eChapters

ABSTRACT

The investigation aimed at to examine the diversity among nineteen wild and cultivated germplasms of the genus Vigna namely, V. trichuriensis, V. hainiana, V. radiata, V. aconitifolia, V. minima, V. sinensis, V. radiata var. sublobata, V. radiata var.setulosa, V. umbellata, and allopolyploid of BR3x T9 at DNA level follwing Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. Ten random decamer primers were used in amplification reactions, five of that were reproducible and clear. The five primers constituted 55 bands of, which 9 are polymorphic. The similarity index based on 0 and 1 matrix of banding was calculated and dendrogram following UPGMA was constructed. The germplasms formed altogether 4 clusters on the basis of 0.375 linkage distance. The first and second cluster consisted of single genotype of V. hainiana. and V. minima respectively. The third cluster comprised wild and cultivated types of V. sinensis. The 4th cluster on the otherhand, consisted of genotypes belonging to V. radiata, V. radiata var. sublobata, V. mungo, V. radiata var. setulosa, V. trichuriensis and allopolyploid of BR3 and T9. The wild forms of different species were found to exist in the same cluster as their cultivated form. The three mungbean genotypes namely B105 (V. radiata), B1 (V. radiata) and BR3 (V. radiata )are crossable within themselves and they belonged to the cluster -IV.The intercluster cross between different clusters would like to generate new genotypes with wide variability. Based on limited range of accessions tasted in the present investigation, the approach holds promise for the classification of Vigna germplasm, identification of Vigna and marker assisted breeding in Vigna.

Introduction

Genetic resources are the building blocks for new varieties. The Indian gene centre is floristically extremely rich. Most of the tropical and sub-tropical fruits believed to have originated from Hindustan and Indo Malaya-Region. Hindustani gene centre possess a rich diversity of 152 crop plants distributed in different agro-ecological regions of India (Arora, 1985). The Indian sub-continent is one of the centers of origin and diversity of vegetables crops. Around 80 species of major and minor vegetables occur in wild forms (Choudhury, 1967, Seshadri 1987). Among the 118 genera belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family Cucurbita, Cucumis, Citrullus and Lagenaria genera are of great importance. There is tremendous genetic diversity within the family, genera and even within species level. The adaptation range varies from tropical and subtropical regions to extreme arid desert and in temperate regions from Tarai belts to higher altitudes. Extreme germplasm collections are maintained at different centers of the world which represents valuable resources for breeding even in wild form, primitive cultivars, landraces/ folk varieties/ farmer’s selection in a much localized pockets. Now we have very good strains for highly nutritive value, multiple disease resistant and extended shelf lives from our local material through intensive breeding.

Indigenous plant germplasm are adapted component of plant biodiversity. Such adapted components are more valuable resources either as a cultivar or as a parental line in hybridization programme. It might be also a putative material for biotechnological treatment for tolerance to biotic, abiotic factors or nutritional and quality components. Indigenous germplasm can be basically of two types, one which has been domesticated and subjected to human intervention, the other one may be called wild plants or wild relatives and still in the process of evolution without the human intervention. Biochemically the cucurbits are characterized by bitter principles, called cucurbitacins. Great variety of cucurbits contains bitter principle in portion of the plant at some stage of development. Cucurbitacins are tetracyclic triterpenes having extensive oxidation level. Bitter principals found in roots differ from those in fruits. Seedlings specially radicals contains cucurbitacins which are considered primary. The pollen also carries bitter principles and hence when bitter pollen fertilized non-bitter ovule the resulting fruit will be bitter known as metaxenia effect. Cucurbits are consumed in various forms i.e. salad (cucumber, gherkins, longmelon), sweet (ash gourd, pointed gourd), pickles (gherkins), deserts (melons) and culinary purpose. Some of them (e.g. bitter gourd) are well known for their unique medicinal properties. In recent years, abortifacient proteins with ribosome-inhibiting properties have been isolated from several cucurbit species, which include momorcharin (from Momordica charantia), luffaculin (from Luffa operculata), trichosanthin (from Trichosanthes kirilowif) and beta-trichosanthin (from Trichosanthes cucumeroides). Among these, Trichosanthin is of particular interest because its ribosome-inhibiting properties have been found to be effective in inhibiting the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), indicating its potential as a therapeutic agent for AIDS. In cucurbits three conditions are found (i) fruit and vegetative parts bitter (ii) fruit not bitter but vegetative parts bitter (iii) bitterness absent in both vegetative parts and fruits. Hence some kind of co-evolutionary relationship between cucurbits found and they are very helpful during evaluation of germplasm.

Introduction

Diversity connotes multiplicity of variety. In a given ecosystem, diversity refers to presence of number of different species of ?ora and fauna that have ecological niches in agreement with the environment. Scaling up, there exists diversity between different ecosystems. All life forms of ?ora and fauna on earth contains genetic material, that is the repository of an immense amount of genetic information in the form of traits, characteristics, etc. Focusing on the species level, genetic diversity refers to genetic variation that is observed in a population. Thus, genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. This provides in built latitude to the nature and/or the livestock breeders (including farmers) to manoeuvre/ manipulate so as evolve an improved population of desired qualities and traits. Further, genetic diversity is essential because the presence of adequate and appropriate genes in a population will make the species tide over adversaries owing to climate change and other emerging threats like new disease outbreaks. The ‘desired’ divergent gene pool provides the inherent resilient mechanism that equip the species to cope with likely challenging situation.

Over the years, with human interventions, the genetic diversity has been interfered with to meet specific needs; mostly with respect to garnering higher production and productivity. In the process, the diversity has been compromised for achieving the unitary goal. In certain cases, geographical barriers and other bio-physical constraints have also led to loss of diversity within a population. Studies on impact of climate change especially the effect of rise in environmental temperature on milk production of dairy animals indicate that global warming will negatively impact milk production. During 2020, the annual loss in milk production of cattle and buffaloes due to thermal stress will be around 3.2 million tonnes of milk costing more than Rs 5000 Crore at current price. Similarly, there would be prevalence of many emerging diseases including those with zoonotic implications owing to change in climatic conditions. Thus, the present day society is confronted with an imminent development dilemma of ecology vs. economics more specifically genetic diversity vs. higher production. It has led to volume of debates and discussions on the livestock development agenda to be pursued. The apparently con?icting interests has also generated antipathy amongst two schools of development.

Ralstonia solanacearum is a phytopathogenic bacterium belong ing to the b subdivision of the Proteobacteria (Yabuuchi et al., 1995) having a wide geographical distribution ranging from tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions (Liu et al., 2009). It has broad host range and infects around 54 plant families and 450 plant species (Hayward, 1991; Wicker et al., 2007). 

Early attempts to study the diversity present in the R. solanacearum species complex resulted in separate race and biovar systems. R. solanacearum has been phenotypically classified into 5 races based on the host range at the plant species level and into five biovars based on the metabolic profiles related to the ability to reduce three disaccharides and three hexose alcohols (Wicker et al., 2007).

Vegetables are of short duration, have higher productivity and give more return per unit area, besides giving nutritious food to human being and can be fitted in different farming systems. They also play a major role in balancing human diet, thereby helping in alleviating hunger, poverty and malnutrition. Because of the public awareness for the significance of vegetable consumption, the demand of vegetables in the global market has increased immensely. Thus, vegetable farming is becoming profitable venture globally, opening avenues of self employment and revenue generation (Anon., 2009). At global level, India holds second position, next only to China in vegetables production with a share of about 14%. The present annual vegetables production of country is about 175 million tons from an area about 10.3 million ha with a productivity of 17.1 t/ha. India grows largest number of vegetables in the world, as having a spectrum of wide range of agro-climatic situations, ranging from dry temperate to humid tropics between the altitudes from sea level to snow line.

The Indian hot arid region is one of the most important arid ecosystems of the world in terms of biodiversity it possesses. This arid region spreads over 31.7 mha, occupies major part of north western India including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, which together contribute 73% of arid region. High temperature, wind velocity, low humidity, low and erratic rainfall and high potential evapotranspiration are important characteristics of this region which narrowed down the choice for vegetables, besides permit their low productivity.

Abstract
Understanding genetic diversity is essential for achieving genetic improvement and conservation of grain legumes. These crops serve as important pulses grown and consumed all over the world, especially in Africa, South East Asia and America. Legumes serve as a good source of carbohydrates, oil, fibre and proteins. Grain legumes are a major source of food and nutrition globally. However, it has not been possible to enhance gain legume production to the required level, primarily due to the narrow genetic base of most of the legume crops, coupled with changing climatic conditions. Most grain legumes are lacking in desired plant ideotypes and resistance sources for various biotic and abiotic stresses. The genetic diversity conserved in gene banks globally is a major resource for crop breeding programs, but it
is utilized only marginally. Therefore, in order to broaden the genetic base of grain legume crops and enhance the genetic gains made in improvement programs, conventional approaches and modern scientific tools should be integrated in a phased and carefully judged manner. The first phase should focus on the search for desired traits and the infusion of diversity into the cultivated gene pool through use of landraces and CWRs. The second phase should focus on the utilization of advanced selection tools, such as genomics, high-throughput precision phenotyping, and artificial intelligence, to exploit the hidden potential of the available genetic diversity; and the third phase should involve technologies such as mutational breeding, genome editing, and transgenic technologies to improve, modify any novel or alien traits that are not available in the entire crop gene pool. We presume that enrichment of the genetic diversity of cultivated grain legume gene pools, along with simultaneous improvements in their yield and plant type with the aid of advanced scientific tools, will enhance grain legume crop yields to the required level.
Keywords: Crop improvement, Genetic diversity, Genome editing, Legume, Phenotyping

Dairy buffalo production has been a tradition in Asian region and some other parts of the world where fresh  buffalo milk, dahi (cultured sour milk), ghee (butter oil) and yoghurt are very popular. In Italy, the dairy buffalo industry is flourishing; thanks to the popularity of buffalo mozzarella cheese. Because of the market for Mozzarella, buffalo farming is a profitable enterprise and is carried out in an organized manner with modern equipment.

Development of sophisticated procedures for the isolation, manipulation and expression of genetic materials is a field called genetic engineering. Genetic engineering has applications in both basic and applied research. In basic research, genetic engineering techniques are used to study the mechanisms of gene replication and expression in prokaryotes, eukaryotes and viruses. For applied research, genetic engineering used for development of microbial cultures capable of producing valuable products such as human insulins, growth hormones, interferons, vaccines, enzymes etc. The commercial application of genetic engineering is sometimes referred as Biotechnology. In broad sense, Biotechnology refers the use of living organisms to carry out defined chemical processes for industrial application.

The process of isolation, purification and replication of specific DNA fragment is called molecular cloning or gene cloning. Molecular cloning is the base of most of the genetic engineering procedures. The purpose of molecular cloning is to isolate large quantity of specific genes in pure form. Thus molecular cloning is very important in genetic engineering and can be divided into several steps depends on the purpose. The steps are as follows:

Introduction

One of the main environmental problems is the improper disposal of agricultural waste, which has a negative impact on ecosystems when it is carelessly dumped into the environment. According to the majority of publications, burning, dumping, or storing the untreated and unused agro-industrial waste in a landfill are the methods used for disposal (Neh, 2020). Untreated trash increases the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, which in turn aggravates climate change in a number of ways. This has detrimental consequences on the climate in addition to releasing more unwanted gaseous byproducts (Toop et al., 2017). As a result, substantial interventions are needed to use agro-waste sustainably. This can be achieved through the development of bioproducts with added value and sustainable energy technologies. Increased garbage output worldwide has put more stress on the environment, causing harm to soil, air, and water resources (Rao and Rathod, 2018). These effects jeopardize population health and the long-term sustainability of ecosystems. According to Zeidabadi et al. (2018), the agriculture sector produces between 21 and 37 percent of greenhouse emissions. A sustainable development paradigm that advocates for significant changes to traditional agricultural production techniques and waste management has emerged in response to this new reality. According to Torres-león et al. (2018), agro-wastes contain high amounts of complex carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, polyphenolic components, bioactive substances, etc. Organic compound wastes can be used as a raw material for a variety of agricultural, food, and pharmaceutical products, even if they are hazardous to the environment (Uzodinma et al., 2007). Because of their high nutrient content, agro-residues are not seen as trash; rather, they are exploited as a source material for new goods. The cost-effectiveness of conversion procedures for the development of bioproducts can be increased by using efficient pre-treatment technologies for agro-waste biomass, as well as by utilizing its biochemical properties and sophisticated conversion processes (Yusuf, 2017). The bioconversion of agricultural waste into enzymes and other bioactive compounds for the pharmaceutical industry, vermicompost, organic fertilizers, and biofuels for the agriculture sector, as well as nutraceuticals and food products, is greatly aided by microbial biotechnology and nanotechnology (Beltrán-Ramírez et al., 2019: Samborska et al., 2019). In the food and healthcare sectors, nanotechnology is being studied more and more because of its numerous potential uses. As previously indicated, the increased bioavailability and quantities of bioactive compounds significantly improve the potential for targeted delivery of bioactive compounds to particular tissues or organs. Nano-structured materials’ distinctive qualities and vast surface area make them potentially revolutionary for the food industry. Although the potential advantages of nanotechnology for society at large have been well acknowledged, food science has only lately started to investigate its uses (Del Rio Osorio et al., 2021).

Introduction
Genetic engineering is the process of modifying an organism’s genome, frequently to add or eliminate desired features. This field is developing quickly and has many uses in biological sciences, the agricultural sector and medicine. Gene therapy is a medical application of genetic engineering that corrects or replaces malfunctioning genes using beneficial ones to alleviate genetic illnesses. It is used in gene therapy and medicine to treat hereditary illnesses by introducing therapeutic genes into the body or fixing defective genes. Generating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture as crops enhanced to withstand pests or environmental conditions also depends significantly on it. Over the last 10 to 20 years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been incorporated into the system of agriculture and products for the consumer sector. This developed in the USA but has since spread to poorer nations. Since genetic engineering was discovered, its ability to alter the genetic material of living things’ DNA has been identified. The debates have taken place worldwide but have gained the most traction in the European Union due to mistrust in scientists, regulatory bodies and technology decisions. The genetic hinders can potentially enter a new cell through bacteria or viruses. Transgenic plants are those created using transformation techniques (such as Agrobacterium-mediated transformation or direct gene transfer) that insert specific foreign nucleotide or gene sequence regions into their genome (Grifths et al. 2005).
Agrobacterium rhizogenes and A. tumefaciens are common vectors used in plant-to-plant gene transfer. The desired gene inserted into the bacteria’s DNA will be transferred to the plants by the bacteria when they infect them with an individual plasmid in the soil. Vector transmission of genes is a natural environmental alteration, the favored modification technique. A curious field at the intersection of biotechnology and genomics is the field of genetic engineering. To put it bluntly, it’s the process of modifying an organism’s DNA to introduce new or altered features. Altering the DNA is a technique that allows for inserting, deleting or modifying particular genes to modify property or add new functions. Genetic engineering has many valuable and significant applications. It is used in agriculture to produce crops with better nutrient content and increased resilience to pests, diseases and environmental stress. According to studies, tissue-specific, promoters-especially stress-inducible promoters, which limit transgene expression to the stress period-improve the phenotypes of transgenic plants when compared to constitutive promoters (Shavrukov et al., 2016). Biotechnology also involves genetic engineering in producing illicit substances, enzymatic agents and bioenergy.

Preternatural development of recombinant DNA technology has established genetic engineering in animals the most important field in application of biology for human benefit, from production of genetically modified animals to providing crucial technologies to medical science sector. On the basis of the nature of the target tissues, genetic engineering may target single cell line, particular tissue sectors or the organism as a whole. The purpose of transformation may be basic research involving elucidation of gene function, study effect of directed mutations, examination of physiological and developmental processes in animals or may be target oriented, such as production of proteins or metabolites in large quantities in a cell line, incorporating rDNA in the germline cells, gene therapy, use of rDNA in disease diagnostics, or production of transgenic animals for specific purposes.

Since floricultural and ornamental crops are grown for aesthetic purpose and are non-edible there is likely to be less concern in bio safety issues compared to other food crops. Hence there is considerable potential for developing transgenics in ornamental crops. Advances in transgenic technology provide new opportunities for manipulation of the genome. These will have significant impact on expanding and diversifying the gene pool of crop plants, introducing specific genes and shortening the time required for the production of new varieties or hybrids. Molecular breeding is beneficial to increase the production and quality by creating plants with enhanced resistance to diseases, insects or viruses and increased tolerance to environmental stresses like salinity, temperature or drought. Through this technique genes for shelf life, flower colour and architecture may be directly transferred to develop new varieties that are tailor made to customer preferences. Bioluminescent orchids and blue roses are the significant outcomes of the genetic transformation studies in ornamentals (Swarnapiria, 2009).

Since floricultural and ornamental crops are grown for aesthetic purpose and are non-edible there is likely to be less concern in bio safety issues compared to other food crops. Hence there is considerable potential for developing transgenics in ornamental crops. Advances in transgenic technology provide new opportunities for manipulation of the genome. These will have significant impact on expanding and diversifying the gene pool of crop plants, introducing specific genes and shortening the time required for the production of new varieties or hybrids. Molecular breeding is beneficial to increase the production and quality by creating plants with enhanced resistance to diseases, insects or viruses and increased tolerance to environmental stresses like salinity, temperature or drought. Through this technique genes for shelf life, flower colour and architecture may be directly transferred to develop new varieties that are tailor made to customer preferences. Bioluminescent orchids and blue roses are the significant outcomes of the genetic transformation studies in ornamentals (Swarnapiria, 2009).

GENETIC ENGINEERING VS. TRADITIONAL BREEDING

Breeding with transgenic plants is only justified when genetic variation within the primary and secondary gene pools of a species is too small or gene transfer by conventional techniques is difficult and time-consuming. There are a number of different means for increasing or even creating new genetic variation, like species hybridization, mutation induction and protoplast fusion, which have been frequently used to breed new varieties. It is worth mentioning that neither plant cultivation nor commercialization of commodities has any legal requirements and a public discussion about these plants is also lacking. Therefore, a breeder must carefully assess the different constraints of transgenic breeding before starting a breeding program which are the legal aspects and acceptance by farmers, consumers and stakeholders (Jung, 2010).

INTRODUCTION

While the world has been changing during the last few years both politically and economically in unexpected and remarkable way, food security remains an unfulfilled dream of billions of people. With the world population crossing six billion marks, the demand for food grains is increasing at an alarming rate. Increasing population, on the other hand, has led to decrease in cropping area. In order to meet the global food demand we have to increase the productivity. Insects have always been a major cause of yield-loss in agriculture. They account for 20-30% of crop-loss. Several approaches e.g. physical, chemical and biological have been used with varying degree of success to reduce such losses.
 
The insect pest management is one of the most important yield destabilizing factors in almost all the crops. While for some insects, genetic sources of resistance are available in the respective plant germplasm, for many others germplasm is almost devoid of effective resistance genes. It is because of this factor that conventional breeding strategies have not been successful in breeding insect pest’s resistant varieties. The only means available at present for managing the insect is extensive application of insecticides and pesticides. Excessive usage of the pesticides causes, on one hand, environmental pollution and on the other, it forces the insects to develop resistance against these chemicals. Application of the pesticides also imposes additional economic burden on the farmers.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a rapid way of amplifying (duplicating) specific DNA sequences

Method was devised by Kary Mullis of Cetus Corporation, Emeryville He recieved a $20,000 bonus and later a Nobel Prize

DNA heated to high temperature is not destroyed; separates into single strands, but reforms helix when cooled

PCR Method:

DNA to be amplified is put into solution containing:

Advances in molecular biology have sharpened the tools of the breeders, and brighten the prospects of confidence to serve the humanity. The application of biotechnology to field crop has already led to the field testing of genetically modified crop plants. Genetically engineered Rice, Maize, Soybean, Cotton, Oilseeds like Rape seed, Sugar Beet and Alfalfa cultivars are expected to be commercialized in the late of 20^th century. Genes from varied organisms may be expected to boost the performance of crops especially with regard to their resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses

Genetic engineering involves isolation of DNA fragments within a cell recombining them outside. The basic technique is quite simple. Two DNA molecules are isolated and cut into fragments by one or more specialized enzymes, the fragments joined together in a desired combination, then restored to a cell from replication and reproduction. This method also referred to as recombinant DNA technology. Genetic engineering developed in the mid 1970 when it becomes possible to cut DNA and to transfer particular pieces of DNA containing specific bits of information, from one type of organism into other.

Introduction

It refers to all activities designed to identify materials that cannot be used directly in breeding programmes, and further to transfer these traits to an intermediate set of materials that breeders can use further in producing new varieties for farmers. It is a bridge between Genetic Resources and Crop Improvement. That is collaboration between germplasm curator and plant breeder.

Crosses between adapted and exotic materials, where different proportions of introgression are obtained and evaluated, have been denominated as semi exotic materials. That should be readily used in regular breeding programme for cultivar development.

Objectives of pre-breeding 8-10 Years • Improved germplasm and associated genetic knowledge that enhance resistance expression and diversity.

• Reduce genetic uniformity in crops through the use of a wider pool of genetic material to increase yield, resistance to pests and diseases, and other quality traits.

• Identification of desirable traits/genes and their subsequent transfer into a suitable set of parents for further selection.

• Improved parental stocks which can be readily utilized within breeding programs and improved selection methodologies.

• Identify potentially useful genes in a well-organized and documented gene bank Designing strategies that lead to development of an improved germplasm that are ready to use in varietal development.

ABSTRACT

Of the several PCR techniques developed during the last two decades, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) offers a simple and economical means of genotype characterization. The information obtained through RAPD characterization is extensively used for the identification of genotypes, screening of duplicates, assessing genetic diversity and monitoring the genetic stability of conserved germplasm. The present study is a report on the DNA fingerprinting of P. nigrum and P. longum cultivars. Fourteen land races and three advanced cultivars of P. nigrum and eleven land races and one advanced cultivar of P.longum were used in the present study. Forty decamer primers from Operon Tech were screened using two representative genomic DNA samples of black pepper. Of these, 10 primers that yielded clear and dominant band patterns were selected for the final analysis of the 29 accessions. These generated 119 amplification products. The total number of markers per primer varied with respect to both P. nigrum and P. longum. Cultivar specific single bands were obtained for a few land races and accessions of both the Piper species.

Introduction
Chromosome manipulation, the targeted alteration of chromosome quantity and combination, represents a cornerstone of genetic enhancement in aquaculture. Initially rooted in early twentieth-century studies focused on fundamental biology—particularly in amphibian models—this field has significantly expanded to enhance desirable traits through methods like polyploidy and uniparental inheritance (Arai, 2001; Benfey, 1999; Benfey, 2011; Cherfas, 1975; Devlin & Nagahama, 2002; Felip et al., 2001; Guo et al., 2009; Hulata, 2001; Komen & Thorgaard, 2007; Nagy, et al., 1979; Nagy, et al., 1978; Neyfakh, 1956; Ojima & Makino 1978). Over time, researchers worldwide have meticulously refined these techniques, transforming chromosome manipulation into a powerful tool for developing aquaculture strains with improved performance traits. By the late 20th century, aquaculture research began leveraging chromosomal modifications in finfish and aquatic invertebrates to achieve increased growth rates, disease resistance, and enhanced survival, with such techniques becoming extensively applied in commercial aquaculture operations (Pandian & Koteeswaran, 1998; Piferrer et al., 2009; Purdom, 1972). Over the past 30 years, a wide body of research has focused on optimizing treatment conditions specific to each target species, yielding robust evaluations of various aquaculture performance metrics. These metrics, including survival, growth, reproductive maturation, and disease resistance, have proven essential in assessing the effectiveness of polyploid and uniparental (gynogenetic and androgenetic) progeny (Purdom, 1976; Refstie et al., 1977; Romashov et al., 1960; Romashov & Belyaeva 1964; Stanley 1976; Stanley, 1976; T. J. Pandian, 2011; Devlin & Nagahama 2002; Guo, et al., 2009; Hulata, 2001; Komen & Thorgaard, 2007). As aquaculture has grown into the fastest-expanding sector of animal food production globally, the demand for sustainably produced, high-quality protein continues to rise. This surge in demand is driven, in part, by the decline of global fisheries due to overfishing, pollution, and habitat degradation. Consequently, the aquaculture industry faces the challenge of increasing output sustainably, necessitating the development of improved fish strains that support the resilience and efficiency of farmed stocks. To meet these demands, a range of genetic modification methods has been employed, aiming to produce fish with desirable traits such as rapid growth, superior meat quality, and enhanced resistance to disease (Xu et al., 2015). Chromosome manipulation has thus emerged as a critical tool, facilitating precise genetic interventions to enhance farmed species’ overall performance and adaptability.

Introduction

Agricultural biodiversity must be an integrated part of climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. Climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation should complement each other (FAO, 2007, 2008). Climate affects vectors, pathogens, hosts and host-pathogen interactions from the level of cellular defence to that of the habitat. Hoberg et al. (2008) provide an overview of predicted responses of complex host-pathogen systems to climate change. Climate change may affect the spatial distribution of disease outbreaks, and their timing and intensity (Epstein 2001). Outbreaks of African horse sickness, peste des petits ruminants, Rift Valley fever, bluetongue virus, facial eczema and anthrax are triggered by specific weather conditions and changes in seasonal rainfall profiles.

Dairy farmers are faced with a number of fundamental inquiries. The first inquires as to what dairy animal he needs to keep. Is the breed with the best production performance the one that has adapted to the local environment the most? What animal is the best, asks the second? Is it the one with a showwinning conformation or the one with a strong ancestry? Is the ideal dairy cow one that produces the most milk, has the best feet, legs, and udder support, or combines the performance of these characteristics in the best possible way?

Buffaloes have been classified in two main categories namely riverine and swamp buffaloes depending upon variation in their habitat and genome structure. River buffaloes are generally large in size mostly with curled horns and are mainly found in India, Pakistan and some of the west Asian countries, prefer to enter clear water and have 50 (2n) numbers of chromosomes and are primarily used for milk production and also used for meat production and draught power. Swamp buffaloes are stocky animals with marshy land habitats and have 48 (2n) numbers of chromosomes. They were primarily developed for draught power in paddy fields and haulage and are also used for meat and milk production. Swamp buffaloes are mostly found in south East Asian countries and few animals are also available in north eastern states of India.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) represented as ‘Food of Gods’ is considered as an important beverage crop next to Tea and Coffee. The economic produce of cocoa is the bean, when it is fermented and dried, become the source for chocolate. Cocoa is native to Amazon basin of South America and is domesticated and distributed to different regions by the natives Mayas, Aztecs and Pipil- Nicaraos (Wood and Lass, 1955; Young, 1994) who consumed it as an energy drink called ‘xocoatl’ by roasting and grinding cocoa beans. When Spanish conquered Mexico in 16th century they took cocoa to Europe which is christened as ‘chocolate’ the worlds’ favourite food. From then on cocoa spread to many other countries (Wood, 1991). According to World Cocoa Foundation, currently 40–50 million people depend on cocoa for their livelihood and the production is 3.97 mt in which Africa contributes 71%, Latin America 14% and Asia and Oceania 14% (Jean Marc Anga, 2013). Ivory Coast is the major producer followed by Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria and Brazil. In Asian continent, Indonesia and Malaysia are the leading producers (www.wcf.org.).

Abstract

The genetic improvement of crop plants is possible only through employing an appropriate breeding technique. The use of plant breeding technique depends on mode of pollination and reproduction of plant species e.g. selection and hybridization are used in sexually reproduced species, while clonal selection in asexually propagated plant species. The plant species/ varieties are usually derived through conventional techniques (vi z. introduction, selection, hybridization etc.), which are commonly used in various breeding programmes, while some modern techniques viz. transgenic breeding and marker assisted selection etc. are also available which are equally effective for improvement of all crop species. Various techniques applied for development of new varieties and hybrids are briefly described in this section.

Plant breeding is an art, science and technology of improving genetic make-up of crop plants in relation to their economic usefulness for mankind. Various techniques/methods of breeding used for genetic improvement of crop plants are: introduction, selection, hybridization, mutation, transgenic breeding etc.

Classification of Breeding Techniques: Plant breeding techniques are classified as conventional and modern breeding techniques.

Livestock is one of the fastest growing agricultural subsectors in developing countries. In India has a vast diversity of animal genetic resources. Among them, sheep is an important ‘five star’ livestock species contributing significantly to rural economy through production of mutton, wool, manure, skin and milk etc. Sheep make a valuable contribution to the livelihood of the economically weaker sections of the society. The total Livestock population is 535.78 million and total sheep population is 74.26 million in in the country showing an increase of 4.6% and 14.1%, respectively over Livestock Census-2012. And it’s ranking 3rd in the world after China and Australia. Rajasthan is the fourth largest sheep rearing state in India with 7.9 million population (Livestock Census, 2019). Malpura sheep is one amongst the heaviest sheep breed of India, widely distributed in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan, mostly Tonk, Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur districts. Malpura sheep is reared and improved for mutton production since year 1975 at CSWRI, Avikanagar. The objective since then has been to improve the growth characteristics of this sheep breed for producing more carcass yield.The sheep is known for its adaptability to the harsh environment and potential for high meat production.Coat colour of Malpura sheep is white with coarse wool. The face is light brown with short, blunt ears. Animals have square compact body and long legs. Farmers also have liking for the long tail of animals for aesthetic purpose. The farmers like Malpura sheep for its properties like good mothering ability and produce sufficient milk to sustain and accelerate the growth of their neonates (Mishra et al., 2005), higher weight gain, number of lambs weaned, wool quality, walking capacity and the ease of management.

As the ornamental fish industry expands throughout the world, genetic considerations have become more important in terms of production, sustainability and conservation. Genetic technologies are now being applied to increase food production in aquaculture through traditional and modern breeding programmes. Genetic markers can help to manage capture fisheries and distinguish farmed from wild stocks in mixed fisheries. Genetic technologies are also now finding application in post-harvest and trade to assist in product identification and traceability. Genetic improvement of fish has considerably increased the fish production from aquaculture. It includes selective breeding, hybridization, polyploidy, gene and nuclear engineering. For any genetic selection programme, induced breeding is the basic and initial step. Intensive selective breeding is practiced with various species of fish in perfecting appearance, shape and color so that new strains are produced.

Domestication

Most of the fish being widely grown in captivity are domesticated to some extent, but there are very few which have undergone genetic improvement. Just as terrestrial livestock and crops are bred to be not only productive, but productive in convenient proximity to humans, aquatic plants and animals are now undergoing these same pressures.

In comparison to agriculture crops, fruit plants and animals, aquaculture is much behind with regard to the domestication of the fish, especially ornamental fish. Never the less, a good number of ornamental fish have been domesticated which can be considered for selective breeding to improve their traits. The available technologies and tools could be used to remarkably speed up domestication and genetic improvement process.

Domestication implies much more than merely keeping wild animals in farms or homes. Domestication is a very long process, during which captive individuals become more adapted to captive environments. Domestication leads to permanent genetic modifications of a bred lin-eage, while taming or keeping wild fish in captive conditions is only conditioned behavioral modification of individuals. The entire life cycle of the domesticated fish species must be fully closed in captivity. Once full life cycle is completed in captivity, the process of domestication can proceed further.

The first truly domesticated fish species was certainly the goldfish, for which the domestication was initiated by the Chinese about 1500-2000 years ago.

Technologiocal intervention is essential for improving pulse productivity through introduction of suitable high yielding varieties (Masood Ali and Shiv Kumar 2009). This is only possible through: (i) development of high yielding varieties with multiple resistance/tolerance to major diseases like mung bean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV), powdery mildew (PM) and Cercospora in mung bean and urdbean; (ii) development of varieties having resistance and tolerance to pre-harvest sprouting in mung bean, (iii) development of efficient plant type with high biomass and harvest index, (iv) development of varieties suited for intercropping system, (v) broadening genetic base of developed varieties, (vi) development of 50-55 days varieties of mung bean having 1 tonne/ha productivity and resistance to YMV for summer cultivation, (vii) development of high yielding and early maturity varieties of peas having resistance to powdery mildew, (viii) developing rajmash genotypes resistant to bean common mosaic virus and sclerotia rot, tolerant to high/low temperature and shattering resistance are important ones for increasing production through varieties intervention (AICRP MuLLaRP, http://iipr.res.in/mullarp).

The Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is the most important commercial source of natural rubber, a strategic raw material. Rubber is an indispensable commodity used in the manufacture of over 50,000 products worldwide. This crop has therefore emerged as a key plantation species in various countries. The global area under rubber  cultivation is about 9.6 million hectares producing 9.2 million tones annually (IRSG, 2014). Among the major natural rubber producing countries, India occupies 4th position in terms of production with 0.91 million tones and more significantly the first position in average productivity of 1823 kg/ha/year. The major rubber producing countries are Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Rubber is also commercially cultivated in Philippines, Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote de Ivoire, Liberia, Brazil, Cambodia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Guatemala, Myanmar, Mexico, China, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Papua New Guinea.Increase in production and improving productivity of NR continues to be the subject of considerable research efforts, particularly in the context of the widening gap between demand and supply of natural rubber. Over one million small farmers  in India owning less than 0.5 ha. of land depend on rubber cultivation for a livelihood.

Livestock is an important source of income for the rural poor and marginal farmers which enables earn income and food security using common resources.It is a best option to utilize such waste resources in proper way to earn income. About 65-69% of Indian population consisting of small and marginal farmers and land less laborers reared animal as supplementary occupation by feeding their animals agriculture by products. Indian agriculture is very difficult to sustain without dairy animals. Per capita availability of milk comes out to 281gm per day, which is below than the average of 300gm recommended by Nutrition Council of ICMR. Thus, there is a further need to increase the milk production of the country in view of minimizing difference between per capita availability and requirement. Milk production in India has increased from a modest 22 million tons during 1970-1971 to about 122 million tons in 2011—2012 (Deptt. of Animal Husbandry and Dairying).

ABSTRACT

Plant tissue culture is an important and efficient technique for the production of desired plant products with different and improved variety in aseptic conditions. Plant tissue culture methods have a wide scope for the creation, conservation, and utilization of genetic variability for the genetic improvement of field, fruit, vegetable, forest crops, medicinal and aromatic plants. The main objective of this communication were to collects the information and techniques of tissue culture to genetic improvement of the medicinal plants. Tissue culture technique in combination with molecular techniques has been successively used to incorporate specific traits through gene transfer. Modified varieties of medicinal plants is mostly required, as some compounds like alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, saponins, phenolics, flavanoids, and amino acids etc are extracted from these plants. From the ancient time up to 20th century, most of the human-being are dependent on the medicinal plant for basic healthcare needs and improving such a crop is the most important for this billionaire world. As far conventional methods of genetic improvements the tissue culture techniques takes cheap and lesser time required for traits specific improvements in the MAPs.

Phenotype is a result of gene products brought to expression in a given environment. Genes specify the structure of proteins. All known enzymes are proteins. Enzymes perform catalytic function, causing the splitting or union of various molecules. All of the chemical reactions which occur in the cell constitute the subject of intermediary metabolism. These reactions occur as stepwise conversions of one substance into another, each group being mediated by a specific enzyme. All of the steps which transform a precursor substance to its end product constitute a biosynthetic pathway. Several genes are usually required to specify the enzymes involved in even the simplest pathways. Before gene-enzyme relationship could be postulated, soon after rediscovery of Mendelian principles of inheritance, it was discovered that genes were not merely separate elements producing distinct individual effects, but they could interact with each other to produce completely novel phenotypes. The simplest example of gene interaction could be the fact that allele A could be characterized by phenotype A, and the allele B by the phenotype B and an organism having both alleles A and B at the same time might show phenotype C. The occurrence of such interactions means that the phenotype we observe is not present in the genes themselves but arises from a complicated developmental process resulting from a biosynthetic pathway as illustrated below (Stansfield, 1969)

Introduction
Aquaculture is rapidly outpacing all other sectors in agricultural development. The study of fish genetics gained traction in the 20th century, driven by advancements in the understanding of Inheritance and reproduction. During the 1960s, selective breeding programmes aimed at enhancing genetic qualities became more common (Gjedrem and Baranski, 2009). Currently, more than 60 fish and shellfish species are going through selective breeding (Gjedrem and Baranski, 2009). Despite this, many critical traits like resistance to disease, efficiency of feed conversion, fatty acid composition and quality of meat are challenging to assess in breeding prospects but significantly impact the yield and profitability of several aquaculture species. Genetic mapping refers to the process of creating a genetic map (Van Ooijen and Jansen, 2013). Making genetic linkage maps is still essential for carrying out genetic and genomic research and many aquaculture species have had such maps developed. Developments in genotyping and sequencing technologies have made it the creation of higher-density, high-resolution (HR) genetic linkage maps. However, there are now important tasks in linkage analysis due to the usage of a large number of molecular markers. High-density linkage maps are valuable tools for studying genomic biology and evolutionary genetics because they serve as the foundation for QTL (quantitative trait loci) mapping. They facilitate the quantification of recombination rates, linkage disequilibrium levels, and chromosomal rearrangements across chromosomes, between sexes, and among different populations. The development of marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) has gained significant consideration and has significantly accelerated genetic breeding efforts in numerous cultured aquatic organism (Li, 2019; Yu, 2019). Quantitative trait loci (QTL) linked to economically important variables are frequently mapped using genetic linkage maps, which are an invaluable tool for examining genomic regions. (Huang, 2020; Wan 2017; Zhou, 2021). Growth rate, flesh quality, and disease resistance are only a few of the important features that are regulated by several genes or loci. The use of genetic maps in QTL (quantitative trait loci) mapping is essential for determining the locations of genes linked to these traits. (Huang, 2020; Li, 2019; Wan, 2017; Wang, 2018). The mapping of trait-related quantitative trait loci has been greatly improved by recent developments in high-throughput next generation sequencing techniques (You, 2020). Research in this field has greatly advanced through the use of a variety of techniques, including restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), genotyping-by-sequencing, specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Of these, RAD-seq is thought to be an appropriate, robust, and economical approach that has demonstrated 172 Aquaculture Genetics: Breeding, Conservation, and Sustainable Production efficacy in detecting genotypes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (Andrews, 2016). Linkage mapping in aquaculture is a valuable tool that has revolutionized selective breeding. By revealing the genetic foundations of key traits, it allows for more efficient and sustainable aquaculture practices. The integration of linkage mapping with other genomic technologies is expected to enhance productivity, improve disease management, and ensure the long term sustainable growth of aquaculture industries worldwide.

Linkage and Crossing Over

Crossing over may produce recombinant phenotypes.

Bateson and Punnett discovered two traits that did not assort independently.

Morgan provided evidence for the linkage of several X-linked genes and proposed that crossing over between X chromosomes can occur.

A chi square analysis can be used to distinguish between linkage and independent assortment.

Creighton and McClintock correlated crossing over that produced new combinations of alleles with the exchange of homologous chromosomes.

Crossing over occasionally occurs during mitosis. Genetic Mapping in Plants and Animals

The frequency of recombination between two genes can be correlated with their map distance along a chromosome

Alfred Sturtevant used the frequency of crossing over in dihybrid crosses to produce the first genetic map.

Trihybrid crosses can be used to determine the order and distance between linked genes.

Interference can influence the number of double crossovers that occur in a short region.

Genetic Transfer and Mapping in Bacteria

Bacteria can transfer genetic material during conjugation

Hfr strains contain an f factor integrated into the bacterial chromosome

Conjugation experiments can be used to map genes along the E. coli chromosome

A detailed genetic map of the E. coli chromosome has been obtained from many conjugation studies

Bacteriophages can also transfer genetic material from one bacterial cell to another in the process of transduction

Cotransduction can be used to map genes that are within 2 minutes of each other

Bacteria can also transfer genetic material by transformation

Horizontal gene transfer is the transfer of genes among different species

Genetic characterization using DNA markers is a cutting edge technology that makes it possible to study animal variability at basic level. A genetic marker can be any stable and inherited variation which is measurable or detectable by a suitable method and can be used subsequently to detect the presence of a specific genotype or phenotype other than itself, which otherwise is non-measurable of very difficult to detect. Such variations exist at morphology, chromosome, biochemistry or DNA levels that can serve as genetic markers. Molecular markers are the markers that reveal variations at the DNA sequence level. The polymorphisms observed at the DNA sequence has many applications which include percentage determination, genetic distance estimation and evolution, determination of individual identity, identification of disease carrier (heterozygous) animals, determination of twin zygosity and freemartinism, gene mapping, marker assisted selection (MAS), sex determination, DNA fingerprinting and transgenic breeding. Gene mapping is a tool to identify the genes responsible for specific traits.  The genetic map is constructed from linkage relationship based on the frequency of meiotic exchange (amount of recombination) among linked traits. Genetic map helps

Genetic purity is the vital determinant in continuing the genetic integrity in seed from generation to generation. This is the basis of variety purity maintenance. The genetic purity depends upon the purity of the seeds planted. The genetic purity of the seeds planted must exceed or equal to the final product purity standards required as the purity generally decreases with subsequent generations of propagation. The improved varieties loose their identity and healthiness unless properly maintained. Maintenance selection can prevent the seed quality deterioration.

Meaning and Importance

Genetic purity denotes the percentage of seeds (by weight) belonging to the variety/hybrid under certification. It is one of the primary criteria of seed quality. The efforts of plant breeders become fruitful only when sufficient quantities of good quality seeds of improved varieties/hybrids reach farmers / growers. This is necessary to take all round care at every step of seed multiplication before the seed is delivered for marketing. Hence, genetic purity testing is of critical importance not only to farmers but also to plant breeders, seed producers as well as quality control enforcing agencies. Increasing emphasis on hybrid cultivars due to their better performance and quality produce, more money and expertise have been put in further research of hybrid development. In this context, protection of parental lines is assuming critical importance and for that purpose, several breeding institutes do adopt various strategies for identification, characterization and protection of their parental lines as to avoid pilferage and misuse of their proprietary lines by other organizations. Use of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and other molecular markers for evaluating seed purity of F₁ hybrids and their parental lines are closely related, thus, helps in assessing contamination of F₁ seeds even with the seeds of sib (inbred seed and seed from self-pollination of parental lines). For genetic purity testing of hybrids seeds, it is imperative that parental lines of hybrid be adequately characterized on the basis of maximum number of distinguishable descriptors (morphological, biochemical or molecular markers).

Characterization of Germplasm / Hybrids, Varietal identification, mutants etc.

Accurate identification of plants is desired for patent protection of plant varieties. Accurate characterization is also necessary to trace out the parents of new varieties. Use of present day molecular markers in addition to the classical methods provides more positive identification of new cultivars. RAPD and other molecular techniques have been used in a variety of plant materials for such studies (Sneath and Sokal 1973, Saitou and Nei 1987, Demeke et al., 1992, Selvam and Rajasekaran  1993, 1994, Dubouzet, et al., 1997, 1998, Hallden, et al., 1994, Hu and Quiros 1991, Jain et al., 1994, Matsumoto and Fukui 1996, Williams et al., 1990, Wolff et al., 1995). RAPD technique has been used in the genus Bougainvillea. It is often difficult to distinguish both mutants and hybrids and sports having a common progenitor, or progenitors themselves. Therefore, the industry needs a DNA-based fingerprinting technique to distinguish mutants or cultivars reliably. Reports are available on investigation about the molecular systematics and genetic differences for better understanding of varietal relationships in bougainvillea (Chatterjee et al., 2007, Kumar et al., 2006, Kumar et al., 2014, Hammad 2009, Pavan Kumar et al., 2015). 

Poultry has been extensively used for various biological experiments and its contributions to science are impressive. Among poultry species, chickens have made fundamental contributions to our current understanding of many immunological processes and it ranks high in the biological world. It still serves as an animal model to investigate immunogenetic aspects of disease resistance and tumor regression. Among the major contribution from poultry, the first evidence for viral induced tumor came from chicken (Rous, 1911; Nobel prize, 1966), reverse transcriptase enzyme was isolated from Avian Leukosis virus (Tamin and Baltimore, 1963; Nobel Prize, 1975), oncogenes in virus are from host cells (Bishop & Harold Varmus; Nobel Prize, 1989) and major two arms of immune response i.e. the T and B cells were first discovered in chicken.

Introduction

India is a vast country comprised of different agro-ecological regions with diverse climate, natural vegetation resources, topography, possesses almost all domesticated animal species, landraces and crops with different production systems. Domestic animals provide a considerable amount of   food requirements for mankind. India ranks first in milk production with 112.5 million tonnes milk produced in 2010-11. As India is a tropical country, in summer the temperature hikes about 40-48°C in various parts of the country. Such a temperature is certainly not within the comfort range of animals and thus the animals respond to the stress imposed by temperature on them in various ways to combat the stress and to maintain the homeostasis.

Mastitis is a disease of the mammary gland caused by pathogens that find their way into the lumen of the gland through the teat canal. Our efforts have been focused on developing mastitis resistant dairy cattle for a variety of reasons. Firstly, mastitis is a significant detriment to agricultural productivity. Mastitis is on every dairy farm and affects both the production and post harvest segments of the dairy industry. It is clearly a global disease. Secondly, the incidence of mastitis has not declined appreciably since the implementation of the extensive antibiotic therapy and culling of infected animals. Thirdly, considerable effort has been expended in developing vaccines that have not been as efficacious as hoped. Given these past efforts it is far from certain that a truly effective vaccine will ever be realized. Finally, because of the low heritability of mastitis resistance selective breeding has not been a useful tool for combating mastitis. Additionally, there is a strong desire to reduce the on-farm use of those antibiotics that are also used in human medicine, and certainly not least is a desire to improve the welfare of our dairy animals.

International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) now known as International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) uses the following items in genetic resources documentation. 
    i)    Passport (accession identifiers and information recorded by collectors) 
    ii)    Characterization (consists of recording those characters which are highly heritable, can be easily seen by the eye and are expressed in all environments) 
    iii)    Preliminary evaluation (consists of recording a limited number of additional traits thought to be desirable by a consensus) of users of the particular crop
Characterization and preliminary evaluation will be the responsibility of the curators while further characterization and evaluation should be carried out by the plant breeders. The data from further evaluation should be fed to the curators who will maintain a data file.

Introduction

Carrot (Daucus carota L., 2n=2x=18) is a cool-season root vegetable grown all over the world in temperate as well as sub-tropical climates. In India, it is cultivated over an area of 24,000 hectares with an annual production of 3,50,000 metric tones with a productivity much lower (14.58 t/ha) than the world average (22.17 t/ha) as per FAO, 2004. Carrots are used for human consumption as well as for animal feed. Carrot can thus be used for augmenting fresh fodder supply to milch animals during the lean winter in Kashmir (Hussan and Ahmed, 1999). Carrot has a significant place as an ingredient in soups and sauces and in dietary composition and also as a salad. A sweet preparation called Gajar Halwa is very famous dish in North India. Besides canning, it is also used in preparation of pickles. It is also exported in the form of fresh roots to the countries like Kuwait and Sharjah. Carrot is a rich source of á and â- carotene. The total carotenoid content in the edible portion of carrot roots ranges from 6.00 to 54.80 mg/100g. The yellow and orange coloured roots contain relatively more carotenoid. Carrot roots contain protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals (especially Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cu, S etc.) besides vitamin A, B₁, B₂, nicotinic acid and vitamin C. In carrot roots, sucrose is the most abundant with endogenous sugar contents 10 times than those of glucose and fructose.

Asia minor, Afghanistan, North West India, Iran and Turkey are the centers of origin of carrot. As per Encyclopedia Britannica, carrots have originated from Afghanistan, Punjab and Kashmir with secondary centers in Ethiopia and North America. The European carotene carrot (syn. Western carotene carrot, temperate carrot) has been derived from the Asiatic anthocyanin containing forms of carrot (syn. Eastern anthocyanin carrot, tropical carrot). Afghanistan is the centre of diversity of the purple coloured carrot (anthocyanin carrot) and as such this country is suggested as the primary centre for origin. Integration between the Asiatic and European carrots has given the present day forms which are fleshy, smoother, less forked and better coloured.

Punjab and Kashmir are also considered as primary centre of origin with secondary centers in Ethopia and North America. It is still found in its wild form in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir valley where wild animals especially brown bear feed on its roots. People still eat the wild carrots in some parts of Kashmir (Yawalkar, 1980). In north India highly coloured types of carrots are found which are not available in Europe. The colour of carrot ranges from absolute colourless to light lemon, light orange, orange and deep orange, light purple, deep purple and almost black. It is also an indication of this region being a primary centre of origin of carrot.

Introduction

Turnip is an important root crop which is very popular particularly in northern India. It is a cool season crop mainly grown as a fall or winter crop in the hills and winter crop in the plains. Turnip (Brassica rapa L. syn. Brassica compestris var. rapa) belong to family Brassicaceae. It has a chromosome number of 2n=2x=20. Two main centers of origin have been indicated. The Mediterranean area is considered to be the primary centre of origin of European type/temperate types. While Eastern Afghanistan with adjoining areas of Pakistan is considered to be another primary centre with Asia Minor, Transcaucasus and Iran as secondary centre. The parents of cultivated turnip are found in the wild form in Russia, Siberia and Scandnavia. It was cultivated by the ancients and ranked next to grapes and cereals in Italy. It was introduced in England probably in 1590 and United States in 1606 (Yawalkar, 1980). Turnips are now cultivated throughout the world.

Turnips are botanically biennial herbs, but are cultivated as annual root crops for both animal and human consumption. The turnip root contains 41.6% moisture, 6.2 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 0.04 mg thiamin, 0.04 mg riboflavin, 43 mg ascorbic acid, 30 mg Ca, 40 mg P and 0.4 mg Fe per 100 g of edible portion. The turnip green contains 15,669 IU vitamin A per 100 g (Aykroyd, 1963). Turnip is grown for its enlarged root as well as for its foliage. Extra seedlings from thinning are often used as greens. The fresh roots are consumed in salads or cooked as vegetable or used in pickles. The young leaves contain high amount of ascorbic acid and iron, rank second in vitamin A content and are cooked as greens.

The fleshy thickened underground portion of turnip is actually the hypocotyl. The colour and shape of this underground portion vary with the cultivars and the roots are flat globular to top-shaped and long. The colour of under ground portion may be white or yellow, while that of above ground portion may be red, purple, white, yellow or green. A distinct tap root and secondary roots arise from the lower part of the swollen hypocotyl. Thickening begins in the central part of the hypocotyle, followed by the upper and lower parts. Normally, the roots attain edible maturity in 40-80 days depending on cultivar and climatic conditions.

Abstract

The potato research in India was started systematically after the establishment of Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in 1949. Forty-one potato varieties having attributes of early, medium and late maturity vis-à-vis resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses have already been developed indigenously for varied agro-ecoregions in the hills and sub-tropical plains. After the establishment of CPRI, collection of potato germplasm was made mandatory. Presently there are over 2,700 accessions including 133 wild species (related to potato) in the germplasm collection of CPRI. Despite the large collection of potato germplasm at the institute the genetic base of all 41 Indian potato varieties released so far can be traced to only about 50 parents and most of these represent tetraploid potato cultivars while only a few of the exotic diploid wild species have been used in improvement of potato varieties in India. Under utilization of wild species could be mainly due to the pre- and post zygotic crossability barriers inherent in many species of genus solanum. Nevertheless, about seven wild species have been used in potato breeding for introgression of resistance genes for various biotic and abiotic stresses in the improved Indian potato varieties.

Introduction

‘Cole crops’ is a general term used to describe several vegetables in the Brassicaceae family. It is an important and highly diversified group of vegetable crops grown worldwide that belongs to Brassica oleracea (Monteiro and Lunn, 1998) and includes particularly six Brassica crops (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and knol kohl). All of these crops can trace their history to a common ancestry of wild cabbage originating in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor regions. Cole crops are one of the oldest cultivated plant groups in the world. They are cultivated in Europe since very ancient time from where they have spread to other parts of the world (Nieuwhof, 1969). All the cole crops (except few cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage types) require chilling temperatures for about two months to transform from vegetative phase into reproductive phase. However, the period of chilling requirement differs according to the kind of crop and varieties. Cole crops are also commonly called as European or biennial vegetables due to their cool temperatures requirements and two season requirement to complete their life cycle.

Major Resources of Cole Crop Germplasm

Germplasm is any form of the hereditary material from an organism. Genetic resources encompass all the various forms of germplasm that are available for collection, storage and use. The genetic diversity of crops, represented by traditional local cultivars and wild relatives has been disappearing rapidly during recent decades. Initial concern was noted by H.V. Harlan in the 1930s (Harlan and Martini, 1936) but by the 1960s, modern plant breeding and land-use changes accelerated loss and stimulated the realization that genetic resources in regions of diversity were being lost at an alarming rate. To conserve the genetic variation within the cole group, a comprehensive base collection of the cultivated forms of Brassica oleracea has been established at the vegetable gene bank of Horticulture Research International (HRI), Wellesbourne, (U.K.). Gene banks have also been established at Instiuut de veredeling van Tuinbouwgewssen, Wageningen, the Netherlands and the Instituto del Germoplasm, Bari, Italy (Van der Meer et al., 1984) for conservation of genetic resources. The International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) has recognized HRI as an international centre for conservation of Brassica oleracea (Innes, 1975). Large number of collections of cole crops is also available with the United States Department of Agriculture, Plant Introduction Service. In India, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi has been assigned the duty of conserving the germplasm of all crops, including vegetables. Germplasm of all the cole crops is being maintained at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi (tropical types) and its regional station at Katrain (temperate types). Other major institutes maintaining germplasm of cole crops include Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan and SKUAS&T, Srinagar.

Introduction

Cowpea, {Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.} is an important food legume in the semi-arid tropics covering Asia, Africa, Southern Europe and Central and South America (Henriet et al., 1997; Mortimer et al., 1997; Van Ek et al., 1997). It is a drought tolerant and warm weather crop. Therefore, well adapted to the drier regions of the tropics where other food legumes do not perform as well. It fixes atmospheric nitrogen and grows well even in the poor soils with more than 85% sand and with less than 0.2% organic matter and low levels of phosphorus (Kolawale et al., 2000 and Sanginga et al., 2000). Also, it is shade tolerant and therefore, compatible as an intercrop with maize, millet, sorghum, sugarcane and cotton as well as with several plantation crops (Singh and Emechebe, 1998). Coupled with these attributes, its quick growth and rapid ground cover checks soils erosion and in situ decay of its roots and nitrogen rich residues improves soil fertility and structure which together have made cowpea an important component of cropping system in the dry savannas of the sub-Saharan Africa (Carsky et al., 2001 and Mortimer et al., 1997).

Cowpea is cultivated in about 14 million ha world wide with about 5 million tons annual production. However, a substantial part of the cowpea production comes only from few countries. Nigeria is the largest producer and consumer of cowpea with about 5 million ha area and about 3 million tons production annually. Niger Republic is the next largest producer with 3 million ha and over 1 million ton production. Northeast Brazil grows about 1.5 million ha of cowpea with about 500.000 tons production. In the southern USA about 40,000 ha of cowpea is grown with an estimated 45,000 tons annual production of dry cowpea seed and a large amount of frozen green cowpeas. Even though exact statistics are not available, India is the largest cowpea producer in Asia and together with Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia and other far eastern countries, there may be over 1.5 million hectares under cowpea in Asia.

Introduction

Radish (Raphanus sativus L., 2n=2x=18) is a root cum leafy vegetable suitable for sub tropical and temperate climate. Radish probably originated in Europe and Asia. It has been under extensive cultivation in Egypt since long. It was introduced to England and France in the beginning of 16^th century. In 1806, it was introduced to America. Radish does not exist in wild stack. It is believed to have originated from R. raphanistrum which is widely distributed as weed in Europe. Radish is primarily a winter crop but with the development and release of new varieties, it can be grown all the year round. The new varieties can withstand heat and does not bolt in spring. Radish is a favourite crop because of its quick growth and availability in 4-7 weeks.

Its fleshy roots are modified roots, developed from both the primary root and hypocotyl. The leaves and roots are consumed both as salad and cooked. The radish root is a good appetizer; its different preparations are useful in curing liver and gall bladder problems. Roots are also used in treating urinary complaints and piles. The juice of fresh leaves is useful as diuretic and laxative. Pungency in radish is due to volatile isothiocyanates while pink colour is due to pigment anthocyanin.

Radish is a good source of vitamin C containing 15-40 mg per 100g of edible portion. Roots also contain proteins, fat, minerals, fibre and carbohydrates, besides trace elements like aluminium, barium, lithium, manganese, silicon, titanium, fluorine and iodine. Pink skinned radish is generally richer in vitamin C than the white skinned type. Radish contains glucose as the major sugar and also contains fructose and sucrose in smaller quantities. Pectin and pentosans are also reported to be present. The leaves are good source of extraction of protein on a commercial scale and seeds are potential source for non-drying fatty oil suitable for soap making, illuminating and for the edible purposes.