Showing papers by "Central Tuber Crops Research Institute published in 2023"

Mutation Breeding in Tropical Root and Tuber Crops

Abstract: Tropical tuber crops are a unique group of vegetables that can be grown on a wide range of soils from slightly acidic to saline and in climatic conditions from tropical to subtropical regions with limited inputs. But their improvement is limited mostly to clonal selection due to flowering and seed set related inhibitions. Very few of them like sweet potato flower regularly and facilitate the breeding through hybridization. Though cassava flowers in normal tropical conditions, their flowering is irregular and asynchronous. In few crops like arrowroot, Chinese potato and yam bean, the narrow genetic base hinders selection for new or improved traits. Hence, induced mutations could play a greater role in the improvement of these crops. The vegetative propagation nature of these crops except yam bean facilitates the easy fixing of characters. Attempts have been made for the improvement of these crops through induced mutations all over the world. A few varieties have been released in crops like sweet potato, taro, and cassava through mutation breeding. The mutation breeding in tropical root and tuber crops in India was initiated in 1960s at ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute. Highly six mutant varieties were released in sweet potato all over the world followed by taro (3 varieties) and cassava (2 varieties). In India, the first mutant variety in these crops was released in Chinese potato (Suphala).