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Wheat is highly affected by stripe rust disease, particularly under cooler environments, and the losses can reach up to 100 percent depending on the intensity of infection and the susceptibility of the genotype. The most effective method... more
Wheat is highly affected by stripe rust disease, particularly under cooler environments, and the losses can reach up to 100 percent depending on the intensity of infection and the susceptibility of the genotype. The most effective method to manage this disease is the use of resistant varieties. In the present study, 192 wheat genotypes were evaluated for stripe rust resistance under field conditions and also in a laboratory using molecular markers. These lines included pre-breeding germplasm developed for rust resistance and some high-yielding commercially grown wheat varieties. Out of 192 genotypes, 53 were found to be resistant, and 29 showed moderate resistance reaction under field conditions, whereas the remaining genotypes were all either moderately susceptible or susceptible. Under controlled conditions, out of 109 genotypes, only 12 were found to be resistant to all the six virulent/pathogenic pathotypes. Additionally, a selection of 97 genotypes were found resistant in field...
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Background: Characterization and evaluation of plant genetic resources play an important role for their utilization in the crop improvement programmes. Methods and results: This study entails the agro-morphological, cooking quality and... more
Background: Characterization and evaluation of plant genetic resources play an important role for their utilization in the crop improvement programmes. Methods and results: This study entails the agro-morphological, cooking quality and molecular characterization of 51 genotypes / advance breeding lines of rice from Kashmir Himalayas. Significant variability was observed for all agro-morphological and cooking quality traits among all the studied genotypes. Cluster analysis using UPGMA method divided the genotypes into two major clusters having 15 and 36 genotypes. Thirty eight genotypes screened using 24 SSR markers detected 48 alleles with 2.0 alleles per locus and an average polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.37. High polymorphism information content (PIC) values was observed for the primers RM263 (0.67), RM159 (0.59) and RM333 (0.50). Furthermore, out of 38 SSR markers screened on 192 temperate rice germpalsm lines, R4M17 accurately differentiated indica and temperate jap...
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Rice blast is considered one of the most important fungal diseases of rice. Although diseases can be managed by using resistant cultivars, the blast pathogen has successfully overcome the single gene resistance in a short period and... more
Rice blast is considered one of the most important fungal diseases of rice. Although diseases can be managed by using resistant cultivars, the blast pathogen has successfully overcome the single gene resistance in a short period and rendered several varieties susceptible to blast which were otherwise intended to be resistant. As such, chemical control is still the most efficient method of disease control for reducing the losses caused due to diseases. Field experiments were conducted over two successive years, 2018 and 2019, in temperate rice growing areas in northern India. All the fungicides effectively reduced leaf blast incidence and intensity, and neck blast incidence under field conditions. Tricyclazole proved most effective against rice blast and recorded a leaf blast incidence of only 8.41%. Among the combinations of fungicides, azoxystrobin + difenoconazole and azoxystrobin + tebuconazole were highly effective, recording a leaf blast incidence of 9.19 and 10.40%, respective...
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The present investigation was carried out to generate information on genetic divergence of maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds and to identify elite lines to develop potential hybrids for high altitude ecologies. Data were recorded for thirteen... more
The present investigation was carried out to generate information on genetic divergence of maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds and to identify elite lines to develop potential hybrids for high altitude ecologies. Data were recorded for thirteen (13) quantitative traits viz. germination (%), root depth, shoot length, days to 50 % pollen shed, days to 50% silking, plant height, ear height, ear length, ear girth, number of kernels per row, 100 seed weight, grain yield per plant. The tested genotypes expressed significant variability with high estimates of heritability (broad sense) for all the traits revealing that these traits are amenable to genetic improvement. Grain yield per plant exhibited positive and significant correlation with plant height, ear height, ear width, number of kernels per row, number of kernel rows and 100 seed weight at both the levels which exhibit a strong possibility for improvement of grain yield per plant by selection for these traits. Genetic divergence based on t...
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SUMMARY Molecular breeding includes marker-assisted selection, marker-assisted backcross breeding, along with other newer breeding approaches, such as marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection. Marker-assisted selection is... more
SUMMARY Molecular breeding includes marker-assisted selection, marker-assisted backcross breeding, along with other newer breeding approaches, such as marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection. Marker-assisted selection is used to detect the presence or absence of genes in lines, cultivars, breeding populations and hence, accelerates the selection procedure in comparison to other conventional approaches. Researchers have identified and precisely mapped several genes through association with DNA markers. Genes linked to DNA markers include those governing resistance to biotic stresses and tolerance to abiotic stresses; for example in rice (Oryza sativa L.) for blast, bacterial blight, brown plant hopper, drought, submergence, salinity; in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for rusts, pre-harvest sprouting, and drought and heat tolerance; and in maize (Zea mays L.) for turcicum leaf blight, polysora rust, banded leaf sheath blight and drought tolerance. Incorporation of major genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL) into widely adapted cultivars has been achieved via marker-assisted backcross breeding. Marker-assisted pyramiding for 2 or more resistance genes provides opportunities for building resilience for serious diseases and insects. For complex traits such as drought, new strategies, such as marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection are employed to increase precision and to reduce cost of phenotyping. Thus, molecular-breeding approaches offer ample opportunities for plant breeders to develop stress-resilient high-yielding cultivars. Furthermore, molecular and conventional breeding are not mutually exclusive; instead, they are complementary under most breeding schemes. This review highlights developments in molecular breeding relative to stress resilience in rice, wheat and maize.
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Trichoderma is the most commonly used fungal biocontrol agent throughout the world. In the present study, various Trichoderma isolates were isolated from different vegetable fields. In the isolated microflora, the colony edges varied from... more
Trichoderma is the most commonly used fungal biocontrol agent throughout the world. In the present study, various Trichoderma isolates were isolated from different vegetable fields. In the isolated microflora, the colony edges varied from wavy to smooth. The mycelial forms were predominantly floccose with hyaline color and conidiophores among all the strains were highly branched. Based on morphological attributes, all the isolates were identified as Trichoderma harzianum. The molecular identification using multilocus sequencing ITS, rpb2 and tef1α, genes further confirmed the morphological identification. The average chitinase activity varied from 1.13 units/mL to 3.38 units/mL among the various isolates, which increased linearly with temperature from 15 to 30 °C. There was an amplified production in the chitinase production in the presence of Mg+ and Ca2+ and Na+ metal ions, but the presence of certain ions was found to cause the down-regulated chitinase activity, i.e., Zn2+, Hg2+,...
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Research Interests: Mathematics and Cereal
Low temperature is a noteworthy risk that limits development, advancement and distribution, causing the plant harm and harvest misfortunes. Plants react to cold stress through a process known as cold acclimation, which is a complex... more
Low temperature is a noteworthy risk that limits development, advancement and distribution, causing the plant harm and harvest misfortunes. Plants react to cold stress through a process known as cold acclimation, which is a complex process involving changes at different dimensions that incorporate physiological and biochemical modifications, modifications in gene expression and changes in convergences of proteins and metabolites. Perception of cold stress by cell layers results in initiation of cold-responsive genes and transcription factors that help combat cold stress. Transcriptional reactions to cold are guided by both abscisic acid (ABA) dependent and independent pathways that regulate the expression of cold-responsive (COR) genes and in this way changing protein and metabolite homeostasis. Recent advances in the field of genomics, proteomics and metabolomics have led to new findings that have enlarged our comprehension of this perplexing wonder. Here, we examine the different parts of cold stress reactions in plants to build up an all-encompassing comprehension in the field of stress-intervened flagging.
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In the present study, an effective secondary selection of transgressive variants from a homozygous population of Pusa Sugandh 3 (PS3) has led to the development of basmati variant SKUA 494. SKUA 494 exhibited a grain yield (7.9 t/ha) with... more
In the present study, an effective secondary selection of transgressive variants from a homozygous population of Pusa Sugandh 3 (PS3) has led to the development of basmati variant SKUA 494. SKUA 494 exhibited a grain yield (7.9 t/ha) with superiority of 21.5% over its progenitor (6.5 t/ha). Besides, the genotype revealed an earliness of about 13 and 15 days for flowering and maturity, respectively. Hulling, milling and head rice recovery traits of SKUA 494 were comparatively better over the controls PS3 and Pusa Basmati 1509. No significant differences in the cooking quality were observed in SKUA 494 over its parental line. Quality traits of SKUA 494 revealed an intermediate score for alkali spreading value, besides similar values for gel consistency and amylose content in comparison to PS3. On the basis of stability variables, stability index and overall mean for most of the traits, SKUA 494 depicted stable performance across the locations and over the years. Molecular analysis bas...
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Exploitation of heterosis in the form of hybrid rice is yet to be exploited at commercial level in the temperate regions of India. The present study is attempted to develop rice hybrids for the temperate conditions of Kashmir valley by... more
Exploitation of heterosis in the form of hybrid rice is yet to be exploited at commercial level in the temperate regions of India. The present study is attempted to develop rice hybrids for the temperate conditions of Kashmir valley by utilizing the cytoplasmic genetic male sterility system (CGMS). Among the four CMS lines evaluated, the genotype SKUA-7A and SKUA-11A had desirable performances. The 24 test crosses developed involving these CMS lines were evaluated for spikelet fertility and pollen fertility. Moreover, the highest standard heterosis for grain yield and other yield attributes over the check varieties (Jehlum and Shalimar Rice-3) was recorded in the cross combination K15-34 followed by K15-31 and K15-40. Pollen parents of all the three test crosses on screening with RM-6100, DDRMRf3-10 and DRCG-Rf4-14 markers revealed presence of both Rf3 and Rf4 genes responsible for fertility restoration. Besides, 39 genotypes were screened for fertility restoration and the lines RL-...
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Modern high yielding rice varieties have replaced most of the traditional cultivars in recent past. Mushk Budji, is one such short grained landrace known for its aroma and exquisite quality, however, is highly susceptible to blast disease... more
Modern high yielding rice varieties have replaced most of the traditional cultivars in recent past. Mushk Budji, is one such short grained landrace known for its aroma and exquisite quality, however, is highly susceptible to blast disease that has led to considerable decline in its area. Mushk Budji was crossed to a triple-gene donor line, DHMAS 70Q 164-1b and followed through marker-assisted foreground and background selection in first and second backcross generations that helped to incorporate blast resistance genes Pi54, Pi1 and Pita. Marker-assisted background selection was carried out using 78 SSR and STS markers that helped to reduce linkage drag around the genes Pi54, Pi1 and Pita to 2.74, 4.60 and 2.03 Mb, respectively. The three-gene lines in BCFwere genotyped using 50 K SNP chip and revealed more than 92% genome similarity to the RP. 2-D gel assay detected differentially expressing 171 protein spots among a set of backcross derived lines, of which 38 spots showing match sc...
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‘In vitro Regeneration Studies in Wild Crucifer’ were conducted in the Biotechnology Laboratory, Division of Plant Breeding and Genetics. MS medium supplemented with growth regulators at different concentrations was used in culturing of... more
‘In vitro Regeneration Studies in Wild Crucifer’ were conducted in the Biotechnology Laboratory, Division of Plant Breeding and Genetics. MS medium supplemented with growth regulators at different concentrations was used in culturing of wild crucifer, Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC. Aseptic seeds and survival of seedlings were observed after 1 and 4 weeks when treated with mercuric chloride (HgCl2) (0.1%) for 3 min. Considerable response was shown in 2,4-D 2.0 and 2.5 mg/l. No response was found in the MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The MS medium with different concentrations of growth regulators showed a significant difference in the callus induction frequency and regeneration frequency for the genotype used. Coconut water used as organic adjuvant increased the callus induction and shoot regeneration efficiency. The present data indicate that 2,4-D 2.0 mg/l and 2.5 mg/l could be applied for maximum callus induction and 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) (5.0 mg/l) + 2,4-D (0.5 mg/l) for shoot regeneration.
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A set of NILs carrying major blast resistance genes in a Basmati rice variety has been developed. Also, the efficacy of pyramids over monogenic NILs against rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae has been demonstrated. Productivity and... more
A set of NILs carrying major blast resistance genes in a Basmati rice variety has been developed. Also, the efficacy of pyramids over monogenic NILs against rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae has been demonstrated. Productivity and quality of Basmati rice is severely affected by rice blast disease. Major genes and QTLs conferring resistance to blast have been reported only in non-Basmati rice germplasm. Here, we report incorporation of seven blast resistance genes from the donor lines DHMASQ164-2a (Pi54, Pi1, Pita), IRBLz5-CA (Pi2), IRBLb-B (Pib), IRBL5-M (Pi5) and IRBL9-W (Pi9) into the genetic background of an elite Basmati rice variety Pusa Basmati 1 (PB1). A total of 36 near-isogenic lines (NILs) comprising of 14 monogenic, 16 two-gene pyramids and six three-gene pyramids were developed through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB). Foreground, recombinant and background selection was used to identify the plants with target gene(s), minimize the linkage drag and increase...
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Research Interests: Genetics, Veterinary Medicine, Biology, Oryza Sativa, Gene, and 3 moreGermplasm, Genotype, and Allele
Scab caused by Venturia inaequalis (Cke.) Wint. is the most important fungal disease of apple. Fungicide application is a widely practiced method of disease control. The use of chemicals is however, cost intensive, tedious and... more
Scab caused by Venturia inaequalis (Cke.) Wint. is the most important fungal disease of apple. Fungicide application is a widely practiced method of disease control. The use of chemicals is however, cost intensive, tedious and ecologically unsafe. Development of genetic resistance and breeding of resistant cultivars is most reliable and a safest option. One such source of scab resistance happens to be the variety ‘Shireen’, released from SKUASTKashmir. However, till date the nature of resistance and its genetic control has not been characterized. The aim of this research was to elucidate the genetic basis of scab resistance in Shireen. The present study helped us to identify two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosome 2 and 8 and six potential CDGs for the polygenic resistance in ‘Shireen’. The genomic region corresponding to the mapped QTLs in LG 2 and LG 8 of ‘Shireen’ was examined for candidate genes possibly related to scab resistance using in silico analysis. The QTLs mapp...
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SUMMARY Molecular breeding includes marker-assisted selection, marker-assisted backcross breeding, along with other newer breeding approaches, such as marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection. Marker-assisted selection is... more
SUMMARY Molecular breeding includes marker-assisted selection, marker-assisted backcross breeding, along with other newer breeding approaches, such as marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection. Marker-assisted selection is used to detect the presence or absence of genes in lines, cultivars, breeding populations and hence, accelerates the selection procedure in comparison to other conventional approaches. Researchers have identified and precisely mapped several genes through association with DNA markers. Genes linked to DNA markers include those governing resistance to biotic stresses and tolerance to abiotic stresses; for example in rice (Oryza sativa L.) for blast, bacterial blight, brown plant hopper, drought, submergence, salinity; in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for rusts, pre-harvest sprouting, and drought and heat tolerance; and in maize (Zea mays L.) for turcicum leaf blight, polysora rust, banded leaf sheath blight and drought tolerance. Incorporation of major genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL) into widely adapted cultivars has been achieved via marker-assisted backcross breeding. Marker-assisted pyramiding for 2 or more resistance genes provides opportunities for building resilience for serious diseases and insects. For complex traits such as drought, new strategies, such as marker-assisted recurrent selection and genomic selection are employed to increase precision and to reduce cost of phenotyping. Thus, molecular-breeding approaches offer ample opportunities for plant breeders to develop stress-resilient high-yielding cultivars. Furthermore, molecular and conventional breeding are not mutually exclusive; instead, they are complementary under most breeding schemes. This review highlights developments in molecular breeding relative to stress resilience in rice, wheat and maize.
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Blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is a major constraint in rice production. Identification of new donors for blast resistance is a pre-requisite for effective utilization of diverse germplasm for marker assisted incorporation of... more
Blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is a major constraint in rice production. Identification of new donors for blast resistance is a pre-requisite for effective utilization of diverse germplasm for marker assisted incorporation of blast resistance into improved varieties. Therefore, in the present study, a set of 100 diverse rice germplasm accessions were evaluated for 11 blast resistance genes namely Pikm, Pik, Pikh, Pi1, Pi5, Pi54, Pib, Piz5, Piz, Pi9 and Pish, both at genotypic and phenotypic level. Genotyping with gene based/ gene linked markers could identify six genotypes from the germplasm possessing as many as six resistance specific alleles. A total of 34 and 67 germplasm lines were found to possess resistance alleles for two genes, Pikm and Pik, respectively. Phenotypic validation using artificial inoculation in the germplasm was carried out with 4 diverse isolates under controlled conditions. The congruence between marker genotype and disease phenotype on a set of monogenic lines for blast resistance in the LTH background was used to compute Disease Resistance Index (DRI) in the germplasm. Cumulative DRI for each genotype was computed over all the marker loci. The genotypes Heibao, Kalinga-I, Vijetha, Anjali, Bhaubhog, Sada Kaijam, Kala Jeera had high cumulative resistance score. Allelic Cumulative Disease Resistance Index (ACDRI), a measure for comparing the effectiveness of markers was calculated and markers linked to Pikm, Pik, Piz5, Pi1 were found to possess higher accuracy and better correlation with expected patterns of resistance under artificial inoculation. Based on disease resistance index, 25 germplasm accessions were found carrying blast resistance specific alleles at different loci and were fully validated for disease phenotype, which are valuable in breeding for resistance, allele mining and functional genomics studies.