eChapters

Citrus constitutes a major group of fruits comprising of mandarins, oranges, lemon, pummelo, grape fruits, tangelo, trifoliate orange, citron, citranges etc. Despite of inter-specific and inter-generic hybrids, Poncirus and Fortunella also belong to genus Citrus. During its long history, citrus has given the world numerous varieties both by open pollination, bud sports and of recently by controlled pollination and artificial induction of bud variation. Citrus fruit cultivation lies between latitude 40 0N also 40 0S where conditions are neither cold nor moist and dry. India is considered to be the home of several citrus species and they are found growing wild in some parts of the country. Many types of citrus still remain unexploited by man and such types are considered as semi wild. The productivity of citrus plant in our country is very low which is 7.65 tonnes/ha as acompared to Spain, Italy and Japan where it lies between 17-35 tonnes/ha. Sweet oranges cover an area of 42.4 thousand ha with an annual production of 510.8 thousand tonnes (Ghosh, 1985).

5.1 Introduction

Citrus is one of the most important fruit crops in the world. It is grown in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. The top ten citrus producing countries are China, India, Nigeria, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Spain, Egypt, Italy and Argentina. The citrus industry in India is the third fruit industry after mango and banana. The important groups of crops in citrus are sweet orange, mandarins, limes, lemons, grape fruits and pummelo. The most important commercial Citrus species grown in India are mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco.), followed by sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) and acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle). The major citrus producing states are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab.

Coconut is a monocotyledonous woody plant belonging to the family Arecaceae or Palmae. It is presumed that the generic name Cocos and popular name coconut are derieved from Spanish word ‘Coco’ meaning “Monkey face” a probable reference to the three scars on the base of the shell resembling two eyes and a nose of monkey face. Coconut is valued most for its nut, the other components are coconut water, kernel, shell and husk. Coconut water is one of the most refreshing drinks which is also known for its medicinal value. It increases blood circulation in kidneys, causes profuse diuresis and eliminates mineral poisoning. It is a good substitute for saline glucose under gastroenteritis conditions. The coconut has been regarded as Kalpavriksha (tree of heaven) because all the parts of the palm is useful to mankind in one way or the other.

The dried kernels commonly called as copra is richest source of vegetable fat i.e. 60 to 67% oil. Coconut is major source of edible oil and it is propagated through seeds. India is largest producer of coir and its product. The coconut plant has about 4-6 years of juvenile phase with 60 years of productive life.

19.1 Introduction

Coconut is valued most for its nut. The other components are coconut water, kernel, shell and husk. Coconut water is one of the most refreshing drinks. It is also known for its medicinal value. It increases blood circulation in kidneys, causes profuse diuresis and eliminates mineral poisoning. It is a good substitute for saline glucose under gastroenteritis conditions. The coconut has been regarded as ‘Kalpavriksha’ because all the parts of the palm is useful to mankind in one way or other. The dried kernels commonly called as copra is the richest source of vegetable fat (60-67 % oil). Coconut is major source of edible oil. India is the largest producer of coir and its product. The major coconut growing areas of the world are found in Asia, Oceania, West Indies, Central South America, East and West Africa. In India, coconut is commercially grown in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal.

23.1 Introduction

Coffee is the second important popular beverage for its aroma and mild stimulant action. Its dried beans are roasted, ground and brewed to make a stimulating and refreshing beverage. Use of coffee has evolved from original chewing of leaves and beans of the plant to relieve pain, hunger and fatigue to the present more sophisticated uses, like espresso and decaffeinated coffees. Its use was first discovered in Arabia around mid-15th century.

Breeding of coldwater and hill stream fish involves managing their natural reproductive cycles and, in some cases, using artificial methods to enhance breeding success. This includes collecting brood stock, selecting ripe spawners, and ensuring suitable environmental conditions for spawning and larval development. The cold water fishes adopted to live below 10°C to 20°C temperature. The upland water at high altitudes of mountains and the spring water at low altitude in temperate regions remain cooler than the rest and the cold water fishes flourish in these region. Such water bodies comprising several hill streams, rapids, pools, lakes and reservoirs are abundantly found in the Himalayan region and in the Deccan plateau region of peninsular India. These are either fed by melting snow and the springs as in north or by the rain water as in Deccan plateau. During recent years, there has been growing realization for development of cold water fisheries in India, since the production from cold water is neglisable in comparison to total inland catch. The trout hatchery established in Kashmir is one of the potential sources from where the brown trout have been transplanted to the upland waters of Jammu, Kashmir, Kullu, Simla, Kangra, Nainital, Shilong and Arunachal. Other hatcheries constructed at Nilgiris and Kerala.
INDIGENOUS COLD WATER FISHES
The primary coldwater fish species native to the mountainous regions of India include Mahaseer, Snow Trout, and the Indian Hill Trout.

Date palm is one of the oldest fruits and was known to man many thousand years before Christ. It is staple food of the Arabs. Large quantities of date are imported by India from the Arabian countries. Wild date palm are seen growing even up to an altitude of 1500 M (Pareek, 1990), of course they do not fruit at this altitude every year. Raw sugar and a fermented drink ‘toddy’ are prepared from the sap of this palm. In the Indians valley, date palm is believed to have been introduced by the soldiers of Alexander the great in the fourth century B.C. and some wild groves of seedling date palm are found in the coastal belt in the Kachchh district of Gujarat. Investigations to develop indigenous production of dates in India were initiated during the 1950 by the ICAR at Regional Fruit Research Station, Abohar (Punjab). Some commercial varieties of date palm were introduced from USA, Pakistan and Middle East countries during 1955-1962. The extremely dry areas comprising Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Abohar in Punjab and Kachchh in Gujarat are the potential regions for the date growing in India.

Adult female is called bitch and adult male is called dog.

Female comes to heat which is called season. Comes to season for first time at 6-8 months of age. Smaller breeds mature faster than large breeds.

SYMPTOMS OF HEAT

Females in heat becomes nuisance to both owner and public since the animal becomes unmanageable, goes out of house and sometimes street male dogs gets into house because of peculiar pheromone smell.

Has different stages

1. International Rice Research Institute is located at

   a) Mexico

   b) Philippines

   c) Nigeria

   d) Columbia

2. Use of combining ability as a measure of gene action was first suggested by

   a) Wright (1921)

   b) Griffing (1956)

   c) Sprague and Tatum (1942)

   d) Hayman (1954)

Grapes are being grown commercially in the tropics. The region between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which was once considered to be unsuitable for growing quality grapes (Winkler, 1962) is producing good quality grapes. Tropical countries, where grapes are grown are South–East Asia (India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, South China and Australia), Central and South America (Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela and West Indies) and Africa (Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe). In India, about 90% of grapes are being produced in the tropical region of the peninsular states i.e. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. However, now-a-days grape is becoming popular in North India due to good income. The vines of tropical region grape are evergreen in nature and do not shed their leaves. In this condition, pruning is done twice in a year during April and September–October. But under North Indian conditions, grapes shed their leaves during winter and pruning is done in the month of February.

6.1 Introduction

Grapes are being grown commercially in the tropics. The region between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn which was once considered to be unsuitable for growing quality grapes is producing good quality grapes. Tropical countries where grapes are grown are India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, South China, Australia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, West Indies, Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. In India, about 90% of grapes are being produced in the tropical states including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. There are three main commercial uses of grape, viz., table, raisin and wine.

Guava is also known as the “Apple of the Tropics”. It is very rich and cheap source of vitamin C and also contains a fair amount of calcium. Important guava growing states in the country are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh has the reputation of growing the best quality of guava fruits in the world (Mitra and Bose, 1990). The importance of guava is due to the fact that it is the hardy fruit which can be grown in alkaline and poorly drained soil.

8.1 Introduction

Guava is the fourth important fruit crop next to mango, banana and citrus. It is known as the ‘Apple of tropics’. It is very rich and cheap source of Vitamin C and also contains a fair amount of calcium. Important guava growing states are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh has the reputation of growing the best quality of guava fruits in the world. The importance of guava is due to the fact that it is the hardy fruit which can be grown in alkaline and poorly drained soil. Guava fruits are used for making jam, jelly and various culinary purposes. The fruit can be canned in sugar syrup.

———————— is a thornless and seedless selection from Kagzi lime.

A. Pramalini            B. Vikram

C. Chakradhar        D. Jai devi

Breeding of Indian Major Carps (IMCs) and Minor Carps involves specific practices to induce spawning in these fish species. IMCs, like Catla, Rohu, and Mrigal, are typically bred during the monsoon season through induced breeding methods, which involve injecting hormones or chemicals to trigger spawning. Minor carps, while also bred during the rainy season, may have slightly different hormone injection dosages and breeding practices.
The carps are freshwater fishes which contribute about 85% of aquaculture production in India. It has the first position in global freshwater aquaculture production. Commonly cultivated carp varieties are catla (Catla catla), rohu (Labeo rohita) and mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) which are of Indian origin and are collectively called as Indian Major Carps (IMC) which depends on different niches of a water body.

Litchi is a delicious fruit and generally consumed as a table fruit. It is one of the most popular fruits of India which is commonly taken as fresh or in dried forms. Litchi is also recognized as “Queen of the fruits”. Dried litchi commonly known as ‘Litchi nut’ is very popular among the Chinese living all over the world. This subtropical fruit cannot tolerate frost in winter and dry heat in summer. An interesting feature of the litchi plant is the symbiotic growth of Mycorrhiza fungi on roots of the tree. These fungi form nodules on the roots of litchi. The trees and the fungus live together to benefit each other. Litchi makes an excellent canned fruit and highly flavoured squash is prepared from inferior fruits. Besides, fruit, other parts of the plant like leaves, bark and roots are also used for various purposes. In China leaves are used for making poultices, bark and roots for making decoctions for throat gargle.

10.1 Introduction

Litchi is a delicious fruit and generally consumed as a table fruit. It is one of the most popular fruits in India. It is also recognized as “Queen of Fruits”. It is a subtropical evergreen fruit crop. Its climatic requirements are highly specific. Thus, its commercial cultivation is restricted to only a few subtropical countries of the world. The major litchi producing countries are China, India, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. In India, the important litchi growing states are Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Litchi makes an excellent canned fruit and highly flavoured squash is prepared from inferior fruits.

Mango is one of the choicest fruits of India, grown over an area of 1.23 million hectares in the country. Mango occupies the same position in India as occupied by the apple in temperate and grape in subtropical areas. In India mango is acclaimed as king of fruits. The name Mangifera was given for the first time by Bontius in 1658, when he referred to this plant as arbor Mangifera (The tree producing mango). Linnaeus also referred to it as Mangifera arbor in 1747, prior to changing the name to its present form (Mangifera indica) in 1753. Mango is good source of vitamin A and C apart from the usual content of minerals and other vitamins. Mango is also considered to have some medicinal properties. Ripe fruits of mango is fattening, diuretic and laxative. Smoke of burning is supposed to cure hiccups and some throat troubles and the kernal is effective against diarrhoea and asthma. Besides table purpose, fruits of mango can be used for the preparation of pickles, preserves, jam, amchur (mango powder), mango leather (ampapad) and mango fool (mango+milk+sugar)

3.1 Introduction

The Mango (Mangifera indica L.) belonging to the family Anacardiaceae in order Sapindales, is amongst the most important tropical fruits of the world. In India, it is also known as the ‘king of fruits’ owing to the delicious quality of the fruit rich in vitamins and minerals. Its long period of domestication is evident from its mention in the ancient Indian scriptures. In India, mango has been valued not only for religious consideration but also for its importance in the economic and cultural life of the society. Mango is rich in Vitamin A and C, flavonoids, carotenes, glucosides, sterols, terpenes, aromatic acids, essential oils, fatty acids and phenolics. It is a powerful nutritive fruit, containing most of the essential substances needed by the human body. The most important single factor limiting the production of mango fruit at the present time is the erratic fruiting habits of this species. Some cultivars produce a good crop in most years and a poor crop in other years, while still other cultivars produce only a few fruits each year. For many years new cultivars have been selected and grown on the basis of size, appearance, and dessert quality with very little attention given to their production capabilities. The improvement of mango needs to explore new recombinants primarily by means of exploiting the breeding methodologies. Diversity or heterogeneity is the main character desired for breeding either natural or manmade. It is required to have vast genetic pool to get new combinations of desired nature and developing new hybrids. It has been mentioned earlier that the development of mango in India is the result of selection from the amateur gardeners. Now, the scientists have developed certain hybrids of mango.

24.1 Introduction

In India, the commercial cultivation of oil palm started during 1970. Today about 16 countries of tropics cultivate oil palm. The palm oil has been safe and nutritious source of edible oil for human consumption for 1000 years. Palm oil and its liquid fraction palmolein is consumed worldwide as cooking oil. Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria and Columbia started to grow oil palm in a large scale during 1980. The commercial producing countries are Liberia, Peru, Angola, Senegal, Ghana, etc.

Papaya is an ideal fruit crop for growing in kitchen garden, backyards of home as well as orchards, especially those places nearer to cities or big town. It is also grown as a filler plant in orchard. The ripe fruits of papaya are consumed throughout the tropics and sub tropics. Fruits are also used in preparation of jam, soft drinks, ice cream flavour, crystalized fruits and syrups. Unripe fruits are commonly used as vegetables. Papain is prepared from the latex of immature fruits. It is proteolytic enzyme used for tendering of the meat, preparation of chewing gum and cosmetics etc. The ripe fresh fruit is rich source of vitamin-A (2500 I.U.), carbohydrates and minerals (Singh, 1969). Papaya on account of producing fruit in a short period after planting has attracted the attention of fruit growers to be cultivated on a large scale in the country. It is known as wholesome fruit which is valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Due to its nutritional, industrial and export demand, papaya is recognized the most potential fruit crop for its economic cultivation. The variable sex forms, propagational problems, susceptibility to frost and water logging, fungal and viral diseases are well identified problems in its cultivation. Economically the production life of papaya is 3 years and every time new plantation has to be raised. Papaya being transplanted at closer spacing is highly suitable for high density planting. Now high yielding variety with better fruit quality are needed to boost the production under varied agro edaphological situation.

7.1 Introduction

Papaya is a fruit crop grown in kitchen garden, backyards of home and orchards. It is grown as a filler crop in orchard. India is the largest producer of papaya in the world. It is also cultivated in Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Hawaii, Malaysia, Taiwan, Peru, Florida, Gold Coast, South Africa and Bangladesh. In India, it is widely cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. The ripe fruits of papaya are consumed throughout the tropics and sub-tropics. Fruits are also used in the preparation of jam, soft drinks, ice cream flavour, crystallized fruits and syrups. Unripe fruits are commonly used as vegetables. Papain is prepared from the latex of immature fruits. It is a proteolytic enzyme used for tendering of meat, preparation of chewing gum and cosmetics. The ripe fresh fruit is rich source of vitamin A, carbohydrates and minerals. The fruits are prescribed for piles, dyspepsia, liver, spleen and digestive disorders. Roots are used as nerve tonic. The plants flower five months after planting and fruits are ready five months after flowering. So, it has attracted attention of fruit growers to cultivate on a large scale in the country.

16.1 Introduction

Peach is one of the important fruits grown in warm temperate zones of the world. Fruits are rich in protein, sugar, minerals and vitamins. Peaches are highly valued as table fruit for their attractive colour and palatability. Canned peaches, dried frozen preserves, jams, nectar are principal processed products of peach. It is grown mainly in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Nilgiri hills, Jharkhand and North-Eastern States.

15.1 Introduction

Pear is one of the important fruit crops that belong to the family Rosaceae. In the world pear is cultivated in China, USA, Argentina, Italy, Turkey, Spain, India, South Africa, Japan, Belgium etc. It is grown under a wide variety of climatic regimes ranging from cold dry temperate hilly conditions to warm humid sub-tropical conditions on the plains of northern India. In India pear is widely cultivated in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand etc.

Pineapple is one of the most important commercial fruits of the world. It is good source of vitamin A, B and fairly rich in vitamin C, minerals like calcium phosphorus and iron. Fresh fruit of pineapple is used as dissert fruit in the form of slices. Fruit is also used for juice, squash, jam, mixed jam and in canned form, fruit cone is used for preparing candy. Some cultivars of pineapple are used for extraction of fibre. The important states of pineapple growing are Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh (Bal, 1997).

9.1 Introduction

Pineapple is one of the most important commercial fruits of the world. It is good source of vitamin A, B and fairly rich in vitamin C, minerals like calcium, phosphorous and iron. Fresh fruit is used as dessert. Fruit is also used for juice, squash, jam, mixed jam and in canned form. Fruit core is used for preparing candy. Some cultivars of pineapple are used for extraction of fibre. The important pineapple growing states are Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

Pomegranate is an ancient and important fruit. It is grown for its delicious and juicy pink arils (outer growth of seed) which are eaten fresh (Keskar et al., 1993). Fresh fruit is of exquisite quality while its processed products like bottled juice, syrups and jelly are highly appreciated. The juice is considered useful for patients suffering from leprosy. Fruit juice easily fermented and may be used for the production of wine. Juice of wild pomegranate is used in the manufacture of citric acid and sodium citrate for medicinal purpose. Pomegranate is known best for curing the chronic stomach ailment. Seeds of pomegranate contain oil which has a potential for industrial use. Sour aril of the wild types can be utilized for the preparation of anardana.

13.1 Introduction

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), an economically important fruit plant species, belongs to the family Punicaceae. It is an important fruit crop of arid and semiarid regions of the world and has been believed to be the symbol of fertility and abundance. Pomegranate is a highly remunerative crop for replacing subsistence farming and alleviating poverty. The plant is drought tolerant, winter hardy and can thrive well under desert condition. It is a good source of protein, carbohydrate, minerals, antioxidants, vitamins A, B and C, and has also been used in controlling diarrhoea, hyperacidity, tuberculosis, leprosy, abdominal pain and fever. Pomegranate juice contains antioxidants such as soluble polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins and can be used in the treatment of cancer and chronic inflammation. It has enjoyed a reputation for its healthy dietetic and medicinal properties.

Poultry Breeding

Poultry breeding is a scientific practice aimed at enhancing the genetic traits of birds to improve their productivity and quality. Historically, poultry farming began as small-scale backyard operations, but it has now evolved into a major industry. This transformation has been driven by the development of superi or breeds for both egg and meat production through advanced breeding and selection techniques. Modern poultry breeds exhibit significantly improved productive capacities, such as higher egg production and better meat quality, compared to their ancestors. Successful poultry breeding requires a deep un derstanding of the qualities and capabilities of various breeds, allowing breed ers to select and combine desirable traits to achieve specific goals, whether for size, weight, egg production, meat quality, or a combination of these factors.

• Poultry production has transitioned from a small-scale backyard venture to a significant industry.

• This growth has been largely driven by the development of superior breeds for egg and meat production, utilizing modern breeding and selection techniques.

22.1 Introduction

Tea is the most important non-alcoholic beverage gaining further popularity as an important “health drink”. It is consumed as a morning drink by 2/3rd of world population. Tea was initially used as a medicine and subsequently as beverage and now has proven to be a potential raw material for pharmaceutical industry. Tea is mainly consumed in the form of ‘fermented tea’ or ‘black tea’, ‘non-fermented tea’ or ‘green tea’ and ‘semi-fermented tea’ or ‘oolong tea’. Green leaves are also used as vegetables such as ‘leppet tea’ in Burma and ‘meing tea’ in Thailand. Tea leaves have more than 700 chemical constituents among which flavonoids, amino acids, vitamins (C, E, K), caffeine and polysaccharides are important to human health. The stimulating effect of tea is due to caffeine (1.25-4.5%). Per cup value of caffeine in tea is three and half times less than that of coffee and is less harmful than coffee. Importantly, the vitamin C content in leaves is comparable to that of lemon.

Apple (Malus x domestica Borkh) is the most widely grown temperate fruit of the world considered as king of temperate fruit. It is one of the most delicious fruit rich in carbohydrates, minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, vitamin B6 and low in calories. Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fiber. Apple is recommended to reduce the incidence of dental caries, and the phytonutrients and antioxidants may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Apple is chiefly used as table fruit. The various processed product like juices, jelly, preserve, canned slices, wine, concentrated juice, cider and powder are prepared from apple fruit.

Bael is one of the oldest and nutritional fruits of India (John and Stevenson, 1979). The tree is very hardy and thrives in almost all types of soil and climate. The ripe fruits of bael are rich in protein, fat, minerals, riboflavin, carotene, thiamine, niacin and vitamin C. The ripe fruit is lucrative while unripe fruit is prescribed for diarrhoea and dysentery (Mitra 1999, Roy, 1996, Singh and Ali, 1992, Singh, 2000). The marmelos in is most probably the therapeutically active principle of bael fruits.

18.1.1 Centre of diversity

The Bael tree has its origin from Eastern Ghats and central India. Its indigenous to Indian subcontinent and mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions. Even though it is native to India, it is found throughout Southeast Asia (Neeraj et al., 2017). The tree is also found as a wild tree, in lower ranges of Himalayas up to an elevation of 500 meters. Bael is also found growing along foothills of Himalayas, Uttaranchal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and the Deccan Plateau and along the east coast (Sharma et al., 2007).

1. Quantitative characters are governed by

a) Monogene

c) Recessive gene

b) Bi-gene

 d) Polygene

2. Monohybrids are derived by hybridizing two individuals which differ for

a) Single-character

c) Quadruple character

b) Double character

 d) Multiple character

18.1 Introduction

Among nut crops, ‘Walnut’ or ‘Akhrot’ is the most important crop. It has immense commercial importance even in the areas situated in remotes without having good market and transport infrastructure. Because of long storability, growers have opportunity to hold the produce at room temperature for two to three months easily and sell out at intended time. Walnut is rich in protein, fats and vitamins, especially vitamin B6 . The walnut kernel contains about 90% PUFA of which 26% is the Omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. But the problem with this type of kernel is that higher the percentage of PUFA in it, the more is the chances of getting the oil oxidized and thereby reducing the shelf life of the walnut kernel.

The aim of mating systems are either to increase or decrease the homozygosity of the progeny compared with the parents or in some cases, to maintain the degree of homozygosity unchanged. This aim constitutes the basis of the following classification of mating systems:

Abstract

Plum breeding work has been in progress since 1991-92 and continued upto 1996- 97.  The hybrid seedlings thus obtained after one year of growth in nursery were planted in test rows for the selection of types that had improved quality and better shelf life. Cultivar Santa Rosa, the mainstay of plum industry in Himachal Pradesh though performing well from production and adaptation point of view but lacked in uniform fruit ripening, very acidic at seed and low shelf life or transportation ability. After detailed evaluation and characterization for various pomological traits, two-way hybridization in seven different cultivars belonging to Japanese and European plum were made. In test rows the hybrid seedlings were assessed for number of horticultural characters i.e. morphological, flower and fruit. On the basis of detailed analysis some promising types have been selected which are briefly described, however yield potential is being evaluated as most of  the seedling have started fruiting regularly only two to three years back.

Animal Husbandry is making a significant contribution to the national economy and socio-economic development in the country. In rural India where over 15-20% families are landless and about 80% of the land holders belong to the category of small and marginal farmers, livestock is the main source of livelihood with the policy of the state Animal Husbandry Department to extend free breeding, vaccination and veterinary services, and permit free grazing on community lands, the farmers were encouraged to expand their herd size without any major financial burden. This has probably been the reason for the presence of the worlds largest livestock population in India. India rank first in buffalo population, second in cattle and goat, third in sheep and seventh in poultry (Table-1). Although the population of livestock during last 10 years has been stable around 485 million, the buffalo population during 1997-2003 has increased by 8.91%, while the cattle population has reduced by 6.89%. There has been a significant increase in population of goats during the last five decades, which is attributed to the decrease in the size of land holdings and persistent drought caused by erratic monsoon, forcing many small farmers to shift from large animals to small ruminants.

Introduction

Cucurbits, belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae are among the most ancient cultivated plants. The term cucurbit was coined by Liberty Hyde Bailey for cultivated species of Cucurbitaceae. Other vernaculars applied to the family and several of its members are ‘gourd’, ‘melon’, ‘cucumber’, ‘squash’ and ‘pumpkin’. The Cucurbitaceae consists of two well defined sub families, eight tribes representing varying degrees of circumscriptive cohesiveness and about 118 genera and 825 species (Jeffrey, 1990). It is mostly tropical and sub tropical in distribution and only a few species occur in temperate regions. Some are semi desert or saprophytic in nature. The Indian sub continent is considered to be the centre of origin for a number of wild and cultivated crops. Chakravorty (1982) reported that 36 genera and 100 species of cucurbits are found in India. Cucurbits are cultivated in 8.5 m ha area in world giving a production of 17.9 mt. While in India a total of 4.5 mt cucurbits are produced from an area of 0.42 m ha area (FAO, 2004).

Cucurbitaceae is one of the most genetically diverse groups of plants in the plant kingdom. As a family and as individual crop, cucurbits epitomize adaptive differentiation and evolutionary divergence. Not only may cultivars within a crop vary significantly in their characteristics, but the same cultivar grown in distinct areas can have different needs in response to disparate local growing conditions. Cultures and ethnic groups may have different cultivar preference and horticultural practices, which also increase morphological diversity within a crop.

Cucurbits are of tremendous economic importance as food plants. They are extensively grown in mixed cropping of more than one kind in long and meandering river beds. Of various improvements approaches possible, breeding of superior pure lines and hybrid cultivars of cucurbits utilizing locally adopted land races are the most important methods which will have far reaching impact on increasing the production and productivity of cucurbits.

Introduction

Spices have played a very important role in shaping the history of human culture and civilization. Spices condiments and aromatic plants were the first articles traded by ancient people. These prompted the foreigners to the land of spices. Among spices, seed spices is a group well distributed over different agro-climatic regions in India covering major part in semi-arid to arid region largely in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The other states where one or more of seed spices grown are Haryana, Punjab, M.P., Bihar, U.P., West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The seed spices are grown in different parts of the world covering mainly Mediterranean region, South Europe and Asia. These crops were introduced to India from Mediterranean and Central Asian region, perhaps a long time ago. Today India enjoys the position of largest producer and exporter in the world for these crops. The country is bestowed with immensely rich land races diversity in seed spices crops. Much of the country’s agro-biodiversity is in the custody of farming community who followed age old farming systems. However the land races are being lost due to expansion of agriculture production in the frontier areas or replacement with the improved cultivars. Hence, scientific management of these valuable resources on different dimensions of activities in India viz. survey and collection, characterization, evaluation, documentation and conservation has assumed prime importance today. Out of the total 20 seed spices grown in India the ten are prominent. These important seed spices are divided into major and minor group of seed spices. The crops covered as major seed spices are coriander, cumin, fennel and fenugreek, whereas, ajowan, dill, nigella, celery and anise constitute minor group. The semi-arid to arid region is considerably rich in plant biodiversity of seed spices and it is required to conserve the natural wealth of these crops. The increasing loss of plant diversity owing to numerous natural and manmade causes calls for immediate efforts for its collection and safeguard.

In India, during the early days, guava plants were generally propagated by seeds from limited varieties available with nurserymen and pomologists. The seedling population obtained by open pollination gave rise to considerable variation in the form and size of fruit, the nature and flavour of pulp, seediness and other morphological characters such as spreading or erect growth habit of trees (Naik, 1949). Cheema et al., (1954) observed all the cultivars of guava to be highly heterozygous. Commercial producers utilized the variation thus obtained for selection of desirable genotypes and propagated them vegetatively. Assessment of genetic diversity and relationship among Psidium spp was carried out by Sharma et al (2007). They observed a high genetic similarity between Chinese guavas grouped with Psidium guajava cultivars. It has been observed that only a few named varieties are under cultivation. Most of these varieties suffer from one defect or the other. Hence, guava improvement by breeding was started mainly with the following objectives for developing new cultivars:
i) dwarf plant habit suitable for high density planting
ii) fruits with uniform shape, size, good colour, firm and thick pulp, good aroma, few and soft seeds, high TSS and high pectin
iii) long shelf life
iv) resistance to Fusarium wilt
15.1 Major breeding methods used
Plant introduction- Most of the guava varieties have evolved as selections from seedling variants. Variability has come about because of open pollination from highly heterozygous parents. Several introductions of promising genotypes have been made in guava growing countries. In India, many introductions made from Hawaii, Brazil, Thailand, etc. are being cultivated and used in breeding programmes. Similarly, introductions of Indian cultivars like Allahabad Safeda and Sardar have given excellent results in other parts of the world (Gonzaga et al, 1999). Although introduction is a potential tool in

Tomato varieties produced 50% in plastic house cover more than what they produce in open air (Diez et al., 1985). Nevertheless this production increase is not, by itself the reason for the use of protected cultivation which requires higher expenses. The key factor is the cost increase of final product obtained during off-season, which created an interesting margin in spite of high production costs. The effect of cost of seed in total cost is negligible, which permitted the use of hybrid seed. The new hybrids have brought about production increases which can be calculated to be over 50% more than what the greenhouse varieties produced with the cost of hybrid seed giving an effect on total production costs of only 6-7%. So that under these circumstances, production increase associated with hybrids is certainly very advantageous, apart form other benefits to be derived from hybrids.

Success of AI programme depends on fertility of bulls used for semen production. If infertile bulls are selected in semen station for production of semen doses, large population of cows inseminated with such doses is affected. Therefore, the breeding bulls or bulls to be used for frozen semen production should be selected carefully keeping in view genetic potential, disease condition, reproductive health, libido and semen production potential of the bull. The emphasis should not only be on elimination of bulls with questionable or unsatisfactory potential, but also on induction of bulls with good semen production potential into the semen station. 

The following aspects should be taken into consideration while performing a breeding soundness examination of bulls:

The chapter “Breeding Strategies for Disease Resistance” provides a comprehensive exploration of addressing disease resistance through various breeding strategies. In an era of escalating global challenges and climate change, where crop failures can lead to food shortages and economic instability, the chapter delves into strategies that integrate traditional breeding methods with cutting-edge genetic advancements to strengthen plants against pathogens. Understanding the genetics of plant–pathogen interactions holds profound importance. This knowledge elucidates the mechanisms underpinning disease development and offers insights into developing targeted strategies for disease management. By deciphering the genetic details governing host susceptibility and pathogen virulence, we gain the ability to engineer crops with enhanced resistance, reducing reliance on chemical interventions and promoting sustainable agriculture. The chapter further discusses the mechanism of disease resistance in plants which involves inherent genetic traits that identify pathogen molecules, triggering a rapid defense response called “gene-for-gene” interaction. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR), where a local pathogen attack prompts the entire plant to boost its defense preparedness. Signaling molecules like salicylic acid play a pivotal role. Additionally, plants employ chemical defenses via secondary metabolites and leverage beneficial microorganisms to stimulate immune pathways. This coordinated approach empowers plants to effectively counter pathogens and elevate disease resistance. In this chapter, we discuss breeding strategies for disease resistance that encompass a range of vital approaches. Traditional methods involve selecting and breeding plants with inherent resistance traits and incorporating genes from related species to enhance defenses.

Introduction

In-spite of environmental, bio-physical and resource constraints in most parts of Rajasthan, the state can be classified into three distinct agro-climatic zones namely hot arid, semi-arid and sub-humid  from horticultural perspective. These diverse zones have excellent vegetable production potential with wide range of crops, varied opportunities and resource utilization. The extremes of high (March–October) and low (December–January) temperature conditions together with associated abiotic stresses in the hot arid and semi-arid regions limit the choice of crops and their genotypes, quality of produce and productivity. Vegetable exploitation with adaptive and native crop-plant species is generally found to be potential and stable under arid to semi-arid agro-climatic conditions of the state that receive 150–650 mm of rainfall and having abiotic stresses due to climatic variations, drought, frost, hot and cold winds, soil and water quality.

Our natural ecology comprises insects, which are known to have both advantageous and detrimental consequences. Insect pests are the main obstacles in maximizing agricultural crop output, since they directly or indirectly result in significant crop loss. The intricate relationship that phytophagous insects have with their hosts is the result of a protracted and ongoing evolutionary process. Because of this, it is impossible to completely eradicate them, but there is a hopeful fix for this issue, i.e., utilizing insect resistant crop varieties. Insect-resistant kinds are those that, with the same starting infestation level and similar environmental conditions, yield considerably higher yields of high-quality fruit than susceptible varieties. By boosting yield and reducing pesticide use, these varieties had an enormous economic benefit. There are a number of highly effective insect resistance mechanisms that the targeted insect pest cannot simply overcome. This chapter discusses various breeding strategies such as introduction, selection, and hybridization as well as some modern breeding approaches that have been used to develop many insect-resistant crop varieties that have significantly improved the world’s food supply, by reducing carbon inputs through reduced pesticide use. By expressing bacterial endotoxins and producing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops, genetic engineering also aids in the production of insect-resistant crops. Furthermore, RNA interference (RNAi) and genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated 9) offer new avenues for the production of insect-resistant crops.

It is imperative that the country should develop strategic planning so that available resources in different agro ecological zones of the country to exploited judiciously and utilize sustainably for further enhancing the productivity of cattle and buffaloes. Therefore, agroclimatic region and animal production system-based breeding policy strategies with a focus on large scale implementations of improved animal genetics and breeding innovations by development organizations with active participation of farmers/breeders are discussed here. Before developing sustainable breeding strategies for improving the productivity performance of a particular breed/genetic group of animal population in a given agro-climatic region, it is necessary to have a comprehensive details of population size of breed along with analysis of existing activities such as farmer/breeder’s perceptions and socio-economic levels, agriculture and livestock production systems, available feed and fodder resources, animal genetic resources, their production potentials and utilization pattern, breeding organizations, infrastructure and development facilities . The Quinquennial All India Livestock Census contains information on the herd/flock structure, sex, age, etc. and it does not reflect the factual situation about the status of breeds in terms of their population. Hence, the actual population of each breed and their geographical distribution is not clearly known. The correct picture about these breeds would be available only when breed-wise census of the livestock is carried out and status and performance of breeds are surveyed in their natural habitat and the same has been initiated in the recent survey . In the back ground of the collected and collated information on all above aspects, following region specific animal breeding strategies can be planned for conservation and genetic improvement of bovine genetic resources under different animal production systems.
Genetic Improvement of Non-Descript Zebu Cattle by Crossbreeding
The most rapid and effective approach to genetically improve the largest chunk of non-descript zebu cattle population is through crossbreeding with exotic dairy cattle breeds particularly in milk shed areas around peri-urban and industrial towns

The sheep population in India is estimated to be about 65.07 million ranking second in the world (Anonymous, 2019). There are 42 descript breeds of sheep distributed in various agro climatic zones of the country (Anonymous, 2017). It is well-known that the sheep rearing provides nutritional security and insurance to the farmer at the time of crisis due to crop failure. Therefore, sheep is seen as, “finance elevator” by the countryside poor farmer (Sharif et al., 2011). Two major sources of income; meat and wool make sheep industry a very profitable enterprise. In addition, a rich source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash present in the droppings of sheep improves the soil fertility. Indian sub-continent isa rich source of diverse ovine germ plasm.
The native breeds of sheep of from India are well adapted to geo-physical and agro-climatic conditions. Most of the breeds of sheep in India have evolved through natural selection. Most of the breeds have generally been named after their place of origin and on the basis of prominent characters. This vast ovine biodiversity in India is being eroded rapidly and more than 50% of sheep breeds are currently under threat.
Sheep biodiversity in India is characterized by high degree of endemism and variations in agro-climatic conditions of the different regions have led to the development of various breeds/strains. Selecting for breeding animals with superior EBV in growth rate, meat, milk, or wool production, or with other desirable traits has revolutionized livestock production through out the world.
Breeding means, the manner in which selected males and females are mated. The breeders identify and select desirable qualities in animals for future mating and discard less desirable qualities. For the improvement of livestock (farm animals) selection and breeding must be practiced simultaneously. Continuous selective breeding leads to homozygosity in a population resulting in loss of variability. If all the individuals are alike, the breeder cannot make progress in future. Hence, there is a need to create variability in population. This can be achieved by breeding. Therefore, selection and breeding go hand in hand for the improvement of livestock.

Hill cattle in Uttarakhand are multipurpose animals. They are used for milk, draft, manures and ceremonial purposes. Improvement for these attributes depends on definition and subsequent selection for various traits. Based on the criteria for improvement and detailed literature analysis, it is believed that the hill cattle of Uttarakhand is one of the potential population for milk in the state specially in the remote and high altitude areas.. Hill cattle have also been used for dairy improvement as a dam breed for crossbreeding in some cases in the state. It has been observed that hill cattle in the state mostly reared as dual purpose animal i.e milk and draft. Therefore, the hill cattle could be improved for both milk and draft. The aim of the present study is to know the status, characterstics and performance  and to suggest the possible options for improvement in milk productivity of hill cattle in the state.

2.1 Introduction

The different breeding strategies (methods) that can be employed for improvement of fruit crops include introduction, open pollinated selection, clonal selection, hybrid breeding, polyploidy breeding, mutation breeding, molecular breeding, in vitro breeding and transgenic breeding. Combining traditional approaches with biotechnological approaches will speed up the rate of genetic improvement. Thus, what is required is to adopt a coordinated approach involving breeders, biotechnologists, horticulturists, pathologists, entomologists and statistician for making the cultivation of fruit crops more scientific and more profitable and thereby contributing more to improving the health of the people in a sustainable manner.

Salinity stress poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity worldwide, impeding crop growth and yield potential. Developing crop varieties with enhanced salinity tolerance is essential for ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture. Salinity stress, resulting from excessive salt accumulation in soil and irrigation water, adversely impacts crop growth, water uptake, and nutrient assimilation. Traditional breeding methods, coupled with recent advancements in molecular and genomic techniques, have enabled the development of crop varieties capable of thriving in saline environments. Genetic diversity serves as the foundation for breeding efforts, allowing the identification and selection of individuals with inherent salinity tolerance traits. Utilization of wild crop relatives and landraces provides a valuable reservoir of genetic variation for salinity stress adaptation. Incorporation of molecular markers into breeding programs expedites the selection of desirable traits. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with salinity tolerance are identified through techniques such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and linkage mapping, facilitating marker assisted selection. Additionally, recent strides in gene editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats–associated protein 9) offer precise modification of candidate genes responsible for salinity response, accelerating the breeding process. A holistic approach encompassing physiological and biochemical aspects is crucial for accurate phenotypic selection. Traits, such as ion homeostasis, osmotic adjustment, and antioxidative capacity, provide insights into a plant’s salinity tolerance potential