling reactions were noted when a set of 136 F5 and parental lines were screened with four Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici races (PSTv-37, PSTv-40, PSTv-4 and PSTv-51). The great proportion of RILs showed resistant reaction displayed by the RILs was against PSTv-40, for which 85% of the RILs showed resistant reaction, while less resistance to the race PSTv-37 was detected against which the resistance was for only 49% of the RILs. The RIL population was further evaluated at two locations; Palouse Conservation Field Station (PCFS) and Mount Vernon (MV). In MV field, 76% of RILs displayed resistant reaction while 15% of RILs exhibited moderate reaction. About 53% of RILs exhibited resistant reaction to four P. tritici races that were used in glasshouse screening and they were also resistant in field environments at PCFS and MV. This study demonstrates that landrace comprises partial resistance in the range of resistant to moderately resistant lines.

Bell pepper or sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum) is highly susceptible to high-temperature stress (HT). Hence, search for donor across C. annuum for HT tolerance was undertaken by following Temperature Induction Response (TIR) technique. The induction and challenging temperature requirement for TIR screening were standardized in 1 d-old Capsicum seedlings. Forty Capsicum genotypes were evaluated based on the recovery growth (RG) and per cent reduction in recovery growth (%RRG) of the seedlings. The genotypes Punjab Guchhedar and Ajeet 1 were found to have maximum cellular level tolerance (CLT) to HT with higher RG and lower %RRG compared to the non-induced seedlings and HDC 75 was found to have minimum CLT. In order to confirm the findings, another experiment was conducted under managed stress and control conditions. Absolute yield obtained from both the environments were used to calculate stress tolerance indices such as heat susceptibility index, tolerance index, stress tolerance index, mean productivity, geometric mean productivity and yield stability index. Based on these tolerance indices, Punjab Guchhedar and Ajeet 1 were found to be highly tolerant and HDC 75 as highly susceptible. Further, the combined result of TIR and tolerance indices also gave the same result confirming Punjab Guchhedar and Ajeet 1 can be used as a donor for the future breeding programme aimed at evolving high-temperature-tolerant bell pepper cultivars. The result also confirms the fitness of TIR technique to screen Capsicum genotypes for tolerance to HT based on variability in acquired thermotolerance.

Choice of the most appropriate breeding method hinges on mode of action of genes controlling expression of target traits. Pungency (capsaicin) and colour (oleoresin) are most important fruit quality traits in chilli. Genetics of fruit quality traits was unravelled using a combination of first and second degree statistics. An additive-dominance model was inadequate to explain the inheritance of fruit yield and quality traits. Magnitude of additive genetic effects [a] and their variances [σ2A] were higher than those of dominance genetic effects [d] and dominance genetic variances [σ2D] suggesting predominance of additive effect genes in the inheritance of both oleoresin and capsaicin contents. These results are discussed in relation to appropriate selection strategy to be followed for genetic improvement of chilli for oleoresin and capsaicin contents.