INDIAN JOURNAL OF GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING

Functional diversity of Finger millet [Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.] cultural composite for the management of blast [Pyricularia grisea (Cooke) Sacc.] disease

M. Rajesh — 2025-09-30

Combinations of cultivar mixtures with varying levels of disease resistance show promise in managing plant diseases under reduced fungicide application. Theoretically, canopy architecture influences the expansion of disease epidemics under field conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different combinations of cultivar composites on finger millet blast epidemics and yield sustainability. A composite of advanced pre-released cultures, TNEc 1285, TNEc 1294, and TNEc 1310, combined with the resistant check GE 4449, a leading variety, in a 1:1 ratio, was evaluated against tricyclazole 75% WP under field conditions for leaf blast reactions. Fungicide treatment with tricyclazole 75% WP recorded a lower incidence of leaf blast, with all the treatments tried performing at par with all the treatments across both years. Quantitative measurements of disease epidemics using the area under the disease progress curve indicated a consistent pattern of disease progression across all treatments. The benefit-cost (B:C) ratio, analysed through partial budgeting, identified the cultivar composite as the most effective among all treatments. This approach effectively reduced disease epidemics under field conditions and sustained yield over both years, even with minimal or no chemical/fungicidal inputs.

Development of banded leaf and sheath blight-resistant maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids through introgression of wild progenitor alleles

Surinder K. Sandhu — 2025-09-30

Banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB), caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is a major constraint in maize (Zea mays L.) production across tropical Asia, especially during the Kharif season. Due to the absence of effective resistance in cultivated maize, the wild progenitor Zea mays ssp. parviglumis was utilized to develop 14 stable introgression lines (ILs) in diverse maize genetic backgrounds from 2017 to 2021. Artificial inoculation trials conducted during Kharif 2021 and 2022 evaluated BLSB resistance in ILs, parental lines, and teosinte. A hybrid derived from two selected ILs-{(LM 14 × Zea mays ssp. parviglumis)///LM 14-⊗x-x-x-f} × {(LM 13 × Zea mays ssp. parviglumis)///LM 13}-⊗x-x-x-f}demonstrated moderate resistance to BLSB, with a disease score of 4.5. The female parent showed moderate resistance (4.5), while the male parent was moderately susceptible (6.7). Although none of the ILs matched the resistance level of teosinte (4.2), they exhibited significantly lower disease severity than their recurrent parental lines. This study underscores the potential of wild genetic resources for improving BLSB resistance in maize and lays a foundation for sustainable disease management.

Identification of novel resistant sources and inheritance of ToLCNDV resistance in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) germplasm

Supriya Mandal — 2025-09-30

Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) is a major constraint in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cultivation, causing yield losses ranging from 17.6 to 99.4%. Although resistant sources have been identified in some cucurbits, no commercial ToLCNDV-resistant cucumber variety is presently available. Fifty indigenous cucumber genotypes were evaluated under natural epiphytotic conditions during kharif 2021 and 2022, followed by artificial screening of 17 promising genotypes in 2023–2024 using both whitefly and Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation. Quantitative PCR-based virus titre estimation was undertaken in six representative genotypes. A significant year × genotype × time interaction revealed variable disease progression patterns. Genotypes DC-70, DC-61, DC-91, DC-45 and WBC-17 consistently exhibited resistance (VI < 25), whereas DPaC-21, DC-769, DC-773, Sl-749 and Pusa Parthenocarpic Cucumber-6 were highly susceptible (VI > 75) across years. Cluster analysis, supported by principal component analysis and K-means clustering, grouped the genotypes into four distinct clusters. Three genotypes (DC-70, DC-60 and DC-91) maintained resistance across both natural and artificial screening conditions. qPCR results validated phenotypic reactions. Inheritance analysis from a cross between resistant (DC-70) and susceptible (DC-773) genotypes revealed the segregating ratio 3:1 in F2 and 1:1 in BC1 P1 populations, confirming the genetic control by a single recessive gene. The identified resistant genotypes constitute valuable genetic resources for breeding ToLCNDV-resistant cucumber cultivars.

Unveiling genetic diversity, fingerprinting, phenotypic and molecular characterization of rice (Oryza sativa L.) germplasm from Northeast India using SRAP and TRAP markers

Konsam Sarika — 2025-09-30

Northeast India, a part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, harbours the richest genetic diversity reservoir for agricultural crops. The region is not only a centre of origin of rice but also a critical area where conservation of genetic diversity in crops is required. The analysis of 197 landraces/germplasm using phenotypic, genotypic and combined genotypic/phenotypic distances revealed ample genetic variation in the collections. Multivariate analysis for phenotypic variability indicated that 11 out of 13 phenotypic traits assessed were useful in discriminating the genotypes. Cluster analysis based on phenotypic data distinguished three clusters, while a corresponding analysis with SRAP and TRAP markers indicated four groups. Also, the combined analysis for the phenotypic and genotypic data provided four distinct clusters, revealing valuable information about the diversity among economically important agronomic traits. The present study also partitions the genotypes into distinct heterotic groups, thereby making it possible for parental selection and hybridization to maximize genetic diversity in the rice breeding program. Moreover, two combinations of SRAP and SRAP5 (ME01 and EM10) and SRAP6 (ME01 and EM07) with four TRAP combinations, TRAP1 (Auxr1 and FT14), TRAP2 (Auxr1 and T03), TRAP3 (Auxr1 and FT14) and TRAP5 (Auxr1 and T13) with high informative PIC score, greater than 0.70 effectively discriminated the current collections/genotypes for a robust fingerprint system.

Comparative assessment of screening techniques under pot and field conditions for waterlogging tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds

Sanjay Kumar — 2025-09-30

Waterlogging (WL) stress is a major limitation to maize productivity and the development of efficient and reliable screening methods is essential for breeding WL-resilient hybrids. The present study compared pot and field-based screening approaches to evaluate their effectiveness and complementarity in assessing WL tolerance. For this, 154 F2:3 lines derived from WL tolerance and WL susceptible crosses were evaluated in waterlogged pots and the field for six days. WL treatment was given at V3-5 stage in the pot experiment and the knee height stage in the field experiment. In the pot experiment, root and shoot parameters were recorded to capture early-stage physiological responses, while in the field; yield and yield-related traits were assessed. Results indicated that pot screening was more resource-efficient, less time-consuming, and effective in rapidly differentiating genotypes based on root and shoot traits. In contrast, field screening, though more labor-intensive, provided realistic insights into genotypic performance under actual stress environments. Both approaches showed consistent trends across genotypes, confirming the effectiveness of pot-based screening for field performance. The study highlights the complementary benefits of these methods and emphasizes the advantage of combining them to strengthen breeding strategies. Such approaches are vital for developing climate-resilient maize hybrids and sustaining productivity in waterlogged environments.

Multi-trait-based identification of water use efficient genotypes in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Raj Pal Meena — 2025-09-30

The present study was conducted to identify high-yielding and water-use-efficient bread wheat genotypes. Seventeen genotypes were grown at three irrigation levels (WL), including 100, 80, and 60% of the reference evapotranspiration (ET), which were estimated based on a decision support tool. The pooled analysis of variance depicted significant genotype × environment interactions (GEI) (p <0.001) for all the traits studied, except number of tillers/sq. m and NDVI before reproductive phase (NDVIB) and NDVI after reproductive phase (NDVIA). The average grain yield (GY) at 100% ET was 5178 kg ha-1, which was reduced by 5.28 and 11.40% at 80 and 60% ET, respectively. NDVIB and NDVIA were remarkably decreased by 22.09 and 11.38% at 60% ET. The water use efficiency (WUE) showed an increasing trend with reduced irrigation levels and varied from 1.72-1.90, 1.93-2.30, and 2.27-2.85 kg m-3 at 100, 80, and 60% ET, respectively. The GY and WUE revealed positive and significant correlation (r=0.99***) at the 60% ET. The genotypes, namely 40th ESWYT-33, 40th ESWYT-07, 40th ESWYT-37 and RWP-2018-32, were found promising for GY and WUE at 80% ET, while 40th ESWYT-07 also performed better at the 60% ET.

Evaluation of the genetic architecture utilizing simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in deep water rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces of Assam, India

Dr. Priyabrata Sen — 2025-09-30

Deep water rice (DWR) is an essential agricultural practice in flood-prone regions, supporting millions of farmers in Asia and Africa. However, its cultivation is under threat from changing climates, modern agricultural practices and socio-economic shifts. Although the state has quite a large collection of deep water rice (Oryza sativa L.), there is less exploration on the nature and extent of genetic diversity. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity in a set of 92 deep water rice landraces by evaluating genetic polymorphism using 56 polymorphic SSR markers. A total of 139 alleles were detected, showing high polymorphism among all these diverse landraces. The major allele frequency of SSR loci comes in the range of 0.299 to 0.88. Expected heterozygosity varied from 0.21 and 0.74, whereas the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.00 to 0.73. The PIC value ranged from 0.18 to 0.69 and the RM 206 marker was found to be most appropriate to discriminate among these landraces, owing to the highest polymorphic information content value of 0.69. AMOVA revealed that the principal molecular variance existed within populations (96%) rather than among populations (4%). The phylogenetic analysis clustered these accessions into 7 clusters, in which cluster II had a maximum of 27 genotypes, followed by cluster III and cluster I. Similarly, structure analysis based on Bayesian clustering grouped these diverse accessions into 7 sub-populations and also observed admixture in the accessions. The information accrued from the current study offers valuable insights for effective use in improving DWR varieties.

Genome-wide in-silico identification and characterization of simple sequence repeats in onion (Allium cepa L.)

ANIL KHAR — 2025-09-30

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a globally significant vegetable crop with a large genome that presents challenges for genetic study and breeding. A study was undertaken to identify and characterize simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in the onion genome using in-silico method to develop new molecular markers for breeding and genetic diversity analysis. Using the KRAIT tool, 470,700 SSRs were identified from the onion genome, with dinucleotide repeats being the most abundant. Primers were designed for 171 SSR loci and tested on a subset of onion genotypes, resulting in 18 primers displaying clear amplification and polymorphism. These primers were further validated on 22 onion genotypes and Allium fistulosum, revealing a total of 49 alleles with an average polymorphic information content (PIC) value of 0.456. The study demonstrated the potential of these SSR markers in genetic diversity analysis and breeding programs for onion. The newly developed SSR markers enhance the genomic resources available for Allium cepa and provide valuable tools for future molecular breeding efforts.

Multiple selection indices based identification of soybean (Glycine max L.) in early segregating generations

Vennampally Nataraj — 2025-09-30

Selection towards an ideal plant progeny is a principal component in plant breeding programs. In this current study, a field experiment was conducted to select progenies that can produce superior advanced breeding lines of soybean (Glycine max L.). A total of 403 progenies of F2:3 and F2:4 generations derived from three different crosses, namely, JS 20-98 × JS 95-60, JS 20-34 × JS 95-60 and EC 457254 × JS 95-60 were evaluated along with their parents for the agronomic performance of soybean. Likelihood ratio test revealed significant genotypic effect for the traits viz., plant height, pods per plant and yield per plant in progenies of both generations. Ideotype selection based on MGIDI, FAI-BLUP and SH Index identified 15 progenies viz., VN20, VN35, VN39, VN45, VN57, VN75, VN90, VN92, VN93, VN95, VN96, VN112, VN170, VN176 and VN248 in F2:3 generation and twenty progenies viz., VN18, VN40, VN42, VN85, VN91, VN96, VN103, VN109, VN111, VN113, VN123, VN124, VN126, VN140, VN141, VN152, VN170, VN179, VN189 and VN196 in F2:4 generation. Two progenies, VN96 and VN 170 were found promising across both generations; such progenies are of immense potential in developing high-yielding varieties with a good agronomic base.

A comparative analysis of biparental and F3 progenies of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss]

Ruchi Bishnoi — 2025-09-30

The present investigation was carried out to assess the genetic variability generated as biparental progenies (BiPs) and F3 populations from the crosses, RH 725 × Urvashi (cross I), DRMRIJ 31 × Urvashi (cross II) and PM 27 × Urvashi (cross III) in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss] under field during rabi 2020-24. Both biparental and F3 progenies exhibited significant variability for seed yield and most yield-related traits across all crosses, except for plant height in cross II. However, the mean performance of BiPs was generally higher than the corresponding F3 progenies, indicating the generation of significant genetic variability, shedding light on the dynamics of genetic inheritance and expression within Indian mustard. While the BiPs showcased superior mean performance in pivotal traits, F3 generation displayed competitive superiority in traits including days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of secondary branches per plant, number of seeds per siliqua, 1000-seed weight, biological yield per plant and oil content. It is evident that good recombination occurred from intermating, and also the dominance and epistasis components might have played some role in the increase in the mean of BiPs, compared to F3. For a few traits, the genetic variability carried over to the F3 generation and made selection effective. The study reflected that the use of genetically divergent parents such as RH 725, DRMRIJ 31 and PM 27 crossed with Urvashi enhanced recombination potential and the crosses seem to have facilitated the appearance of novel segregants in both F3 and BiPs and offered enhanced opportunities for selecting transgressive segregants, giving enhanced yield and oil content gain.

Molecular insights to discover the nucleotide variations related to limonin-associated delayed bitterness in new interspecific citrus hybrids

Narendra Singh — 2025-09-30

In the present study, molecular analysis of limonoid-associated delayed bitterness was carried out in 16 newly developed inter-specific citrus scion hybrids (Citrus maxima Merr. × Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) along with their parental genotypes. The Limonoid UDP-glucosyltransferase, a key enzyme responsible for debittering through glucosylation, was targeted for de novo primer design. However, PCR amplification using these primers could not decipher polymorphism based on the amplicon size among the 16 citrus hybrids and their parental genotypes. Therefore, five genotypes having contrasting bitterness properties (Low bitterness: SCSH-9-11/12, SCSH-11-9/13; high bitterness: SCSH-17-8/14 and parents White Fleshed Pummelo, and Mosambi) were selected for Sanger sequencing of PCR amplified products to decipher the variation at the nucleotide level. The analysis of variants and their annotation in the genomic region of the reference genome (Citrus sinensis (L) Osbeck) indicated a total of 19 missense variants corresponding to high limonin content and 12 missense variants for low limonin content. The transition to transversion ratio in the studied genotypes was found to be 0.83 and 0.29 for the high and low limonin groups, respectively. The changes in amino acids with respect to nucleotide variants in low limonin were identified. The identified nucleotide variations were exploited to design bitterness-specific primers in citrus sp., which serve as a reference SNV dataset. Further, this resource could be utilized to develop bitterness-specific markers for marker-assisted breeding in perennial citrus fruits.

Gibberellic acid and Boron application synergize enhanced seed production in a thermo-sensitive genetic male sterility (TGMS) based novel hybrid, Pusa Jawahar Rice Hybrid 56

Ramvilas Pashwan Vislavath — 2025-09-30

The commercial adoption of hybrid rice is often constrained by low outcrossing rates in male sterile lines, necessitating agronomic interventions to improve pollination efficiency, outcrossing, and hybrid seed production. This study investigates the impact of gibberellic acid (GA₃) and boron on floral traits and yield-related parameters in the TGMS-based hybrid rice, Pusa PJRH 56. Multi-location trials were conducted across three agroclimatic zones represented by sites, Aduthurai, New Delhi, and Jabalpur, to evaluate the consistency of treatment effects under varying environmental conditions. Significant trait variations were observed across treatments and locations. Compared to the control, foliar application of GA₃ (200 ppm) and boron (1%) significantly enhanced key floral traits in both the parental lines. Stigma emergence was improved by 30.3%, glume opening angle by 51.2%, stigma receptivity by 21.3%in the female parent, and anther breadth by 13.1%and anther width by 21.3%in the male parent. These improvements facilitated increased pollen exposure and receptivity, which are critical for successful hybrid seed production. Additionally, agronomic traits such as plant height, panicle exertion, filled seeds per panicle, and seed yield per plot showed significant increases of 32.2, 87.4, 55.6, 152.6, and 103.0%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that GA₃ and boron work synergistically to improve floral development, seed formation, and overall seed yield. This study provides strong evidence for the exogenous application of GA3 and boron as an effective agronomic strategy to enhance hybrid seed production and overcome the limitations associated with TGMS-based hybrid rice cultivation.

Field relevant resistant sources to yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis) and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis tritici) in some exotic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and their yield potential

Daisy Basandrai — 2025-09-30

Resistance against yellow rust (YR) and powdery mildew (PM) was evaluated in 29 promising wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes comprising advanced breeding material from CIMMYT (24) and some popular varieties of North Hill Zone (4) and susceptible check variety PBW 343 under six and four environments at three (Malan, Kukumseri and Keylong) and two (Malan and Palampur) hot spot locations, respectively. The proportion effect of each source of variation over the total effect showed that the largest contribution to YR severity was attributed to genotype (G), i.e., 61.10%, whereas it was attributed to environment (50.84%) for PM. Genotypes E 12, E 13, E 25, HS 507, HPW 368 and TC1-24 were free from YR, whereas the rest of the genotypes, except GS 7058 and TC1-23, with a mean disease severity of <10S, were resistant. Genotypes E-11, E-12, E-13, E-14, E-25, GS 7038, HPW 368,HS 507, TC1- 17 and TC1- 27 showed multi-locational and multiyear resistance (≤5) to PM. Genotypes E-1, E-2, E-9 and TC1-7recorded significantly higher grain yield per plant than the best check HPW 368 (7.07 g/plant) whereas, genotypes E-6, E-8, E-11, E-12, E-13, E-21, E-23, GS 6012, GS 5031, HS 507, HPW 349, TC1-10, TC1-17, TC1-19, TC1-23, TC1-24, TC1-25, TC1-27 and VL 907 were at par with it.Genotypes viz. E-1, E-2, E-6, E-8, GS 6012, HPW 349, HPW 373, TC1-24, TC1-23, TC1-25 and VL 907 showed seedling resistance to races 110S84, 78S84 and 46S119 which were avirulent on genes Yr1, Yr5, Yr10, Yr14, Yr15, Yr24, Yr26, Yr28 and YrSP. Hence, resistance in these genotypes may be attributed to any of these genes individually or in combination. Genotypes E 11, E-12, E-13, E-23, HS 507, TC1-10 and TC1-27 were high yielding and showed combined resistance to YR and PM. These could be useful donors in the breeding program to evolve PM and YR-resistant varieties. Moreover, Kukumseri and Malan could be the ideal test hotspot locations for evaluation of wheat germplasm for resistance against YR and PM, respectively.

Genetic variance and stability assessment of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) clones using the multi-trait stability index across diverse cropping seasons

D. Adilakshmi — 2025-09-30

The multi-trait stability index (MTSI) was employed in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) to identify superior clones that exhibit mean performance and stability across multiple trait combinations over crop seasons. Genetic variance analysis for thirteen yield and quality traits showed a significant effect (p < 0.001) for genotype, environment, and genotype-by-environment (G×E) interaction, except for stalk diameter over the crop seasons. Based on MTSI scores, two clones, 2017A 236 (G3) and 2017A 36 (G1) were identified as excellent variants with respect to mean performance and stability of cane yield and sugar quality traits across the three crop seasons. The MTSI index demonstrated selection differential for nine traits that exhibited positive selection gains, ranging from stalk length (5.21%) to number of tillers at 120 DAP (63.28%), while four traits showed negative gains for fiber (%) (-1.13%), brix (%) (-8.57%), jaggery yield (-14.32%) and stalk diameter (-23.69%). Correlation analysis showed a strong association among cane yield and yield-related traits across seasons, alongside high correlations observed among sucrose percent, brix percent and CCS percent over the crop seasons. The present results suggested that the selected clones are excellent candidates, showing superior performance for the evaluated traits across all crop seasons. Therefore, these promising clones hold potential for advancement in yield trials and inclusion in future breeding pipelines.

Large-scale discovery of Simple Sequence Repeat markers in snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina L) and their cross-species validation

A Krishnamoorthi — 2025-09-30

Snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina L) is a medicinally important vegetable crop belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. India, being the center of origin of snake gourd, is endowed with a rich genetic diversity in this crop, hence offering a tremendous scope for genetic improvement. The lack of sufficient molecular markers in the crop is, however, a big limitation that curtails the endeavors undertaken for crop improvement. In this study, a total of 18,604 SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat) markers were developed in snake gourd (TcSSR) through low coverage sequencing. A total of 1.5 gigabases (Gb) of sequencing data was assembled de novo and thereafter used for genome-wide SSR mining. The markers were validated by mapping onto the published whole genome sequence (WGS) of snake gourd. More than 77% of the SSR markers were mapped on the genome, which confirms the accuracy of the sequencing data. A few markers were wet lab validated through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification across three different snake gourd genotypes (T. cucumerina) and analysed for cross-species transferability. A total of 40 out of 56 markers tested were identified to be transferable across the five different Trichosanthes species (other than T. cucumerina), which reflected a high degree of genetic relatedness among the species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the large-scale discovery of SSR markers in snake gourd. The markers identified in this study would serve as valuable genomic resources for germplasm characterization in snake gourd and facilitate trait improvement efforts in various breeding programs.

Identification and characterization of genes involved in tocochromanol biosynthesis pathway through genomics and transcriptomics in durum and bread wheat

Mona Yadav — 2025-09-30

Lipid-soluble plant antioxidants, tocochromanol (tocols for short), are essential for the regulation of lipid peroxidation in chloroplasts and seeds. They are also referred to as Vitamin E. Wheat germ oil contains the highest percentage of tocols among these sources, but the information about the tocol biosynthesis gene is very minimal. Tocols, comprising tocotrienols and tocopherols, are beneficial for human health due to their antioxidant properties. The current research delved into the genome and transcriptome to identify genes involved in tocol biosynthesis in wheat. Ten different structural gene families were identified with a total of 78 isoforms, shedding light on the complex pathway of tocol synthesis. Genes showed distinct domain profiles, exon architectures, tissue localization, regulatory elements, chromosome location, synteny and phylogeny, indicative of their unique function. Differential expressions in 27 isoforms were identified through RNA sequencing of developing seedlings from high tocol (HI8663, HAU105) and low tocol content (NABIMG-9-Blue and PBW621) in durum and bread wheat varieties. This comprehensive approach not only provides insights into the natural diversity of tocol content in wheat but also paves the way for potential enhancements through breeding and genome editing techniques. Increasing tocol content in wheat could have significant implications for human nutrition and health.

Accentuating genetic gain in chickpea: Research gaps and future artifice

Gayacharan — 2025-09-30

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an essential grain legume crop in several developing countries, especially in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Indian subcontinent, but its production potential could not be realised across the chickpea growing regions primarily due to environmrntal stresses. Chickpea global average yield for 2021 was 1.1 tonnes/ha, while the yield potential of chickpea varieties varies over 2 to 5 tonnes/ha under optimal growing conditions. Self-pollinating behaviour of chickpea has narrowed its genetic base, and particularly rare alleles are gradually being lost through selection processes before and after domestication. To address this problem, new crop improvement strategies are being implemented to increase chickpea yields and their resistance to environmental challenges. Traditional breeding procedures are insufficient to meet crop production demand for the growing population. To move on the development of new chickpea varieties, modern breeding tools and molecular techniques are being investigated to bring in unique features to combat climate change and its impacts. Wild Cicer species are rich sources of novel and desired traits. The use of new breeding strategies in chickpea, such as participatory plant breeding, precision high-throughput phenotyping, speed breeding, pangenome approach, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genomic selection (GS), genome editing, and other omics studies, is expected to boost chickpea productivity and reduce breeding cycles by selecting new desirable traits much more rapidly than traditional methods. In this review, we have provided an overview of different strategies for chickpea sustainable improvement and examine their potentials and limitations.

Unravelling the output and outcome of field crops breeding in India since the implementation of the Seeds Act, 1966

J. S. Chauhan — 2025-09-30

Crop breeding in India has been in progress for over 100 years and a large number of varieties of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fibres and sugarcane have been released prior to the adoption of the system of official release of varieties in October 1964. However, the Government of India has legislated the Seeds Act, 1966, to regulate the quality of seeds of the varieties, which came into force on October 1, 1969. The present paper discusses the historical aspects of the initiation of the varietal improvement programme in India, as well as the status of field crop varieties released and notified during 1969-2025 in pursuance of section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966 and the induction of recently released varieties (2019-23) in the current seed production chain. A total of 7488 high yielding, climate resilient, diseases and pest resistant/tolerant varieties/hybrids of 96 crops comprising cereals (13), food legumes (18), oilseeds (15), fibres (7), sugarcane, sugar beet, tobacco, forages (27) and other potential crops (13) including 604 varieties developed by the private sector, have been released and notified till 2025 employing both conventional and molecular breeding. These include 122 varieties of seven field crops (rice, wheat, maize, pearl millet, chickpea, lentil, soybean and groundnut) developed through molecular breeding and 170 bio-fortified varieties of 16 field crops (rice, wheat, maize, barley, pearl millet, finger millet, little millet, proso millet, foxtail millet, lentil, faba bean, chickpea, soybean, groundnut, Indian mustard and gobhi sarson. Of the 2036 varieties of 58 field crops in the current seed production chain, 1425 released during 2019-23 and 796 were inducted in the seed chain during 2024-25 for breeder seed production with variety replacement rate of 56.8, 73.2, 62.8, 67.1 and 20.0%, respectively, for cereals, food legumes, oilseeds, forages and cotton & allied fibres. The impact of new highly released varieties was assessed through the yield enhancement of different field crops. Integration of conventional breeding with molecular breeding is foremost in all crops, but more specifically in minor crops. New approaches like rapid generation advancement, shuttle breeding, speed breeding, double haploidy, in vitro haploid production and genomic selection should also be used to accelerate the breeding cycle. Also, there is a need to fast-track the varieties and several new crops for which many varieties have been notified, into the seed chain and develop strategies in view of the large varieties/year is being released.