Legumes are a vital component of agriculture, providing essential nutrients to both humans and soil through their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. However, the production of legume crops is often hindered by various biotic and abiotic stresses, limiting their yield and nutritional quality of crops by damaging plant tissues, which can result in lower protein content, reduced levels of essential vitamins and minerals, and compromised seed quality. This review discusses the recent advancements in technologies that are revolutionizing the field of legume crop improvement. Genetic engineering has played a pivotal role enhancing legume productivity. Through the introduction of genes encoding for enzymes involved in nitrogen fixation, leading to higher yields and reducing the reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Additionally, the incorporation of genes conferring disease and pest resistance has significantly reduced the need for chemical pesticides, making legume cultivation more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas9, have opened new avenues for precision breeding in legumes. Marker-assisted selection and genomic selection are other powerful tools that have accelerated the breeding process. These techniques have significantly reduced time and resources required to develop new legume varieties. Finally, advancement technologies for legume crop improvement are aid and enhancing the sustainability, productivity, and nutritional quality of legume crops.

Zinc, an important micronutrient, offers a crucial role in plant growth and development. However, its deficiency can significantly impair plant growth by disrupting essential physiological processes, leading to stunted growth and reduced reproductive capacity. Agronomic Zn biofortification offers the dual benefits of enhancing yield and improving grain Zn concentration. In this study, we evaluated various doses of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4; 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mM) for their effectiveness in improving the performance of rice cultivars (Basmati-198 and PK-386) in alkaline Zn-deficient soil. Our results showed that ZnSO4 application significantly enhanced seedlings performance where 400 mM dose outperformed other treatments. Notably, ZnSO4 application at 400 mM increased seedling Zn accumulation by 152.40% and 125.96% in Basmati-198 and PK-386, respectively, over control. This dose also improved root dry weight by 74.52%, net photosynthesis by 41%, the activities of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 79.88%, 23.80%, 58.77% and 75.72%, respectively, in Basmati-198 compared with PK-386. Moreover, ZnSO4 application (at 400 mM) alleviated oxidative damage by reducing malondialdehyde (58.12% and 56.63%), hydrogen peroxide (60.13% and 58.15%), and electrolyte leakage (31.39% and 29.06%) in Basmati-198 and PK-386, respectively, compared with the control without ZnSO4 supplementation. This study also demonstrated that ZnSO4 application increased the expression of bZIP genes, including OsbZIP08, OsbZIP16, OsbZIP21, and OsbZIP60, which are highly responsive to Zn deficiency in rice. Notably, the expression levels of these genes were highest following ZnSO4 application at 400 mM, resulting in a 7.1- and eightfold increase in OsbZIP21 expression, a 6.2- and 7.4-fold increase in OsbZIP16 expression, a 5- and 6.3-fold increase in OsbZIP08 expression, and a 4.5- and fivefold increase in OsbZIP60 expression in PK-386 and Basmati-198, respectively, compared to the control. The highest fold-change expression was observed for OsbZIP21 gene in Basmati-198, followed by OsbZIP16 and OsbZIP08, while OsbZIP60 exhibited the lowest fold change in the same cultivar. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts to enhance plant nutrient uptake efficiency and deepen our understanding of the mechanisms governing Zn assimilation in plants.

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)) (FAW) impacts maize (Zea mays L.) production. No maize genotype is completely resistant to FAW. This experiment was conducted in Calabar, Cross River State, with twenty maize genotypes using a randomized complete block design with three replications. These maize genotypes varied in responses to FAW scores, plant height, leaf count, plant standability and performance, days to 50% anthesis and silking, anthesis-silking interval, fresh and de-husked cob weight and length, husk proportion, ear rating, grains per cob, 100-seed weight, and grain yield. FAW score perfectly correlated with plant and ear ratings. Grain yield is strongly associated with cobs per plant and grains per cob. The study of this genetic variability showed that while seedling emergence, days to 50% anthesis, and 50% silking showed moderate genetic gain, all other traits showed high genetic gain. This suggests that under FAW pressure, it might be possible to choose maize genotypes that have these traits. FAW score, plant standability and performance, and ear rating were all found to be in the same cluster in the principal component and genotype-by-traits biplot analyses. This proved that they were useful for the identification of maize genotypes that are tolerant to FAW pressure. In one cluster were cobs per plant, husk covering, cob length, and grains per cob with grain yield. This further confirmed the importance of these traits in selecting maize genotypes with high yield potential under FAW pressure. Despite FAW pressure, maize genotypes AS2001-20, AS2001-24, M1628-8, AS2106-63, and FAW 2212 demonstrated high grain yields considerable for inclusion in further FAW-related studies.