Inheritance of alloplasmic fertility restoration in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) system has been exploited worldwide in field and vegetable crops. In eggplant, alloplasmic CMS lines were developed through interspecific hybridization between Solanum aethiopicum L.?×?S. melongena L., while the restorer (R) lines were isolated from the reciprocal cross. The knowledge about inheritance of Rf gene is must for its further use in breeding and molecular studies. Therefore, four sets of CMS (D-CMS 291A, D-CMS 99A, D-CMS 5A and D-CMS 72A) and restorer (R 2-1, R 3-4, R 6-2 and R 2596-2) lines were used to develop F₁, F₂ and backcross progenies, to understand the inheritance mechanism. Phenotyping of all the populations and test of goodness of fit revealed involvement of a single dominant gene (Rf) for fertility restoration. The visual scoring of flowers for male sterility and fertility was further validated with the tests on pollen stainability, germination and index. Among others, media containing 0.5% agar?+?300 ppm calcium nitrate?+?5% sucrose?+?50 mg/l boric acid?+?400 mg/l PEG 4000 furnished the best results for in vitro pollen germination. Differences between and within male sterile and restorer lines were observed for pistil and stamen length and girth, pollen stainability and germination. Stable expression of CGMS and restorer lines in all the generation progenies confirmed their utility in future eggplant breeding programs.

     

Genetics of yield, quality and shelf life characteristics in tomato under normal and late planting conditions

Seventy nine genotypes of tomato (15 lines, four testers and their 60 F₁ hybrids produced in line × tester fashion) were evaluated under normal (E₁) and late planting (E₂) conditions in the Department of Vegetable Crops, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India, to determine the nature of gene action controlling yield, quality and shelf life characteristics and to identify a few good combiner genotypes which may be used in further breeding programmes to extend the fruit availability period of tomato in North Indian plains. The lines were significantly different from testers for most of the characters thereby justifying the choice of testers. Additive gene action was predominant for days to ripening, total yield per plant, marketable yield per plant, number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, fruit shape index and lycopene in both the environments, whereas non-additive genetic variance predominated in controlling firmness index, number of locules, pericarp thickness, alcohol insoluble solids (AIS), dry matter, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, TSS:Acid ratio, pH, ascorbic acid and shelf life, under both normal and late planting conditions. The best general combining ability (gca) effects, among females, in respect of yield per plant were shown by Spectrum in E₁ and by LT-42 in E₂. Among the testers, the best gca values in both the environments were possessed by nor-RM-1 for total yield per plant, marketable yield per plant, number of fruits per plant, dry matter and TSS; by rin-RM-2 for firmness index, pericarp thickness and alcohol insoluble solids; by alc-IIHR-2050 for average fruit weight, number of locules and shelf life and by alc-IIHR-2052 for lycopene. The gca of ripening mutants had a nice consonance with their per se performance for most of the characters indicating that additive gene action was operative in these mutants for majority of the traits.     

Effects of substrate hydroponic systems and different N and K ratios on yield and quality of tomato fruit

The present study was carried out to determine the influence of wick and drip substrate hydroponic systems and different ratios of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) in the nutrient solution on fruit yield and quality (titratable acidity, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, total soluble sugars, firmness, lycopene, carotenoids) in tomato. Summer and winter tomato crop was raised under two substrate hydroponic systems. Four nutrient solutions (N:K ratios in four combinations) were tested in both the growing seasons at vegetative and reproductive stages of plant development. Among the different nutrient solutions, the solution containing N and K in the ratio of 1.4:3 at vegetative and 1.7:3.5 at reproductive stage increased the total fruit yield and quality of tomato irrespective of hydroponic system or season. Among the hydroponic systems, wick system produced higher fruit yield and better quality in terms of firmness, ascorbic acid, and total soluble sugars in winter crop.     

Enhancing onion breeding using molecular tools

Bulb onion (Allium cepa L.) is an ancient crop that is thought to have originated in Central Asia and has been cultivated for over 5000 years. Classical genetic and plant breeding approaches have been used to improve onion yield, quality, and resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. However, its biennial life cycle, cross‐pollinated nature and high inbreeding depression have proved challenging for the characterization and breeding of improved traits. New technologies, notably next‐generation sequencing, are providing researchers with the genomic resources and approaches to overcome these challenges. Using these genomic technologies, molecular markers are being rapidly developed and utilized for germplasm analysis and mapping in onion. These new tools and knowledge are allowing the integration of molecular and conventional breeding to speed up onion improvement programmes. In this review, we outline recent progress in onion genomics and molecular genetics and prospects for enhancing onion yield and quality in the future.