A high yielding bread wheat variety HI 1628 (Pusa Wheat 1628) has been released and notified by the Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties for Agricultural Crops, Government of India for commercial cultivation under timely sown, restricted irrigated conditions of North Western Plains Zone (NWPZ) of the country. HI 1628 has an average yield of 50.4 q/ha over the zone and showed significant superiority over the checks; with a potential yield of 65.1 q/ha. It has shown an excellent and wider adaptation and significantly superior performance across different irrigation regimes over the checks with an average yield of 45.5 q/ha. It showed high levels of field resistance to stripe and leaf rusts. It is a good quality bread wheat genotype with excellent chapati quality (7.56), bread quality (7.64), biscuit spread factor (8.27) and high sedimentation value (56.6 ml). It has high protein content (~11 %) and protein quality (Glu score of 8/10) for high molecular weight subunits and presence of 5+10 subunit of Glu-D1 reflecting higher gluten strength in the genotype. It has good levels of essential micronutrients like iron and zinc making it rich in nutritional qualities. This variety has promise for timely sown, restricted irrigation planting areas and thus will contribute to increase wheat production and will alleviate the socio-economic status of farmers of NWPZ of India.

Inter and intra-specific hybridization is a powerful breeding method for crop improvement and it has potential to broaden the genetic base of the cultivated species. M. charantia var. muricata is considered as a wild progenitor of bitter gourd (M. charantia) and it has important novel genes for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. In the present experiment, conducted during the 2016–17 and 2017–18, intra-specific hybrids were produced among M. charantia var. charantia and M. charantia var. muricata and these were characterized for plant morphology, pollen-pistil compatibility, cytology and molecular relation among the parents and hybrids. In both direct and reciprocal crosses, the crossability percent was nearly 90% with high percent of pollen viability. The morphological traits of the parents were highly diverse and the hybrids showed intermediate pattern of character expression. The pollen-pistil behaviour and compatibility reaction were studied for the first time and observed higher per cent of compatibility in direct cross (M. charantia var. charantia × M. charantia var. muricata; 90.98%) and comparatively lower in reciprocal cross (M. charantia var. muricata × M. charantia var charantia; 84.43%). Cytological and molecular marker (SSR) techniques were used for hybridity confirmation.

Thirty diverse genotypes of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) were evaluated during kharif 2013 in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The mature fruits (seven days after anthesis) were analysed for 19 quality traits. Dietary fibre content was recorded maximum in genotype Arka Abhay (0.09 g/g), while genotype USDO 2546 was found good source of dietary fibre (0.09 g/g) as well as protein (2.75%). Mucilage content was found maximum in genotype Punjab Padmini (6.10 %) and least mucilage was recorded in genotype DOV 26 (3.35%). Maximum iron content was recorded in genotype DOV 66 (1.71ppm) followed by DOV 27 (1.60ppm) and DOV 24 (1.53ppm). However, high calcium content was recorded in Arka Abhay and DOV 23. Genotype P 7 (13.33µg/g), DOV 2 and DOV 4 (i.e. 13.04 µg/g each) were found high in ascorbic acid. Total leaf carotenoid content was maximum in Pusa A 4 (3.35 mg/g). Total leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid content was maximum in Pusa A 4 (3.35 mg/g and 3.06 mg/g, respectively). Based on Mahalanobis D2 analysis 30 genotypes were grouped into 7 divergent clusters. Cluster VII had maximum (7) genotypes followed by cluster III and V (6 genotypes in each). Maximum inter cluster distance (6.44) was recorded between genotypes of cluster IV and VII. Cluster IV recorded maximum cluster mean for sugar (5.36%), ascorbic acid content (11.42 mg/g), ash content (1.57%), protein content (2.54%) and Mn content (0.29ppm). In principal component analysis of morphological traits, a total of 82.33% variability was contributed by 7 principal components out of 20 principal components.

Heterosis is an important way to improve yield and quality for wheat. Effective restoration of fertility, its genetic control however remains elusive. Among 9 reported fertility restorer genes for Triticum timopheevii cytoplasm, Rf8 has been mapped on chromosome 2DS. Two F2populations from crosses,CMS BWL-5203/R-6 and PHW-1 were grown in 2018 off-season at Punjab Agricultural University Regional Research Station, Keylong (H.P) to study the efficacy and robustness of markers linked with Rf8. Data was recorded on extent of fertility restoration and three linked markers namely Xwmc503, Xgwm296 and Xwmc112 were used for this study. Among these, Xwmc503 present at 3.3 cM away from Rf8 showed significant association with fertility restoration in both the crosses. In contrast, marker Xgwm296 linked at 5.8 cM did not reveal significant association in any population. However, the third marker Xwmc112 did not get amplified in any of the populations. Xwmc503 marker thus can potentially be useful for selecting restorers with Rf8 gene which further could be used for transferring this very gene into potentially elite genotypes to enrich hybrid male parental pool.

Abstract