This document provides an overview of recent advances in improving vegetable crops in India. It discusses the development of higher yielding and stress resistant varieties through both conventional breeding methods like hybridization, selection, and mutation breeding as well as advanced techniques like genetic engineering and marker assisted selection. Key achievements include the development of gynoecious lines in cucumber, seedless varieties of watermelon, varieties adapted to year-round cultivation, hybrid varieties with disease resistance, and nutritionally enriched varieties. The application of biotechnology tools such as transgenic approaches, molecular markers, and genome sequencing in vegetable improvement is also summarized.

1. Welcome

2. RECENT ADVANCES IN IMPROVEMENT OF
VEGETABLE CROPS IN INDIA
Credit Seminar II (VSC-692)
Presented by:Aditika
H-14-33-D
PhD IInd year

3. Need for improvement of vegetable crops
To
develop
varieties
Higher yield and
better quality
Photo insensitivity
and area of
adaptability
Resistance to biotic
and abiotic stresses
Long shelf life and
export quality
produce
Better nutritional,
processing quality
and seed
production

4. Genetic Improvement
of vegetable crops
Conventional Method Non- Conventional
Method
Genes for both desirable
and undesirable traits
Breeders conserve desired
ones by repeatedly
selection
Molecular techniques
(selection based on the
genotype of marker)
Cell and tissue culture
technique

5. Breeding methods of vegetable improvement
Conventional Methods
• Introduction
• Pure line selection
• Mass selection
• Pedigree method
• Single seed descent method
• Back cross method
• Bulk method
• Recurrent selection
• Heterosis breeding
• Synthetic breeding
• Clonal Selection etc.
Advance Breeding techniques
• Mutation breeding
• Polyploidy breeding
Non conventional methods
• Genetic Engineering
• Molecular breeding(MAS)
• Tissue culture
• Somatic hybridization etc.

6. Varieties through introduction in India
Crop Introduction
Tomato Sioux, Roma, Marglobe, Fire Ball, Best of All, La Bonita, Money Maker
Bell pepper California Wonder, Yolo Wonder, World Beater
French bean Contender, Kentucky Wonder, Premier
Cucumber Poinsette and Japnese Long Green
Onion Early Grano, Red Grano, Bermuda Yellow
Pea Arkel, Bonneville, Early Badger, Lincoln
Cauliflower Snowball-16, Improved Japanese, Early Snowball
Cabbage Golden Acre, Drum Head
Radish Japanes White, Rapid Red White Tipped, China Red, Red Tail Radish
Carrot Nantes, Chanteny
Turnip Snowball, Golden Ball, Purple Top White Globe

7. Varieties developed through selection
Kalloo G. 1998
Pusa Purple Long, Pusa Purple
Round, Pusa Purple Cluster,
Pant samrat, Arka Sheel
Egg Plant
NP 46 A, Sindhur, Patna Red Chilli
Hara Madhu, Arka Jeet, Arka
Rajhans, MH-1
Muskmelon
Pusa Summer Prolific Long,
Pusa Summer Prolific Round
Bottle Gourd
Pusa Red, Pusa Ratnar, Arka
Niketan, Arka Pragati
Onion
Pusa Katki and Pusa Dipali cauliflower
Solan Vajar, Solan Lalima,
Solan Red Round, Pusa 120,
HS-110
Tomato

8. Varieties developed through hybridization
Tomato Pusa Ruby, Pusa Gaurav, Pusa Early
Dwarf, Arka Meghali, Hissar Anmol,
Punjab Chhuhara,
Brinjal Pusa Kranti, Hissar Shyamal
Muskmelon Pusa Sharbati, Punjab Sunehri
Watermelon Arka Manik,
Cauliflower Pusa Snowball-1, Pusa Shubra
Cabbage Pusa Mukta
Carrot Pusa Kesar, Pusa Meghali, Pusa
Yamdagini
Turnip Pusa Chandrima, Pusa Swarnima, Pusa
Kanchan
Radish Punjab Safed, Pusa Himani

9. Achievements through conventional breeding
in India

10. 1. Development of gynoecious lines in cucumber
Shogoin(Gynomonoecious,Peter
son and Anhder, 1960)
Chance Segregant
Gynoecious sex form
(Stable moderate temp. and
photoperiod)
Temperate X Monoecious
gynoecious
(WI2757)
Tropical Gynoecious lines(87-304-
6, 87-316, 87-319-12 and 87-
338-15 )
(F1 Phule Prachi, Phule Champa)
Parthenocarpic tropical
gynoecious line (PKG-1
series) in Poona Khira
background (More and
Badgujar, 1998)

11. Pusa Seedless Cucumber-6
•First extra early (40-45 days for first
fruit harvest)
•Parthenocarpic gynoecious cucumber
suitable for cultivation in protected
condition.
•Average fruit yield is 126 t/ha (1260
kg/ 100 m2) during winter season
(off-season, November-March).

12. • Polyploid plants are multiples of the basic chromosome
number. In vegetable breeding, 1% colchicine solution is used
• Colchiploidy is used in Palak and Potato
• The well known example of polyploidy is seedless
watermelon
4n Seed parent X 2n pollen parent
(Tetra-2) (Pusa Rasal)
F1 (Pusa Bedana)
(Sterile 3n plant)
2. Polyploidy Breeding

13. Continue..
 Kerala Agricultural University
(KAU), Trichur, Kerala has
developed a stable tetraploid
line of watermelon ‘KAU-CL-
TETRA-1’ through
colchiploidy.
 Two triploid hybrids i.e.
Shonima and Swarna have
been developed using this
tetraploid line through crossing
with diploid males,
 namely CL-4 (red fleshed) and
CL-5 (Yellow fleshed),
respectively.
(Vegetable Newsletter,IIVR, 2015)
Swarna (Yellow fleshed)
Shonima (Red fleshed)

14. 3. Growing vegetables round the year
• In Recent past development has been made to
develop off-season varieties:
Crop Variety Character
Tomato Ostenkinskiz, Cold Set, Pusa Sheetal Fruit set at low
temperature
Hot Set, HS 102, Pusa Hybrid 1 Fruit set at high
tempetrature
Radish Pusa Chetki, Pusa Desi Made possible to grow
throughout year
Onion N 53, Agrifound Dark Red, Arka Kalyan,
Baswant 780
Kharif season
Cabbage Green Express, Green Boy, KK Cross,
Pusa Ageti
Tolerance to high
temperature

15. Varieties of carrot for round the year
cultivation
Variety Sowing time Availability Yield
(q/ha)
Pusa Vrishti July-August October-Nov. 180-200
Pusa Meghali August Nov.-Dec. 220
Pusa Rudhira , Pusa Asita, Pusa
Vasuda
Sep.-Oct. Dec.-Jan. 300-350
Pusa Yamdagini, Pusa
Nayanjyoti
Sep.-Nov. Dec.-Feb. 270-320
Pusa Yamdagini Dec.-Feb. March-May 200-250
Pusa Yamdagini, Pusa
Nayanjyoti, Nantes, Pusa Vrishti
March-April June- July 130-150
Indian Horticulture, 2015

16. Pusa Rudhira Pusa Asita
Pusa Vrishti Pusa Vasuda

17. 4. F1 Hybrids
Crop F1 Hybrid Genetic Mechanism
Cabbage KGMR-1(Pusa cabbage Hybrid 1),
KTCBH 51, KTCBH 81
SI
Cauliflower Pusa Hybrid-2, Pusa Kartik Sankar SI
Cabbage KCH-5, Hybrid 991-5, Hybrid 854-6 CMS
Cauliflower Hybrid 8401 ×31022 CMS
chilli Arka Sweta, Arka Meghna, Arka Harita,
Arka Khyati, Kashi Surkh, CH-1, CH-3
CGMS and GMS
Onion Arka Kirthiman, Arka Lalima CMS
Carrot Pusa Nayanjyoti, Pusa Vasudha CMS
Cucumber Solan Khira Hybrid-1, Solan Khira
Hybrid-2
Gynoecious based F1
hybrids

18. 5. Edible colour rich varieties of
vegetable crops
Crop Variety Pigment
Carrot Pusa Ashita Anthocyanin
Paprika KTPL-19 Capsanthin
Amaranthus Pusa Lal Chaulai Anthocyanin
Red cabbage Red Cabbage Anthocyanin
Purpule headed Broccoli Palam Vichitra Anthocyanin
Carrot Pusa Ridhira Lycopene
Pusa Vrishti Lycopene
Pusa Yamdagini Carotene
Pusa Nayanjyoti Carotene
Tomato Pusa Rohini Lycopene
Pritam Kalia , 2012

19. 6. Cauliflower : Pusa Betakesari
•This is the first ever indigenously bred
bio-fortified beta carotene (800 – 1000
µg/100 g) rich cauliflower variety, an
attempt to tackle beta carotene
deficiency related malnutrition problem
in India
•Its curds are orange coloured, compact
and very attractive
•It is suitable for September – January
growing period

20. Resistance breeding
Need???
Vegetables Biotic Stresses
Residual effect
Health Hazards, reduced
export potential
Resistance breeding
Dr. G. Kalloo, Vegetable breeding

21. Vegetable varieties resistant to diseases in
India
Crop Disease Variety
Eggplant
Bacterial wilt
Pant Rituraj
Pusa Purple Cluster
Bacterial wilt and Phomopsis
blight
Pant Samrat
Pusa Bhairav
Tomato
Bacterial wilt BWR-5
Verticilium wilt and Fusarium
wilt
Pant Bahar
Root Knot Nematodes
Sel-120
PNR-7
Leaf curl
H-24, H-36
Yashwant
Capsicum
Bacterial wilt Arka Gaurav
Phytophthora rot Solan Bharpur (Tolerant)
Chilli
Multiple disease resistant
(Anthracnose, leaf curl, TMV,
CMV)
Punjab Lal

22. Continue..
Crop Disease(s) Variety
Okra YVMV
Arka Anamika
Arka Abhay
Parbhani Kranti
Watermelon Anthracnose, PM and DM Arka Manik
Muskmelon
Powdery mildew Arka Rajhans
PM and DM Punjab Rasila
Cabbage Black rot Pusa Mukta
Cauliflower Black rot
Pusa Shubra
Pusa Snowball K-1
Pea
Powdery mildew
FC-1
JP-83
PRS-4 and PM-2
Powdery mildew and rust
Mithi Phali
Solan Nirog
JP-4
French bean Angular leaf spot SVM-1

23. Varieties resistant to abiotic stresses in India
Crop Stress Variety
Tomato
Low temperature Pusa Sheetal
Drought
Solan Vajr, Arka
Meghali
High temperature
HS-101, HS-102 and
Pusa Hybrid 1
Salinity Pusa Ruby
Onion Salinity Hisar-2

24. Conventional
breeding
increasing population,
decline in agricultural
resources such as land and
water, and the apparent
plateauing of the yield curve of
the staple crops
Modern Plant breeding is a multi-
disciplinary and coordinated approach
Number of tools and elements of conventional breeding
techniques, bioinformatics, biochemistry, molecular
genetics, molecular biology and genetic engineering,
utilized and integrated

25. Biotechnology as a tool for vegetable
improvement

26. Transgenics or GM
Crops
Genetic diversity studies
Evolutionary studies
Anther culture
Embriyo Culture
Protoplast Fussion
Molecular mapping
To prepare saturated genetic map
Chromosome identification
Micro Propagation
Meristem Culture
Marker Assisted Selection
QTLs
Disease resistance
Construction of genetic maps
Biotechnology for
vegetable improvement
Genetic Engineering Molecular Markers Tissue Culture

27. Genetic Engineering
• Deliberate alteration of genome of an organism by
introducing one or few specific foreign genes
• GE crops are Transgenic crops or Genetically
modified (GM) crops and the gene introduced is
referred as transgene
• Creation of transgenic plants require tools of
biotechnology and those of conventional breeding
• GE supplements but not supplants breeding

29. Genetically modified Horticultural crops under large
scale production
Crop Transgenic trait Transgene
Tomato Suppression of PG
(Polygalactronase) to delay
fruit ripening
Antiscense construct based
on pTOM6 for
polygalactronase enzyme
Squash (Zucchini) Resistant to watermelon,
cucumber, and zucchini
yellow mosaic viruses
Virus coat protein
Sweet pepper Resistance to viruses Virus coat protein
Sugar beet Resistant to glyphosate
herbicide
-
Soyabean Resistant to glyphosate
herbicide
Glyphosate resistant
bacterial EPSPS gene, bar
gene
Bhojwani SS and Dantu PK. 2013

30. Application of GM crops
Resistance to biotic
stresses
• Disease resistance
• Insect Resistance
Resistance to abiotic
Stresses
• Drought resistance
• Salt resistance
• Heavy metal resistance
• `Cold tolerance
• Frost tolerance
• Resistance to
herbicides
• Induction of
engineering male
sterility
• Nutritional quality
improvement

31. Resistance to biotic stress
Crop Trait Gene/ lines resistance
Cabbage DBM Cry 1A
Tomato Early Blight (Arka
Vikas)
Trichoderma hazarianum chitinase
gene
Late Blight PGIP gene
Potato ToLCNDV GTLC2-127 and KPLC2-53 lines
Watermelon Bud Necrosis Transgenic watermelon cv. Arka
Manik
IIHR and CPRI annual reports, 2015

32. Abiotic stresses resistance
Drought tolerance in tomato:
• A novel gene likely to confer drought tolerance, cloned from
a drought tolerant land race of sorghum M-35-1, was used
for transformation of tomato. Average number of fruits and
average yield per plant was higher than control varieties.
• In Network Project on Transgenic Crops at IIVR (NPTC),
water-deficit stress tolerant transgenic tomato was developed
using AtDREB1A gene.
• Another BcZAT12 transformed tomato line was useful for
improving its quality in heat, drought or salt stressed
conditions.
Source Annual report IIVR 2012-13 and 2013-14

33. Salt stress tolerant transgenic tomato cv. Kashi
Vishesh - AtDREB1A gene
The salt stress exposed transgenic tomato plants
recorded :
I. higher relative water content,
II. lower membrane damage indicated by lower
electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation
(MDA) compared to the non-transgenic (WT)
plants.
• Over-expression of rd29A:AtDREB1A/ CBF3
imparted lower susceptibility to salt stress.
IIVR Annual Report 2014-15

34. Marker Assisted Selections
• MAS refers to the use of DNA markers that are
tightly-linked to target loci as a substitute for
or to assist phenotypic screening.
• Marker-assisted selection (MAS) provided a
potential for increasing selection efficiency by
allowing for earlier selection and reducing
plant population size used during selection

35. Genome Sequencing
How next generation sequencing helps crop improvement:
 To develop millions of novel markers, as well as the
identification of agronomically important genes (Edwards &
Batley 2010)
 Enabled the development of high-density genetic maps
 The sequence data obtained will help to identify the genes
determining different traits
 These data enable the unravelling of the regulatory
mechanisms behind different traits, and help to elucidate the
complete pathway

36. Sequenced crop Genome
S.
N.
Crop Haplod
chr. no.
Estimated
genome
size (Mb)
No. of gene
prediction
References
1 Cucumber 7 367.00 26,682 Huang et al. (2009)
2 Musk melon 12 450.00 27,427 Gonzalez et al. (2010)
3 Potato 12 844.00 39,031 The potato genome sequencing
consortium (2011)
4 Chinese cabbage 10 529.00 41,174 The Brassica rapa genome
Sequencing project consortium
(2011)
5 Tomato 12 900.00 34,727 The tomato genome consortium
(2012)
6 Water melon 11 425.00 23,440 Gau et al. (2013)
7 Brinjal 12 1126.00 85,446 Hirakawa et al. (2014)
8 French bean 11 587.00 27,197 Schmutz et al. (2014)
9 Chilli 12 3480.00 34,903 Kim et al. (2014)
10 Cabbage 9 630.00 45,758 Liu et ai. (2014)

37. Limitations and future directions of genome
sequencing
Limitations:
 large genome size
 polyploidy exhibited by many vegetable crop species impedes the
sequencing and further analysis
 A high percentage of repeat elements is also a major hurdle in
genome assembly
 Another challenge is that the functions of many genes identified by
genome sequencing remain unknown and the genetic control of the
majority of agronomic traits has yet to be determined
Future directions
 Systematic mining and utilisation of these data would help to
develop varieties with higher yield and tolerance to biotic as well as
abiotic stresses, and would boost up the economy of tropical
countries like INDIA .

38. Other techniques
Technique Application
Meristem and bud culture Micropropagation for commercial purposes, genetic
conservation, and exchange of material
Zygotic embryo culture Interspecific crosses
Anther and microspore
culture
Haploid production
Protoplast culture Fusion for somatic hybridization

39. Advances in improvement of bulbous
crops

40. Breeding achievements and challanges
 Continuous cultivation, acclimatization and selection by farmers and researchers
have converted onion from long day crop to short day under Indian conditions
 Although huge genetic diversity is available in bulb onion, crop improvement
progress is not at the pace of other crops (McCallum 2007, Varshney et al.
2012)
 Systematic breeding was started with mass selection in various countries during
the 19th century, and the discovery of cytoplasmic male sterility paved the way
for development of F1 hybrids in the middle of 20th century (Brewster 2008,
McCallum et al. 2008).
 Sen and Srivastava (1957) attempted to develop F1 hybrids in onion as early as
in 1948 using exotic male sterile lines and Indian local male stocks.
 The exotic male sterile lines were found unsuitable in the photo periodically
different environment in India.
 At IARI, the male sterility was isolated in a commercial variety ‘Pusa Red’

41. Continue…
Till today in India Arka Kirthiman (MS-65 x
Sel.13-1-1) and Arka Lalima (MS-48 x Sel.14-
1-1) two F1 has developed using cytoplsmic
genotypes.
F1 hybrids dominate in many countries in the
world but in India OP varieties dominate

42. Continue..
Germplasm:
Major gene bank of onion in the world
Khosa et al. 2016

43. Marker Assisted breeding
 Molecular markers can be used in onion for germplasm
characterization and identification of cytoplasmic male
sterility in onion for development of hybrids
 Male sterile and maintainer lines were identified using
molecular markers in three long day onion populations.
Molecular markers, 5’cob and orfA501 were able to
distinguish effectively normal (N) and sterile (S) cytoplasm
in all the three populations (Saini et al. 2015)
 An identified molecular marker orf 725 is used to
distinguish male sterile and maintainer genotypes
maintained at Indian Institute of Horticultural Research
Station, Hesaraghatta, Bangalore (Karnataka), India.
(Dhanya et al. 2014)

44. Haploid breeding
• High heterozygosity in inbred lines resulting from limited (2 or 3) cycle of
self-pollination is a major bottleneck in heterosis breeding in onion.
• And being biennial in nature require almost 10 years to develop an inbred
through conventional method.
• DH provides complete homozygosity and phenotypic uniformity.
• DH hybrids tested were superior for mean row weight and mean bulb
weight creates a pool of experimental hybrids to allow further selection of
those hybrids with the preferred quality characteristics. The DH line
CUDH066631 performed better than all others (Hyde et al. 2012)
• Work is at its embryonic stage in India and is being done at IIHR Bangalore
and NHRDF Nashik as well as DOGR Pune .

45. Garlic
• The lack of sexuality in garlic limits the increase of variability that
is useful for breeding for economically important traits, such as
tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress, earliness, yield and quality.
Disadvantages of vegetative propagation:
a) low multiplication rate,
b) expensive and short-term storage that requires wide spaces,
c) transmission of phytopathogens through generations
• Biotechnological tools such as plant tissue culture can help
overcome problems associated with vegetative propagation of garlic,
specially the low multiplication rate and disease dispersion

46. Micropropagation
• Improved micro
propagation protocol for
garlic can be utilized for
propagation of elite
genotype at commercial-
scale as one single bulb
can give rise to approx.
1200 bulblets (Dixit et al.
2013).

47. Recent advances in improvement of
Solanaceous Vegetable crops

48. Challenges for improvement
• Resistance to biotic Stresses
• Resistance to abiotic stresses

49. Biotic stresses and their source of resistance in tomato
Biotic Stress Resistance Sources
Tomato Leaf Curl
Virus (ToLCV)
L. hirsutum f. glabratum, L. peruvianum, L pimpinellifolium and L.
hirsutum, HS 101, L. hirsutum (LA386, LA 1777, PI 390513), L.
glandulosum (EC 68003) and L. peruvianum (PI 127830 and PI
127831), H-88-78-1, H-88-78-2, H-88-87
Fusarium Wilt L. hirsutum f. glabratum (Wir 4172), L. hirsutum (PI 13448) and L.
peruvianum (EC 148898),
Columbia, Roma, HS 110, Fla. 7547, Fla. 7481
Early Blight L. hirsutum (PI 134437), P-1, EC 529061, WIR-3928, H-88-28-1, H-
86-11 and H86-7
Bacterial wilt Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium, Acc 99, Sweet 72, Acc 151, Hyb 54,
IIHR 663-12-3, BWR 1, BWR
5, LE 79 BT 1, BT-10, H 24, BRH-2, LE-415, H-86, Capitan, Caravel,
Ga. 1565, Ga 219, CRA 66
Fruit Borer L. hirsutum f. glabratum
White fly L. hirsutum and L. hirsutum f. glabratum

50. Biotic Stresses and their Source of Resistance in
Brinjal
Biotic Stress Resistance Sources
Bacterial wilt West coast Green Round 112-8 (WCGR 128-8), S. melongena var.
incanum, S. integrifolium, S. torvum
Little leaf Solanum viarum, S. incanum, S. sisymbrifolium, Pusa Purple Cluster,
Katrai
Phomopsis blight S. xanthocarpum, S. sisymbrifolium, S. indicum, S. khasianum, S.
nigram, S. gilo, Florida Market,
Florida Beauty, BPL-1, Ornamental brinjal, Pusa Uttam, IC-316237
RKN Solanum sisymbrifolium, Co-1, Solanum torvum
Shoot and fruit
borer
Solanum sisymbrifolium, S. integrifolium, S. xanthoranpum, S.
nigrum, S. khasianum, Pusa Purple Long, H-128, H-129, Azcabey,
Thorn Pendy, Black Pendy, Banaras Long Purple.

52. Molecular markers linked to biotic stresses
Crop Trait Marker Reference
Tomato Fusarium wilt (race
1)
SSR (TOM-144) linked to fusarium wilt Parmar et al. (2013)
Tomato yellow leaf
curl virus
STS linked to Ty2 gene Mohamed et al. (2012)
RFLP linked to Ty1 Zamir et al.(1994)
RKN RAPD linked to Mi gene Williomson et al. (1994)
ToMV SCAR based linked to Tm1
Ishibashi et al. (2007)
Late blight (dTG63) CAPS linked to Ph2 Panthee et al. (2012)
Pepper Tomato spotted wilt
virus
RAPD linked to Tsw Jahn et al. (2000)
Potato PLRV Nl271164 (SCAR) linked to Plrv.1 (QTL) Marczewski et al.
(2001)
PVY RYSC3321 linked to Ryadg (CAPS) Kasai et al. (2000)

53. Multiple disease resistance in tomato
• Hybrid-369 with triple
disease resistance
(ToLCV+BW+EB)
• Marker Assisted Selection
(MAS) was employed for
pyramiding of Ty-2 and Ty-
3 genes into elite tomato
lines
• Pre-breeding was carried out
for introgression of ToLCV
resistant genes from
Solanum habrochaites.
IIHR Annual Report, 2014-15

54. Arka Rakshak: High yielding triple disease resistant
tomato F1 hybrid with export potential
Breeding line X Breeding Line
(IIHR Banglore) (AVRDC Tiwan)
Arka Rakshak (ToLCV + BW + EB )
 Fruits are medium to large size (80-100g), deep red, very firm with
good keeping quality (15-20 days) and long transportability
 Bred for both fresh market and processing
 Suitable for summer, Kharif and Rabi seasons
 Yields 90-100 tons per hectare in 140-150days

55. Molecular markers linked to Male sterility
Crop Marker Reference
Tomato C4-30 and C2-21 (CAPS)
linked to Ps and ps 2
(functional male sterile
gene)
Staniaszek et al. (2012)
Chilli RAPD to linked to Rf gene Kumar et al. (2002)

56. Recent advances in improvement of
cucurbits

57. Registered germplasm of cucurbits having some unique trait
Cucurbit Line National
Germplasm No
Registered trait
Pointed gourd IIVR PG-105 INGR-03035 Parthenocarpic fruits
Bitter gourd GY-63 INGR-03037 Gynoecious sex with high yield
Watermelon RW-187-2 INGR-01037 High yield and yellow coloured flesh
RW-177-2 INGR-01038 Leaf mutant with simple unlobed
leaves
PBOG-54 INGR-99022 Segmented leaves
Cucumber AHC-2 INGR-98017 High yield and long fruit
AHC-13 INGR-98018 Small fruit, drought and temperature
tolerant
Roundmelon HT-10 INGR-99038 Tolerant to downy mildew and root rot
wilt
Snapmelon AHS-10 INGR-98015 High yield and drought tolerance
Rai et al. 2008

58. Gynoecy in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) for
exploiting hybrid vigour
 The monoecious bitter gourd accessions produce staminate flowers from the
start of reproductive phase till crop maturity and thus the staminate to
pistillate flower sex ratio in this sex type is relatively high (9:1 to 48:1; 3).
 Moreover, it creates difficulty during commercial hybrid seed production
due to its extremely small flower.
 Use of gynoecious line is an alternative to reduce the cost of hybrid seed
production.
 Two gynoecious lines (DBGy 201 and DBGy 202) lines have been
developed from natural population at IARI (Behera et al. 2006)
 The gynoecious hybrid DBGY-201 × Pusa Vishesh showed highest
heterosis (-19 %) for earliness and the hybrid DBGY- 201 × Priya was
reported to provide maximum heterosis for fruit length, weight and yield.
(Dey et al. 2008)

59. Male Sterility in musk melon
In India, male-sterile gene ms-1 was introduced in
1978 and used to release two commercial cultivars
Punjab Hybrid (Nandpuri et al. 1982) and Punjab
Anmol (Lal et al. 2007).
This was the first evidence of exploitation of ms-1
gene for heterosis breeding in melon.
Due to the instability of this ms-1 gene in our sub-
tropical field conditions, the seed production of
these hybrids has posed numerous problems
consistently (Dhatt and Gill 2000).

60. New source of cytoplasmic genic male sterility (CGMS) and
restoration of fertility gene in ridge gourd
 Two dominant fertility restorer genes (Rf1 and Rf2)
either in homozygous dominant or heterozygous
dominant condition restores the male fertility in
presence of sterile cytoplasm (Arka Sumeet)
 This is the first report of cytoplasmically controlled
male sterility (CMS) in cucurbits where two dominant
male fertility restorer nuclear genes with
complementary gene action governed the restoration of
male fertility (Kannan et al. 2014)

61. Resistance Breeding
Crop Disease Resistance Source
Musk melon Powdery mildew PMR 45, PMR 450, PMR 5, PMR 6, PI 124111
Downey mildew MR-1, PI 414723, DMDR-1, DMDR-2
CGMMV DVRM-1, 2, C. africanus, C. ficifolius, C. anguria
Fruit fly C. callosus
Nematodes C. metuliferus
Watermelon Fusarium wilt Summit, Conqueror, Charleston Gray, Dixilee, Crimson
Sweet
Anthracnose Fair, Charleston gray, Congo, PI 189225
Cucumber Anthracnose PI 175111, PI 175120, PI 179676, PI 182445, wise 2757
(USA)
Downey mildew B-184, B159, wise 2757 (USA)
Powdery mildew PI 200815, PI 200818, C.hardwikkii, Wise 2757 (USA)
CMV Wisc SMR-12, SMR-15, SMR-18, wise 2757 (USA)
PM and Viruses C. lundelliana, C. martenezii
ZYMV, WMV C. ecuadorensis, C. faetidistima, C. martenezii
Rai et al. (2008)

62. Continue ..
A total of four QTLs (pm1.1, pm2.1, pm4.1 and
pm6.1) for PM resistance were identified and
located on LG 1, 2, 4 and 6, respectively,
explaining 5.2%－21.0% of the phenotypic
variation.
Anchor markers tightly linked to those loci (<5
cM) could lay a basis for both molecular marker-
assisted breeding of the PM-resistance gene in
cucumber (Zhou et al. 2008)

63. Recent advances in improvement of
cole crops

64. F1 hybrids
F1 hybrids better to OP Varieties:
• Earliness
• High early and total yield,
• Better curd/head quality in respect of curd/head
compactness and colour
• Uniform maturity
• Better field staying capacity
• Wider adaptability
• Resistance to disease and insect

65. Exploitation of heterosis
Genetic mechanisms :
SI: Self-incompatibility is genetically
controlled, physiological hindrance to self-
fruitfulness or self-fertilization. (SSI- Cole
Crops)
MS: Male sterility refers to either absence
of pollen grain or if present it is non-functional
(CMS, GMS, GEMS)

66. Basic steps in use of SSI
1. Identification of self-incompatible plants in diverse
population/genotypes.
2. Development of homozygous self-incompatible lines.
3. Identification of S-alleles in the homozygous self-incompatible
lines.
4. Establishment of inter-allelic relationships among the S-alleles.
5. Identifying the best combining lines.
6. Maintenance of parental self-incompatible lines.
7. Commercial hybrid seed production.

67. Use of SI lines for hybrid seed production

68. Maintenance of homozygous SSI inbreds
 Bud pollination / Sibmating
 Treatment with CO2 gas (CO2 enrichment) (Jirik 1985) or sodium
chloride ( Kucera 1990)
Other methods:-
• Electronic aided pollination (EAP); (Roggen et al. 1972)
• Steel brush method ( Roggen and Dijik 1972 )
• The pollen washing ( Roggen 1974)
• Thermally aided pollination (TAP); (Roggen and Dijik 1976)

69. Assessment and problems in exploiting SSI
Assessment:
 Number of seed set after each specific self- or cross-pollination.
 The fluorescent microscopic observations on pollen ability to penetrate
style (within 12-15 hr) (Dyki 1978).
Problems:
• Sib-incompatibility is weak in certain inbreds.
• Continuous inbreeding may lead to complete loss of the inbred lines.
• Pseudo-incompatibility.
• Hybrid seeds would be expensive if the self-incompatible lines are difficult
to maintain.

70. Use of CMS for hybrid seed production

71. F1 Hybrids
Crop F1 Hybrid Genetic Mechanism
Cabbage KGMR-1(Pusa cabbage Hybrid 1),
KTCBH 51, KTCBH 81
SI
Cauliflower Pusa Hybrid-2 (Nov maturing, Group-II),
Pusa Kartik Sankar (group-I)
SI
Cabbage KCH-5, Hybrid 991-5, Hybrid 854-6 CMS
Cauliflower Hybrid 8401 ×31022 CMS

72. Tropical hybrids
• Most of the high temperature (upto 35◦C) tolerant
tropical hybrids are early maturing like Green
Boy and Green Express.
• Other Hybrids are:
i) From Mahyco: Kalyani, Hri Rani
ii) IAHS Bangalore: Cabbage -5, Cabbage -6,
Bajrang, Sujata, Sucheta, Sarita etc.
iii) Sungro: Sungro – 97, Divya

73. Conclusion
• Most of the commercial vegetable crops have
narrow genetic base in cultivated species.
• Therefore, in order to broaden their genetic base
wide hybridization following in-vitro and
biotechnological approaches should be use to
generate genetic stocks with useful traits retrieved
from wild relatives which could be employed for
breeding desirable varieties/hybrids.

74. Future need
• Search for new genes/ new source of resistance to
different biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Introgression of gene(s) of interest for biotic and
abiotic stress mainly in desired commercial
backgrounds using biotechnological approaches.
• Diversification of sterile cytoplasm using wide
hybridization.

75. Thank You