In recent years, barley has attracted more interest as a food and feed source because of its high soluble dietary fiber and β-glucan content compared with other small grains. Twenty-five barley genotypes (20 imported genotypes and five check cultivars) were grown in three environments for two successive seasons: 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. The first environment was in El-Nubaria, Alexandria, Egypt during 2015/2016, while the second and third environments were in El-Bostan, Elbhera, Egypt during 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. The experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with the three replicates. The primary objectives of the current study were to evaluate the performance of 20 imported barley genotypes under several environmental conditions. The imported materials were superior to the local commercial cultivars for several traits, including grain yield. Therefore, the superior genotypes will be further evaluated and used in barley breeding programs. Our future work will focus on creating several crosses among the selected superior genotypes to improve yield and other important traits, while applying marker-assisted selection.

Soybean cultivation has emerged as a viable agricultural solution in Egypt, addressing challenges such as food security, import reliance, and economic diversification. This comprehensive review examines the current status, potential, and future perspectives of the soybean industry in Egypt. It traces the historical evolution of soybean farming, from its introduction in the twentieth century to its establishment as a prominent crop, particularly in the Nile Delta and Valley regions. The multifaceted applications of soybeans in Egypt, spanning animal feed, human food products, and industrial sectors, are highlighted. An in depth analysis of the harvested area, production, yield, and import dynamics reveals both progress and constraints. The review delves into the climatic suitability of Egypt for soybean cultivation, identifying favorable temperature ranges, sunlight exposure, and strategic irrigation practices. It also examines the challenges faced by Egyptian soybean farmers, including water scarcity, pest infestations, and competition from other crops. Strategies to enhance Egypt's soybean agriculture are proposed, emphasizing breeding programs focused on high yields, disease resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance. The pivotal role of genetic diversity in sustainable agriculture is underscored, and the strategic introduction of soybean varieties through international collaborations is advocated. The maturity group system is presented as a crucial tool for facilitating germplasm exchange and adaptation, enabling the importation of suitable varieties from major soybean-producing countries like China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina. The review concludes by outlining future perspectives, emphasizing the need for continued research and development, water management solutions, innovative pest control strategies, sustainable agricultural practices, and market diversification to strengthen Egypt's soybean sector and ensure global competitiveness.

Expanding soybean planting is vital for food security both in China and globally. The 50° N latitude serves as the northern boundary of major soybean regions. However, enhancing the adaptability of soybean to photothermal conditions enables the potential to extend cultivation to higher latitudes and altitudes. Understanding the genetic basis of super-early maturity of soybean is crucial to achieving this goal. In this study, 438 soybean germplasms collected from high-latitude regions were evaluated in Heihe (HH) (50°15′ N, 127°28′ E, 154 m), Beijicun (BJC) (53°28′ N, 122°21′ E, 295 m) and Labudalin (LBDL) (50°15′ N, 120°19′ E, 577 m). Using resequencing data, we analyzed natural variation and haplotypes in 35 key genes associated with flowering time and maturity. The results showed that the relative maturity groups (RMGs) for BJC, HH, and LBDL were −1.0, 0.0, and −1.2, respectively. Among the 35 genes analyzed, 23 had identical allelic variations, while 12 genes exhibited 19 SNPs and four InDels. Functional mutations were identified in E1, E2, E3, and E4. Notably, all cultivars carried the e1-as allele of E1, which is likely critical for high-latitude adaptation. Additional mutations included a single-base substitution in E2 (16142 A > T) and E3 (5203 C > T), causing premature codon termination, along with frameshift mutations in E4 (3726 and 4099) and E3 (2649). Haplotype analysis revealed significant differences in growth stages among nine gene haplotypes. The higher frequency of early-maturing haplotypes in BJC and LBDL highlights the role of gene accumulation in soybean adaptation. These findings offer valuable insights for improving soybean maturity and expanding its cultivation in high-latitude regions of China.

Soybean ( Glycine max [L.] Merr.) has been grown in diverse environments in a wide range of latitudes in the world. However, the adaptation of soybean to low-latitude, high-altitude environments characterized by short day and low temperature is still in its early stages. To understand the genetic basis of adaptation in this region, we conducted cultivar screening in low-latitude, high-altitude mountainous regions and carried out genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using 200 diverse soybean cultivars spanning maturity groups 000 to VIII. Evaluation of flowering time (DTF), maturity time (DTM), and other agronomic traits including node number on main stem (NNM), plant height (PH), effective number of pods per plant (EPN) and 100-seed weight (HGW) were performed in Bamei with the altitude of 3460 m (30°29’4”N and 101°28’50”E) and Xianshui with the altitude of 2946 m (30°57’48”N and 101°9’26”E), in Daofu county, Sichuan province, southwest China, in 2019 and 2023, respectively. We screened 5 MG I-II adapted cultivars for Bamei and 17 MG II-V cultivars, for Xianshui, exhibiting late flowering and maturity, along with tall plant height, and high number of nodes and pods per plant. The allelic combinations E1/e2-ns/e3-tr/E4 and E1/e2-ns/E3/E4, and only E1/e2-ns/E3/E4 predominated in the adaptive cultivars in Bamei and Xianshui, respectively. Thus, the cultivars adaptive to low-latitude and high-altitude regions are featured with relatively late flowering and maturing in MG I-V mostly from mid- and low-latitude region with allelic combination mostly of E1/e2-ns/E3/E4 . Additionally, our results revealed 9, 6, and 2 genomic regions significantly associated with DTF, NNM and PH, respectively, with two of these genomic regions having QTNs significantly associated with both DTF and PH. Most significant QTNs of the genomic regions associated with DTF were located near previously identified quantitative trait loci, and their alternative loci caused significant differences in flowering time. Furthermore, 7 genomic regions were located near homologs of Arabidopsis flowering time genes FD-1, bZIP29, SEC, PA2, PIE1, FY, IAA31, AS1 and MBD9. Non-synonymous mutations within the candidate genes Glyma.09g112200 ( GmPIE1 ) , Glyma.13g198200 ( GmFY ) and Glyma.17g042800 ( GmIAA31 ) were found to cause later flowering and taller plant height in both environments. Collection of adaptive cultivars, molecular markers, and candidate genes identified in this study holds substantial promise within the realm of soybean adaptation in low-latitude and high-altitude regions.