Perspectives in consumer-oriented breeding for potatoes in India

Potato has become an integral part of human diets world over and is consumed alone or with wide variety of other vegetables. Consumer preference of the regions varies and is dependent upon market specifications, variety; tuber appearance, size, shape, colour; absence of disease or tubers defects; texture and flavour of cooked potatoes. Breeding for consumer preference related traits is integral part of the varietal development efforts world over and thus helps to write the success story of a variety evolved.In recent years there has been a surge in the consumer awareness in India, with consumers becoming more conscious about the food, its nutritional valueand its use. The desired products fetch higher premium prices in the market. A potato is not merely a potato anymore in recent times, but a commodity having varied uses, with each user having a specific requirement. In view of the above, it becomes pertinent to delineate the various consumer-oriented breeding objectives for potato, based on its use. Indian consumer-based profiles of potato have been proposed, based on recent overview and prevailing Indian scenario for orientingspecific breeding programmes, guiding consumers and seed producers to breed, consume and multiply the variety of their choice and formulation of selection indices for genotype screening

Tolerance to combined boron and salt stress in wheat varieties: Biochemical and molecular analyses

321-328Plants’ tolerance to stresses, particularly abiotic, is an important area of research, particularly in agriculture. Here, we studied the combined effect of excess boron (B) and salinity on three wheat varieties viz., KRL 35, KRL 210 and HD 2009. Root samples were collected 20 days after imposing different treatments, namely Control, 50 and 100 ppm B + 60 mM NaCl, respectively; and 50 and 100 ppm B + 100 mM NaCl, respectively in a hydroponic system. Results indicated that length, fresh and dry weight of root and shoot consistently decreased with increasing concentration of B and salt in the nutrient medium. These changes were accompanied by significant reductions in soluble sugars and proteins in roots, whereas proline content increased. The KRL 35 (salt tolerant variety) showed 5 specific polypeptides of 89.13, 53.4, 46.21, 32.35 and 31.10 kDa. Likewise, KRL 210 (moderately salt tolerant) showed de novo synthesis of 53.4 and 19.13 kDa, whereas three specific polypeptides (24.05, 19.13 and 17.52 kDa) appeared in HD 2009 (salt sensitive). Synthesis of the common polypeptide 25.12 kDa was observed with increase in stress treatments in all three varieties. Enhanced expression of 25.12 kDa proteins, particularly in the sensitive variety induced protein synthesis under excess boron and salt stress conditions. Thus, altered and enhanced expression of proteins might be responsible for the survival and growth of plants under excess B and NaCl affecting the functional capabilities of seeds in the stress environment. Appearance of new polypeptides or their disappearance might be related to the genotypic stress tolerance or sensitivity

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Not AvailablePlants’ tolerance to stresses, particularly abiotic, is an important area of research, particularly in agriculture. Here, we studied the combined effect of excess boron (B) and salinity on three wheat varieties viz., KRL 35, KRL 210 and HD 2009. Root samples were collected 20 days after imposing different treatments, namely Control, 50 and 100 ppm B + 60 mM NaCl, respectively; and 50 and 100 ppm B + 100 mM NaCl, respectively in a hydroponic system. Results indicated that length, fresh and dry weight of root and shoot consistently decreased with increasing concentration of B and salt in the nutrient medium. These changes were accompanied by significant reductions in soluble sugars and proteins in roots, whereas proline content increased. The KRL 35 (salt tolerant variety) showed 5 specific polypeptides of 89.13, 53.4, 46.21, 32.35 and 31.10 kDa. Likewise, KRL 210 (moderately salt tolerant) showed de novo synthesis of 53.4 and 19.13 kDa, whereas three specific polypeptides (24.05, 19.13 and 17.52 kDa) appeared in HD 2009 (salt sensitive). Synthesis of the common polypeptide 25.12 kDa was observed with increase in stress treatments in all three varieties. Enhanced expression of 25.12 kDa proteins, particularly in the sensitive variety induced protein synthesis under excess boron and salt stress conditions. Thus, altered and enhanced expression of proteins might be responsible for the survival and growth of plants under excess B and NaCl affecting the functional capabilities of seeds in the stress environment. Appearance of new polypeptide(s) or their disappearance might be related to the genotypic stress tolerance or sensitivity.Not Availabl