Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping has been thoroughly used in peanut genetics and breeding in spite of the narrow genetic diversity and the segmental tetraploid nature of the cultivated species. QTL mapping is helpful for identifying the genomic regions that contribute to traits, for estimating the extent of variation and the genetic action (i.e., additive, dominant, or epistatic) underlying this variation, and for pinpointing genetic correlations between traits. The aim of this paper is to review the recently published studies on QTL mapping with a particular emphasis on mapping populations used as well as traits related to kernel quality. We found that several populations have been used for QTL mapping including interspecific populations developed from crosses between synthetic tetraploids and elite varieties. Those populations allowed the broadening of the genetic base of cultivated peanut and helped with the mapping of QTL and identifying beneficial wild alleles for economically important traits. Furthermore, only a few studies reported QTL related to kernel quality. The main quality traits for which QTL have been mapped include oil and protein content as well as fatty acid compositions. QTL for other agronomic traits have also been reported. Among the 1261 QTL reported in this review, and extracted from the most relevant studies on QTL mapping in peanut, 413 (~33%) were related to kernel quality showing the importance of quality in peanut genetics and breeding. Exploiting the QTL information could accelerate breeding to develop highly nutritious superior cultivars in the face of climate change.

Assaha DVM, Petang LY. 2024. Bone meal enhances the growth and yield of the tomato cultivar Cobra F1 by increasing fruit Ca content and alleviating blossom-end rot. Asian J Agric 8: 70-77. Bone Meal (BM) is a cheap organic fertilizer rich in Ca, which can be important for tomato production to counter the fruit's Blossom-End Rot (BER) disorder. The present study evaluated the effect of cow bone meal on the growth and yield of the Cobra F1 tomato variety. Therefore, to accomplish this, field plots randomly treated with BM (0, 143, 286, 429, and 572 kgha-1) were sown with 30-day-old uniform-sized tomato seedlings. At the end of 8 weeks of treatment, plant height, number of leaves, fresh and dry vegetative biomass, and yield (fruit weight) were measured. The results obtained revealed that BM, at especially 572 kgha-1, significantly elevated plant height (48%), leaf number (45%), root fresh weight (2.1-fold), stem fresh weight (27%), leaf and stem dry weight (27 and 51%, respectively), fruit weight per plant (2.1-fold), and up to 14% increase in fruit Ca concentration. BER affected control plants but did not affect BM-treated plants. Together, these results indicate that BM can significantly increase vegetative growth and yield of tomato void of BER; hence, it should be very suitable to enhance tomato production.