Male‐sterility systems in pigeonpea and their role in enhancing yield

Abstract

Male-sterility has been successfully used for enhancing yield in a number of cereal and vegetable crops. In food legumes, this technology could never be used either due to non-availability of natural outcrossing system, or an efficient male-sterility system or both. Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] is a partially cross-pollinated food legume and recent success in breeding a stable male-sterility system has allowed breeders to exploit hybrid vigour for increasing yields. The cytoplasmic-nuclear male-sterility (CMS)-based hybrids have recorded 28.4% yield superiority over local checks in farmersÕ fields. This paper besides summarizing the reports of all the genetic and CMS systems, also discusses the prospects of utilizing these male-sterility systems in commercial hybrid breeding programmes.

Legume Crops Phylogeny and Genetic Diversity for Science and Breeding

“…It is primarily grown for dry, dehulled, split seeds, green seeds and pods as vegetables. It can also be used as forage, fodder, fuel and medicine (Saxena et al, 2010). The deep roots of pigeonpea help recycle minerals from deep soil and make them available to other intercropping plants.…”

“…(see Bohra et al, 2011b). Inter-specific hybridization has played an important role in the development of the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) system in pigeonpea (see Saxena et al, 2010). Therefore, some of the secondary gene pool species have been used successfully.…”

Molecular diversity and phenotypic characterization of A, B and R lines in Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]

“…On the other hand differences in the pedigree of maintainer lines for some other A-lines made them classified in the other cluster. Present findings were in conformity with Saxena et al (2010 a and 2047,ICPB 2047,ICPA 2078,ICPB 2078, GRGA 7,GRGB 7,ICP 7035,RAJA and GRG 2009 2010c) in his findings a set of 159 A-, B-and R-lines were screened for polymorphism with 148 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to choose the most diverse crossing parents. In total, 41 SSR markers showed polymorphism with 2 to 6 alleles and 0.01 to 0.81 polymorphism information content values across the lines surveyed.…”

“…Such events can be brought about either by nature or through human interventions. Pigeonpea is a partially crosspollinated food legume and recent success in breeding a stable male-sterility system has allowed breeders to exploit hybrid vigour for increasing yields (Saxena et al, 2010). Morphological traits are phenotypically observable and less influenced by the environment.…”

Insights into developmental processes in anthers, ovaries, and ovules of Taraxacum belorussicum (Asteraceae-Cichorioideae) using DIC optics

“…It has been shown that high temperature is the main abiotic stress factor which causes male sterility in many plant species (reviewed by Sakata and Higashitani 2008). The effect of the environment on male sterility, especially the impact of day length and temperature, was reported in Cajanus cajan, where high temperatures and longer days maintained male-sterility, while shorter days and lower temperature induced male fertility (Saxena et al 2010). Similarly, in some individuals of the male-sterile diploid dandelions, the production of pollen depended on the temperature (Van der Hulst et al 2004).…”