Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-3-2018
Abstract
All rights reserved. In wild habitats, fruit dehiscence is a critical strategy for seed dispersal; however, in cultivated crops it is one of the major sources of yield loss. Therefore, indehiscence of fruits, pods, etc., was likely to be one of the first traits strongly selected in crop domestication. Even with the historical selection against dehiscence in early domesticates, it is a trait still targeted in many breeding programs, particularly in minor or underutilized crops. Here, we review dehiscence in pulse (grain legume) crops, which are of growing importance as a source of protein in human and livestock diets, and which have received less attention than cereal crops and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We specifically focus on the (i) history of indehiscence in domestication across legumes, (ii) structures and the mechanisms involved in shattering, (iii) the molecular pathways underlying this important trait, (iv) an overview of the extent of crop losses due to shattering, and the effects of environmental factors on shattering, and, (v) efforts to reduce shattering in crops. While our focus is mainly pulse crops, we also included comparisons to crucifers and cereals because there is extensive research on shattering in these taxa.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Rights Information
© 2018 MDPI AG. All rights reserved.
Recommended Citation
Ogutcen E, Pandey A, Khan MK, Marques E, Penmetsa RV, Kahraman A, Von Wettberg EJ. Pod shattering: a homologous series of variation underlying domestication and an avenue for crop improvement. Agronomy. 2018 Aug;8(8):137.
DOI
10.3390/agronomy8080137
Link to Article at Publisher Website
Included in
Agriculture Commons, Community Health Commons, Human Ecology Commons, Nature and Society Relations Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Sustainability Commons