Central Tuber Crops Research Institute

About: Central Tuber Crops Research Institute is a facility organization based out in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Starch & Fermentation. The organization has 475 authors who have published 587 publications receiving 10285 citations.

Comparative potential of Somatic embryogenesis and Friable Embryogenic Callus production in farmer preferred Indian cassava cultivars

Abstract: The most crucial step towards developing farmer preferred qualities in cassava is to successfully produce stable and re-generable friable embryogenic callus (FEC). FEC production in four Indian cassava cultivars viz., H226, H165, Sree Vijaya, Sree Sahya in comparison with model cultivar, TMS 60444 were attempted. The focus was also on production and maintenance of virus free in vitro mother plants, optimization of somatic embryogenesis using two different explants, axillary bud (AB) and immature leaf lobe (ILL), other than induction of FEC and evaluation of its regeneration potential. All the varieties produced a moderate to optimum OES production on 12mg/l Picloram, in which the highest frequency of OES induction of 97.49 % and 95.64 % were obtained in H226 and H165, respectively using ILL. The number of healthy plantlets regenerated from 50 mg of FEC was 14, 11, and 17 from H165, H226 and TMS 60444 respectively. These results could be a pointer towards the production of FEC in other Indian cassava varieties, which are highly susceptible to CMD with suitable modification in culture media for developing resistance.

Comparative Studies on Quality and Starch Digestibility of Hydrocolloid Fortified Sweet Potato Pasta Dried at Low and High Temperatures

Abstract: Although sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam] has various nutritional advantages like low glycaemic index, high antioxidant potential and dietary fiber content, it is not extensively cultivated and utilized in most parts of the world. The present study aims at adding value to this root crop through the development of functional pasta fortified with gum sources such as guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum and partially hydrolyzed guar gum. The pasta products were dried at low (55 °C) and high (70 oC) temperatures and it was found that high temperature drying reduced the cooking loss and raised the swelling index for all the fortified pastas. In vitro starch digestibility of cooked pasta indicated only a progressive glucose release from 20 to 120 min, with decreased digestibility for the 70 °C dried pastas than those dried at 55 °C. Rapidly digested and slowly digested starch fractions were lower for the pasta dried at 70oC than 55 °C, while the undigested or resistant starch was higher for samples dried at 70 oC. Increasing the level of fortification of gums from 1% to 3% reduced the starch digestibility further.Highest firmness on cooking was obtained for the xanthan fortified pasta (70 oC dried), while it had the lowest adhesiveness at 3% fortification. It was concluded from the study that fortification of sweet potato pasta with 1% gum and drying at 70 °C could produce pasta with low starch digestibility, good swelling index and textual characteristics, suggesting its use as food for the diabetic and obese people.

Genetical studies in the genusSorghum

Abstract: The mode of inheritance of one seedling character and nine mature plant characters has been worked out in detail in the different interspecific crosses in the genusSorghum. The majority of the factor pairs exhibited simple inheritance. However, clear evidence for breakdown of dominance in different genetic backgrounds and data for the presence of ‘modifier gene complexes’ has also been obtained. The implication of these results to the genetic evolution of the variousSorghums species, is critically discussed. Further, the bearing of loci found duplicate with respect to various qualitative characters, has also been considered in relation to the polyploid origin ofArundinacea Sorghums. The genetics of the two new variants have been studied and the taxonomic importance of such anomalies is brought out.

Root system architectural and growth responses of crop plants to mineral nutrition under moisture stress and its implications in drought tolerance

Abstract: The world agriculture is facing to meet the challenges of growing food demands under climate change scenario with limited natural resources, and water is the primary factor limiting the crop productivity in different parts of the world. Much of the research attention has been focused on above-ground plant parts responses with an aim to improve drought tolerance and very less attention has been focused on roots and their ability to sustain crop productivity under water limiting environment, despite root, being a sensing organ for nutrient and moisture. In this chapter, we discussed the role of nutrients on root architecture and growth with an aim to explore the crop root system architecture (RSA) optimization by nutrient management and thus increase drought tolerance. In this chapter, we demonstrate the importance of nutrient management for achieving favorable RSA and root growth responses in different crop plants and its implications in drought tolerance. This will open new implementable agronomic management strategies for drought tolerance. Moreover, a deeper understanding of molecular sensing and regulation of RSA by nutrients under water limiting condition could support the development of climate resilient varieties by tailoring the specific root traits for efficient absorption of limiting nutrient and water, simultaneously.

Antifungal activity of crude extract produced by Bacillus sp. associated with entomopathogenic nematode from media formulated by six nitrogen sources with fructose against Penicillium expansum

Abstract: A specific symbiotic Bacillus species isolated from a rhabditid entomopathogenic nematode, Rhabditis (Oscheius) sp. was found to produce a number of bioactive compounds. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of six different nitrogen sources in combination with fructose on the production of antifungal crude extract by Bacillus sp. against Penicillium expansum. The yield of crude extract and antifungal activity against the test fungi differed significantly when the nitrogen sources in the fermentation media were changed. The highest yield was recorded for beef extract plus fructose (921 mg/L). The antifungal activity was higher in yeast extract plus fructose [P. expansum (46.5 ± 2.12 mm)], followed by beef extract. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of the crude antimicrobial substances revealed different peaks with different retention times indicating that they produced different compounds. When a carbon source was not included in the fermentation medium, the antimicrobial p...