Commercial pigeonpea hybrids are just a few steps away
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53550/jfl.v19i1.2263Keywords:
Pigeonpea, Hybrid, Fertility restorer, cytoplasmic-nuclear, male-sterility, male-sterility maintainerAbstract
The long cherished goal of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) breeders has been to break the yield barrier in the crop. This indeed is a difficult task, as the productivity has remained low in spite of releasing over 100 varieties. Therefore, the alternative breeding approach such as hybrids, which has been effectively used in many crop species, was attempted for enhancing yield. This is because pigeonpea is a unique legume with partial insect-aided natural out-crossing. ICRISAT began research on this breeding approach in pigeonpea and in 1991, ICRISAT along with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) released the world's first genetic male-sterility (GMS) based pigeonpea hybrid ICPH 8. This was followed by the releases of five additional GMS-based hybrids. These hybrids performed well and in spite of their 25 - 40% superiority in yield they could not be commercialized because of their tedious and inefficient seed production technology. These developments, however, encouraged ICRISAT to breed a more efficient cytoplasmic-nuclear male-sterility (CMS) system that would overcome the seed production bottlenecks of GMS-based hybrids. In the last 14 years ICRISAT and ICAR have made a significant progress in developing five CMS systems using the cytoplasm of the wild relatives of pigeonpea. Among these, A, and A, CMS systems are being used in developing the new generation of pigeonpea hybrids. A number of new experimental hybrids have exhibited over 50% hybrid vigour for seed yield. The CMS-based hybrid pigeonpea technology is new and intensive efforts are needed to (i) identify heterotic hybrid combinations, (ii) diversify nuclear base of parental lines, (iii) train human resources, and (iv) expand seed production and marketing systems. So far the progress in the mission of breeding high-yielding CMS-based pigeonpea hybrids has been tremendous and we believe that the reality of commercial hybrids is just a few years away from now.
References
Agrawal, R.L. 1980. Seed technology. New Delhi, India: Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. pp 685.
Ariyanayagam, R.P. 1976. Out-crossing and isolation in pigconpea. Tropical Grain Legume Bulletin 5:14-17.
Ariyanayagam, R.P., Rao, A.N. and Zaveri, P.P. 1995. Cytoplasmic-genic malc-sterility in interspecific matings of Cajanus. Crop Science 35: 981-985.
Beal, W.J. 1876-1882. Reports of Michigan State Board of Agriculture. United States of America.
Bhatia, G.K., Gupta S.C., Green J.M. and Sharma, D. 1981. Estimates of natural cross-pollination in Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. Several experimental approaches. Workshop on Pigeonpeas, 15-1 9 Dec 1980. ICRISAT Center, Vol 2. Patancheru: 129-136.
Chauhan, Y.S., Johansen, C. and Saxena, K.B. 1994. Physiological basis of yield variation in short-duration pigeonpea grown in different environments of the semi-arid tropics. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 174:163-174.
Dc, D. N. 1974. Pigeonpca. In: Evolutionary studies in world crops, diversity and change in the Indian subcontinent, (Hutchinson, J., ed) Cambridge University Press, London, pp. 79.
Fisher, R.A. 1931. The evolution of dominance. Biological Reviews 6: 345-348.
Mallikarjuna, N. and Saxena, K.B. 2005. A new cytoplasmic nucicar male-sterility derived from cultivated pigeonpca cytoplasm. Euphytica 142: 143 - 148.
Murugarajendran, C., Khan A., Rathnaswamy, W.M., Rangasamy, R., Rai Kesavan, S.S.R., Kalaimagal, T., Saxena, K.B. and Kumar, R.V. 1995. IPH 732 a new hybrid pigeonpea for Tamil Nadu. International Chickpea and Pigeonpea Newsletter 2: 55-57.
Murugarajendran, C., Rangaswamy, S., Saxena, K.B. and Rangaswamy, P. 1990. Cost of hybrid seed production in pigconpea. International Pigeonpea Newsletter 11: 12-13.
Niranjan, S.K.D.F.F., Bantilan, M.C.S., Joshi, P.K. and Saxena, K.B. 1998. Evaluating hybrid technology for pigeonpea. Proceedings of the International Workshop on Joint Impact Assessment of NARS/ICRISAT Technologies for the Semi-Arid Tropics, 2-4 December 1996, ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad: 231-240.
Reddy, B.V.S., Green, J.M. and Bisen, S.S. 1978. Genetic male- sterility in pigeonpea. Crop Science 18: 362-364.
Reddy, L.J. and Faris, D.G. 1981. A cytoplasmic-genetic male- sterile line in pigeonpea. International Pigeonpea Newsletter 1:16-17.
Saxena, K.B. 2001. Pigconpea a potential multipurpose crop for the mountains of southern China. International Symposium on Mountain Agriculture in the Hindu Kush Himayalayan Region, 21-24 May, 2001, ICIMOD, Nepal.
Saxena, K.B. 2005. Opportunitics for exploiting hybrid vigour in grain legumes for increasing yield and adaptation - a success story of pigeonpea. Seventh Annual Symposium of the Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka: 59 76.
Saxena, K.B. 2006a. Seed Production Systems in Pigeonpca. Patancheru, 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. 76 pp. ISBN 92- 9066-490-8. Order code BOE 040.
Saxena, K.B. 2006b. Hybrid pigeonpea seed production manual. ICRISAT, Patancheru, 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India. Saxena, K.B. and Kumar, R.V. 2003. Development of a cytoplasmic-nuclear male-sterility system in pigeonpea using C. scarabaeoides (L.) Thours. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding. 63: 225-229.
Saxena, K.B. and Sharma, D. 1990. Pigeonpea Genetics. In: The Pigeonpca, (Nenc, Y.L., Hall, S.D. and Sheila, V.K. cds) CAB International, Wallingford, U.K., pp137-158.
Saxena, K.B. and. Kumar, R.V. 2006. Hybrid Pigeonpea: Rescarch and Development. In: Hybrid parents research at ICRISAT, Patancheru (Gowda, C.L.L., Rai, K.N., Reddy Belum, V.S., and Saxena, K.B. cds.) pp. 167-207
Saxena, K.B., Chauhan, Y.S., Johansen, C. and Singh, L. 1992. Recent developments in hybrid pigeonpca research. New Frontiers in Pulses Research and Development. Proceedings of National Symposium held during 10-12 November 1989, Directorate of Pulses Research, Kanpur 208024, India: 58-69. Saxena, K.B., Faris, D.G., Reddy, L.J., Sharma, D., Reddy, B.V.S., Gupta, S.C. and Green, J.M. 1986. Prospects for hybrid pigeonpca. New Frontiers in Breeding Research. Proceedings of Fifth International Congress, SABRAO, Bangkok, Thailand: 379-388.
Saxena, K.B., Kumar, R.V., Srivastava, N. and Shiying. B. 2005. A cytoplasmic-genic male-sterility system derived from a cross between Cajanus cajanifolius and Cajanus cajan. Euphytica 145: 291 296.
Saxena, K.B., Singh, L., Kumar, R.V. and Rao, A.N. 1996. Development of cytoplasmic-genic male-sterility (CMS) system in pigeonpca at ICRISAT Asia Center. Proc. Working Group on cytoplasmic-genic male-sterility (CMS) in Pigconpca. 9-10 May 1996, ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, A.P. 502 324, India.
Saxena, K.B., Wallis, E.S. and Byth, D.E. 1983. A new gene for male-sterility in pigeonpca (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.). Heredity 51: 419-421.
Solomon, S., Argikar, G.P., Salanki, M.S. and Morbad, I.R. 1957. A study of heterosis in Cajanus cajan L. Millsp. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding 17: 90-95.
Sudewad, S.M.. Patil, D.K., and Jahagirdar, J.E. 2004. Breeder seed production technology in pulses with special reference to pigeonpea. Agricultural Research Station, Badnapur, Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani (M.S.) India. Pp. 18.
Tanwar, N.S. and Singh, S.V. 1988. The minimum seed certification standards. New Delhi, India: The Central Seed Certification Board, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. Ministry of Agriculture, India.
Tikka, S.B.S., Parmar, L.D. and Chauhan, R.M. 1997. First record of cytoplasmic-genic male-sterility system in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) through wide hybridization. Gujarat Agriculture University Research Journal 22: 160-162.
van der Macsen, L.J.G. 1980, India is the native home of pigeonpca. In: Libergratulatorius in hornerm 9HCD (de Wit. Arends, J.C., Boclema, G., de Groot, C.T. and Leeuwenberg. A.J.M., eds) Agricultural University Miscellaneous Paper. 19. Wageningen, the Netherlands, pp. 257-262.
Verma, M.M. and Sidhu, P.S. 1995. Pigeonpea hybrids: historical development, present status and future perspective in Indian context. In: Hybrid Research and Development, (Rai, M. and Mauria, S. eds) Indian Society of Seed Technology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, pp 121-137.
Wanjari, K.B., Patil, A.N., Manapure, P., Manjayya, J.G. and Manish, P. 2001. Cytoplasmic male-sterility in pigconpca with cytoplasm from Cajanus volubilis. Annals of Plant Physiology 13: 170-174.
