Genetic improvement of crops by utilization of characters from
wild species, which often have desirable traits not present in the
cultivated forms, has been the subject of serious attention. The
interspecific transfer of genes has not always been simple and
straightforward because of reproductive barriers and genetic incompatibility.
This is true in the genus Arachis where a number of
species have been identified as sources of resistance to fungal and
viral pathogens as well as to insect pests (1 1. A few species have
been crossed with A. hypogaea and their derivatives produced (1 -
41, but there are 'l; number of species which are not crossable with
oundnut (5). This limits the scope for crop improvement, and the
sS. tuation necessitates the adoption of existing methods, or develop- ment of new ones for the production of hybrids following these desirkle
wide crosses