Doubled haploid (DH) plant production, such as anther culture (AC), is an effective tool used in modern rice breeding programs. The improved efficient protocols applied can shorten the process of breeding. The effect of combinations of plant growth regulators (2.5 mg/L NAA, 1 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/L kinetin; 2 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/L BAP) in the induction medium were compared in AC for five rice breeding materials and combinations. Induction of calli ranged from 264.6 ± 67.07 to 468.8 ± 123.2 calli/100 anthers in AC of rice genotypes. Two basal media (MS and N₆) and two combinations of growth regulators (1 mg/L NAA, 1 mg/L BAP and 1 mg/L kinetin; 1.5 mg/L BAP, 0.5 mg/L NAA and 0.5 mg/L kinetin) were used as regeneration media. The in vitro green plant production was the highest with the application of the N₆NDK induction medium (NAA, 2,4-D and kinetin) and the MS-based regeneration medium (1 mg/L NAA, 1 mg/BAP and 1 mg/L kinetin) in anther culture of the ‘1009’ genotype (95.2 green plantlets/100 anthers). The mean of five genotypes was 24.48 green plantlets/100 anthers for the best treatment. Flow cytometric analyses conducted identified the microspore origin of the haploid calli produced in AC, while the uniformity of spontaneous DH plants was checked in the DH₁ and DH₂ generations. Spontaneous chromosome doubling ranged from 38.1% to 57.9% (mean 42.1%), depending on the breeding source. The generated and selected DH lines were tested in micro- and small-plot field experiments to identify promising lines for a pedigree breeding program. The improved AC method was integrated in a Hungarian temperate rice pedigree breeding program.

Anther culture is an efficient biotechnological tool in modern plant breeding programs to produce new varieties and parental lines in hybrid seed productions. However, some bottlenecks—low induction rate, genotype dependency, albinism—restrict the widespread utilization of in vitro anther culture in rice breeding, especially in Oryza sativa ssp. indica (indica) genotypes, while an improved efficient protocol can shorten the process of breeding. Three different induction media (N₆NDK_, N₆NDZ, Ali-1) and four plant regeneration media (mMSNBK1, MSNBK3, MSNBKZ1, MSNBKZ2) were tested with five indica rice genotypes to increase the efficiency of in vitro androgenesis (number of calli and regenerated green plantlets). The production of calli was more efficient on the N₆NDK medium with an average 88.26 calli/100 anthers and N₆NDZ medium with an average of 103.88 calli/100 anthers as compared to Ali-1 with an average of 6.96 calli/100 anthers. The production of green plantlets was greater when calli was produced on N₆NDK medium (2.15 green plantlets/100 anthers) compared when produced on to N₆NDZ medium (1.18 green plantlets/100 anthers). Highest green plantlets production (4.7 green plantlets/100 anthers) was achieved when mMSNBK1 plant regeneration medium was used on calli produced utilizing N₆NDK induction medium. In the best overall treatment (N₆NDK induction medium and mMSNBK1 plant regeneration medium), four tested genotypes produced green plantlets. However, the genotype influenced the efficiency, and the green plantlets production ranged from 0.4 green plantlets/100 anthers to 8.4 green plantlets/100 anthers. The ploidy level of 106 acclimatized indica rice plantlets were characterized with flow cytometric analyses to calculate the percentage of spontaneous chromosome doubling. Altogether, 48 haploid-, 55 diploid-, 2 tetraploid- and 1 mixoploid plantlets were identified among the regenerant plantlets, and the spontaneous chromosome doubling percentage was 51.89%. Utilization of DH plants have been integrated as a routine method in the Hungarian rice breeding program. The tetraploid lines can be explored for their potential to offer new scopes for rice research and breeding directions in the future.

Nowadays, hyperspectral remote sensing data are widely used in nutrient management, crop yield forecasting and stress monitoring. These data can be acquired with satellites, drones and handheld spectrometers. In this research, handheld spectrometer data were validated by chlorophyll-a fluorescence measurements under natural cold stress. The performance of 16 rice cultivars with different origins and tolerances was monitored in the seedling stage. The studies were carried out under field conditions across two seasons to simulate different temperature regimes. Twenty-four spectral indices and eleven rapid chlorophyll-a fluorescence parameters were compared with albino plants. We identified which wavelengths are affected by low temperatures. Furthermore, the differences between genotypes were characterized by certain well-known and two newly developed (AAR and RAR) indices based on the spectral difference between the genotype and albino plant. The absorbance, reflectance and transmittance differences from the control are suitable for the discrimination of tolerant-sensitive varieties, especially based on their shape, peak and shifting distance. The following wavelengths are capable of determining the tolerant varieties, namely 548–553 nm, 667–670 nm, 687–688 nm and 800–950 nm in case of absorbance; above 700 nm for reflectance; and the whole spectrum (400–1100 nm) for transmittance.

Common sage is a versatile medicinal and aromatic plant that adapts well to unfavorable soil conditions. We determined the effect of Fluvisol and Chernozem soils on sage morphology, leaf yield, essential oil content, and composition under rainfed, temperate conditions for two consecutive years. Based on the plant height, diameter, shoot length, and yield, Chernozem soil was significantly superior to Fluvisol. However, S. officinalis is considered a drought-tolerant plant; our results confirmed the importance of the available water capacity of the different soil types since the yield on both soil types decreased significantly after an extreme drought event in 2022. The essential oil concentration (0.67–1.10 mL/100 g DM) was higher on the Fluvisol, but the total oil content was higher in the case of Chernozem (78.64 ± 20.50 mL/m² DM). The ratio of essential oil components was also influenced by the soil types, but the highest amounts were analyzed for soils viridiflorol, α-humulen, and α-tujone. The essential oil yield showed a strong positive correlation with hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes (0.92) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (0.95). Moreover, significant correlations were identified between the harvest time, seasonal precipitation patterns, soil and plant characteristics, and drug quality. On both soil types, the macronutrient content of the soils showed a strong positive correlation with the morphological parameters. The essential oil concentration was higher in the arid season of 2022 in the case of both soil types. The soil type and the seasonal effects can also change the ratio of essential oils.

Several studies have explored how arsenic (As) is absorbed and transported in plants, but less attention has been paid to its impact on rice growth and yield in relation to water management. We aimed to assess how arsenic affects plant development under different irrigation methods. The growth and yield parameters of four rice varieties (‘M 488’, ‘Janka’, ‘Szellő’, and ‘Nembo’) in two greenhouse experiments were analyzed in 2021 and 2022 under different irrigation methods (flooded (F), intermittent (I), and aerobic (A)). Three different As concentrations were set up in the soil: 43 mg kg⁻¹, 24 mg kg⁻¹, and 4 mg kg⁻¹. Our results showed that the high As treatment caused severe damage to the plants including leaf yellowing as well as reduced growth and decreased yield parameters. Alternative water management practices such as I and A irrigation could reduce the negative effects of As. At the high level of As stress (43 mg kg⁻¹), the I irrigation had the most favorable effect on the yield of ’Janka’ among the tested cultivars compared to the F irrigation (in F: 1.64 ± 1.13 g; in I: 5.45 ± 3.69 g). However, the use of fully aerobic conditions increased the likelihood of drought stress.

Remote sensing is the process of detecting and monitoring a plant's characteristics by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance, typically from a satellite or aircraft. The handheld leaf spectrometers help validate these images at the field scale. This dataset was captured by the CI-710 s SpectraVue Leaf Spectrometer (Cid-Bioscience, Camas, WA, U.S.A.). The absorbance, reflectance, and transmittance of albino plants were measured under natural cold stress in a temperate rice-growing area [1]. The experiment was carried out in field conditions at the seedling stage. The chlorophyll degradation takes place, starting with the yellowing of the leaf until plant death. Albinos and different level of leaf colour mutants are very useful for research and as well as breeding [2]. The symptoms of cool-temperature-induced chlorosis (CTIC) are widely examined in higher plants, especially in rice [3]. Beside laboratory induction, CTIC is appearing natural low temperature in early spring, especially cold-sensitive genotypes, such as indica rice cultivars (e.g. ‘Dular’) [4]. The dataset contains raw data from 400 nm to 1100 nm with the wavelength data increment of 0.6 nm [5]. These data may provide reliable support to researcher and breeder to make a simple comparison of the extent of chlorophyll degradation.