Assessment of Genetic Variation and Character Association among Yield and Yield Attributing Traits in Sweet Corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) Inbred Lines

In this study, forty-six sweet corn inbred lines were evaluated to assess the variability and association among 11 yield and yield attributing traits at College Farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, PJTSAU. The traits plant height, ear height, cob length, cob girth, number of rows per ear, number of kernels per row, cob weight with husk and cob weight without husk have shown moderate to high range of PCV, GCV, heritability and genetic advance over mean displaying the importance of these traits in selecting superior sweet corn inbreds. Critical analysis of results obtained from correlation and path analysis revealed that the traits cob length, cob girth, number of kernel rows per ear and cob weight without husk posses high positive significant associations and positive direct effects. From this study it was concluded that cob length, cob girth, number of kernel rows per ear and cob weight without husk are the key traits to be given prime importance during selection for further improvement of production as they exhibited significant positive direct effects with cob weight with husk

Groundnut Value Chain Innovations to Enhance Farmer Profitability and Promote Oil, Food and Confectionery Industries in Telangana, Mapping Groundnut Technologies in Telangana (Baseline survey) Report, Research Bulletin No. 29

Groundnut is a major oilseed crop grown in Telangana state, India, mainly during the post-rainy season (rabi) and to a limited extent during the rainy season (kharif). The state’s high quality and aflatoxin-free groundnut produce in the post-rainy season provides a unique opportunity to expand the groundnut value chain in the country. This study on “Mapping of groundnut technologies in Telangana” was carried out to achieve the outputs under Objective 1 of the four-year project on “Groundnut value chain innovations to enhance farmer profitability and promote oil, food and confectionery industries in Telangana”. The project is supported by the Government of Telangana (2022-2025) and is being implemented jointly by Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). This study aims to document existing practices in groundnut cultivation through a representative primary survey in the state and to identify key constraints and potential opportunities to expand the crop area. A state-level representative baseline survey was undertaken covering about 994 groundnut growers drawn from three major districts of Telangana state (Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy and Mahabubnagar), 14 mandals, and 56 villages. The household data were complemented by Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in the study villages. Tablet-assisted CS-Pro programming formats and highly trained field investigators were used to collect the data. Primary data was validated and analyzed to derive meaningful conclusions. The study found that small and medium groundnut farmers comprised nearly 2/3rd of the total sample. The average age of the sample households was 45 years. More than half of the total sample had no formal education. Nearly 98% of the total sample was highly dependent on agriculture and allied activities for their livelihoods. The mean operational landholding of the baseline sample stood at 2.84 ha, of which 0.40 ha were dryland and 2.44 ha accounted for irrigated land. In the study areas, groundnut cultivation was highly preferred during the post-rainy season on red chalka/sandy soils, while the preferences were for paddy, maize and cotton in the rainy season under irrigation and for cotton in the drylands. Fallow followed by groundnut or maize-groundnut were the preferred cropping system choices practiced in the study districts. This pattern of cultivation was quite similar in all the sample villages. The mean groundnut area allocated for the entire sample was around 1.98 ha per household, a significant figure that reflects the importance farmers give to groundnut in the study region. Kadiri 6 (K 6) is the single dominant cultivar (>90%) in the three targeted districts, followed by K 1812 or TAG 24, based on farmers’ choices. Wide variations were observed in groundnut productivity levels under different climatic conditions (bad, good and best). Mean groundnut productivity stood at 1754 kgs/ha during the 2021-22 rabi season, remarkably lower than a good year’s productivity level and much closer to that in a bad year. Mean haulm productivity too is low at 618 kgs/ha. These figures clearly reveal that the groundnut farmers are not happy with current productivity levels and are experiencing significant income losses in its cultivation, underlining the need to enhance mean productivity levels. A majority of the farmers in the survey felt access to improved seed is their biggest challenge. Informal seed systems play a pivotal role in the state. Traders/dealers/millers play a crucial role in seed supply and distribution. The timely provision of quality seed in sufficient quantities is the entry point that the project should focus on for sustaining the groundnut area in the study districts. Promoting low-cost on-farm seed storage technologies such as Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags is critical for improving seed access. Biotic stress (such as pod borer and late leaf spot) plays a major role in limiting productivity. The crop never gets exposed to moisture stress conditions; hence abiotic stress has a limited role in crop genetic improvement. Aflatoxin contamination is very limited in the study area and farmers have a reasonably good knowledge about it. More than 90% of the groundnut produced goes to the market as kernel. There is no practice of preserving seed for the next season. Hence there is huge scope for promoting such interventions to reduce costs as well as introducing quality seed in the sample villages. The introduction of effective crop management strategies can reduce the high seed rate (90 kg kernel/acre) and excessive irrigation during the first 30 days of the crop. Immense scope also exists for promoting mechanization in different operations which will ultimately reduce the cost of cultivation and enhance profitability

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Not AvailableBacterial blight (BB) and fungal blast diseases are the major biotic constraints that limit rice productivity. To sustain yield improvement in rice, it is necessary to developed yield potential of the rice varieties by incorporation of biotic stress resistance genes. Tellahamsa is a well-adapted popular high yielding rice variety in Telangana state, India. However, the variety is highly susceptible to BB and blast. In this study, simultaneous stepwise transfer of genes through marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB) strategy was used to introgress two major BB (Xa21 and xa13) and two major blast resistance genes (Pi54 and Pi1) into Tellahamsa. In each generation (from F1 to ICF3) foreground selection was done using gene-specific markers viz., pTA248 (Xa21), xa13prom (xa13), Pi54MAS (Pi54) and RM224 (Pi1). Two independent BC2F1 lines of Tellahamsa/ISM (Cross-I) and Tellahamsa/NLR145 (Cross-II) possessing 92% and 94% recurrent parent genome (RPG) respectively were intercrossed to develop ICF1—ICF3 generations. These gene pyramided lines were evaluated for key agro-morphological traits, quality, and resistance against blast at three different hotspot locations as well as BB at two locations. Two ICF3 gene pyramided lines viz., TH-625-159 and TH-625-491 possessing four genes exhibited a high level of resistance to BB and blast. In the future, these improved Tellahamsa lines could be developed as mega varieties for different agro-climatic zones and also as potential donors for different pre-breeding rice research.Department of Biotechnology, Government of India grant # BT/ PR11705/AGR/02/646/200