Studies on Parental Synchronization in Flowering for Hybrid Seed Production in Onion (Allium cepa L.)

An experiment was conducted at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, in Rabi season during 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 to study the flowering of Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Lines CMS (A) and pollinator lines (C) of onion cv. Arka Lalima for working out effective synchrony in hybrid seed production. Results indicated that days to 100% flowering and days to complete flowering in a plant varied significantly in the parental lines and C line was found to be earlier than A line by 12 days and 25 days, respectively. The duration of flowering in a plant was also less in C line (23 days) than in A line (29 days). Due to lack of floral synchrony between parental lines, pollen availability becomes a limiting factor in hybrid seed production in cv. Arka Lalima. Delay in planting of C lines by a week after planting A lines resulted in synchronised flowering of parental lines at peak flowering stage. This also resulted in higher fruit set (80%) and hybrid seed yield (15g/plant) as against planting of A and C lines simultaneously (29.54% and 0.38g, respectively)

Genetic diversity study in tropical carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Genetic diversity study was conducted at ICAR- Indian institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru during 2018-19. In this study, 80 accessions were evaluated for 16 yield and yield attributing traits. The Mahalanobis’ D2 analysis grouped these accessions into seven clusters. Cluster I was the largest with 69 genotypes followed by cluster III comprising six genotypes while, the clusters II, IV, V, VI and VII contained one genotype each. Among the traits studied, yield contributed maximum (38.04 %) towards diversity, followed by root weight (26.58%), root color (9.18%) and plant height (6.7%). As far as root weight (g) [d1], leaf weight (g), root weight (g), number of leaves, TSS(°Brix), leaf weight (g), root diameter (mm), core diameter (mm), and root cracking are concerned, they contributed 3.45, 2.09, 1.77, 1.71, 1.55, 1.52, 1.46, 1.33, 1.01 and 0.82 percent respectively. Diversity analysis has given an indication about the genetic variation among the carrot accessions which will prove useful in selection of diverse parents in crop improvement programme

Effect of Packaging and Storage Temperature on Shelf-Life of Minimally Processed Onion (Allium cepa L.)

Minimally processed onion is a ready-to-use onion product offering the consumer a fully usable commodity, without much change to freshness of the produce. Effect of packaging and storage temperature on shelf-life in minimally processed onion was studied. Packaging and temperature play an important role in determining shelf-life in minimally processed onion. Onion pieces approx. 8-10mm thick were cut with a plain, sharp knife and subjected to dip-treatment with the firming agent, calcium lactate (2%), for 5 minutes. The samples were surface-dried and packaged in polypropylene bags of size 250 X 125mm, of variable thicknesses (25, 50 or 75μm) and stored at low temperatures and high RH:8±1°C and 83±2% RH; 10±1°C and 82±2% RH; and, 12±1°C and 80±2% RH. It was found that onion cv. Arka Sona sliced with a plain, sharp knife, pre-treated with 2% calcium lactate, surface-dried and packaged in polypropylene bags sized 250X125mm (50μm thick), and stored at 8+1°C and 83±2% RH retained freshness and nutritive value, were microbially safe and acceptable, with a shelf-life of 14 days at storage

Shelf-life of minimally processed onion

Not AvailableMinimally processed onion is a ready-to-use onion product offering the consumer a fully usable commodity, without much change to freshness of the produce. Effect of packaging and storage temperature on shelf-life in minimally processed onion was studied. Packaging and temperature play an important role in determining shelf-life in minimally processed onion. Onion pieces approx. 8-10mm thick were cut with a plain, sharp knife and subjected to dip-treatment with the firming agent, calcium lactate (2%), for 5 minutes. The samples were surface-dried and packaged in polypropylene bags of size 250 X 125mm, of variable thicknesses (25, 50 or 75μm) and stored at low temperatures and high RH:8±1oC and 83±2% RH; 10±1oC and 82±2% RH; and, 12±1oC and 80 ±2% RH. It was found that onion cv. Arka Sona sliced with a plain, sharp knife, pre-treated with 2% calcium lactate, surface-dried and packaged in polypropylene bags sized 250X125mm (50μm thick), and stored at 8+1oC and 83±2% RH retained freshness and nutritive value, were microbially safe and acceptable, with a shelf-life of 14 days at storage.ICAR-IIH

Identification of Male Sterile Lines and Floral Characterization of White Onion (Alium cepa)

The investigation was conducted at the Division of Vegetable Crops, IIHR- Bengaluru. The experiment was carried out with a Randomized block design with 10 treatments and 3 replications namely PW0-18, TW-18, PWR-18, RW-18, and AW-O-18 these Male sterile lines, and their respective fertile lines were identified by visual observation, staining, and bagging techniques

Evaluation of Three-Way Cross Hybrids and Their Parents for Storage Losses in Onion (Allium cepa L.)

The aim of present investigation was the assessment of the several new onion hybrids develop through three- way cross along with their parents for having less problem of weight losses due to sprouting and rotting, and long storage quality at normal room temperature and relative humidity. The design of experimental plot was complete randomized block design (CRBD) with three replications. This study was carried out in the year of 2018-2019 at Division of Vegetable Crops, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta, Bengaluru, India. Thirty hybrids developed by three- way cross, thirteen parental lines and one check have been included for the experiment. Three F1 hybrids used as female lines and ten commercial varieties used as male testers, were taken to develop the hybrids through line x tester design. The bulbs of all these genotypes were kept for four months in normal storage chamber at 25-30°C room temperature with 65-70% relative humidity. The overall losses of per cent bulb weigh was recorded and conclude that the three-way hybrids TWCHO-15 (26.91) were recorded for smallest amount of loss followed by TWCHO-5 (27.02), TWCHO-14 (28.83) and TWCHO-4 (29.98). These hybrids can be suggested for more profit to onion grower by keeping for long shelf-life

Amplification, cloning and sequencing of Enterococcus feacalis enolase gene

307-312α-Enolase, a key glycolytic enzyme, belongs to a novel class of surface proteins, which do not possess classical machinery for surface transport and transported on the cell surface through an unknown mechanism. It is a multifunctional protein and its ability to serve as a plasminogen receptor on the surface of a variety of hematopoetic, epithelial and endothelial cells suggest that it may play an important role in the intravascular and pericellular fibrinolytic system. Authors have amplified and cloned α-enolase gene of Enterococcus feacalis in a prokaryotic cloning vector, and then transferred it into Escherichia coli. The recombinant enolase vector (r-pBEnol) was isolated and sequenced. The sequence of the cloned enolase from E. feacalis was found identical to that of the E. feacalis V583. The sequence was submitted to NCBI nucleotide data bank and accession number (AM279410) was obtained