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.

Transgenic Technology for Disease Resistance in Crop Plants

Abstract: The ever-increasing demand for food production proportionate to exponential growth of global population evoked the need for applying innovative techniques for developing disease-resistant crop varieties, as the pest and pathogen attack causes considerable yield loss which in turn putts the agriculture sector and crop production in crisis. This is highly significant when the resistance conferred by conventional measures, like artificial hybridization, mutation breeding, marker-assisted selection, etc. appears to be inadequate in many cases, especially due to the evolution of new/more virulent strains/pathovars/isolates of pathogens and their unexpected host range expansion. Development of recombinant DNA technology, transgenic expression and RNA silencing strategies lead to a new era of transgenically engineered resistance in several crop species, many of which succeeded in field trials and got commercialized. Elucidation of genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions, resistance, susceptibility and different levels of plant immune responses (PTI, ETI, HR, etc.) revealed the key genes in the host as well as pathogens that can be manipulated by transgenic approaches/techniques for conferring effective resistance. Reprogramming of phytohormonal regulatory pathways determining defence response and remodeling of molecular receptors/transcription factors involved in resistance or disease development can be brought about by transgenic methods to enhance the resistance in host plants. Targeting of conserved sequences or molecular components could provide broad-spectrum resistance in certain cases. Mining of R genes, transgenic expression of foreign R gene, etc. are other useful strategies. Potential of genome editing based on engineered nucleases like ZFNs, TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 to precisely mutate the genomic sequence of interest can be exploited for specific targeting of the host/pathogenic genes associated with the biotic stress response. Application of all these approaches for the management of plant pathogens is discussed in this chapter.

Carbon and Nutrient Sequestration Potential of Coal-Based Fly Ash Zeolites

Abstract: Disposal, safe management, and gainful utilization of coal-based fly ash are the issues of major concern and challenge in the present century due to alarming increase in the production of ash in India Recent reports indicated that fly ash utilization in agriculture sector has stood at 1.92 mt (million tones) during 2016–17, which constitutes hardly 1.14% alone of the total fly ash utilization. This might be attributed to low product value and presence of heavy metals in fly ash which limits its large-scale applications as agricultural soil amendments. Conversion of fly ash into zeolites (FAZ), a sodium aluminosilicates group of minerals, is an innovative and proven approach but not adequately researched under laboratory conditions to engineer the right quality of zeolite and field conditions to find out the slow nutrient release characteristics and the use efficiency under diverse soil types and agroecological conditions. The improved percent zeolitization of the FAZ will have twin benefits (water and nutrient retention) because of its fine loamy texture and high cation-exchange capacity (CEC). In addition, zeolites can conserve soil organic matter that will help further to improve the efficiency of soil water and nutrient use. This added property will be highly beneficial for tuber crops in particular as they are extensively grown in the country in degraded and marginally fertile soils poor in soil organic carbon (SOC) and as the economic parts are beneath the soil, the physical properties and SOC content are critical for the crop performance. With the funding support of fly ash unit, DST, during 2010–13, low-cost, high-value agricultural grade fly ash zeolites (near-neutral pH, low Na, high CEC, and low heavy metals content) was successfully synthesized and evaluated in sweet potato (Ipomea batatus L.) wherein the tuber yield was found correlated in soils amended with zeolites due to higher nutrient use efficiency with respect to the major nutrients studied, viz. N, P, and K. Research on large-scale field application especially on soil aggregation and compaction properties, soil carbon quality and stability potential aspects of FAZ, adsorption and availability of important soil nutrients NH4+, K+, Ca++, and Na+ must be given utmost priority to further establish the controlled release fertilizer characteristics of FAZ in India.

Agro-biodiversity and ethnobotany of Lakshadweep Islands of India

Abstract: The Lakshadweep is a tiny landmass of 32 km2 area (8o–12oN, 71o–74oE) constituted by a group of 27 small atolls located in the Indian territory of Arabian Sea of Indian Ocean. Studies on crop genetic diversity including wild relatives of crop plants of the region are little known except for coconut palm. This report deals with 106 collections assembled in two exploration and collection missions comprising 46 plant species under 35 genera belonging to 24 families. The plant germplasm collected during the trips are mostly useful as vegetable, fibre, medicinal plant, dye, edible tuber, timber and ecosystem service provider. The crop wild relatives collected during the study include that of sunnhemp, melon, yam, jute, pigeon pea, sugarcane, etc. A set of germplasm accessions was sent to national research institutes for regeneration. Out of the total collection, 64 accessions were assigned with national identity (Indigenous Collection or IC numbers: IC 0572014 to IC 0572077), and conserved in long term storage at National Gene Bank or in the field gene bank of ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi. The important germplasm assembled from the islands include highly pungent betel leaf and a large fruited noni. Plants of Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.) Thouars, bitter less Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naudin saline tolerant Canavalia cathartica Thouars, Vigna marina (Burm.) Merr. and Corchorus trilocularis L. were the unique wild relatives collected. The current report is the first of its kind on the exploration and collection of plant genetic resources (other than coconut) from Lakshadweep Islands. Wild melon accessions collected are currently employed in distant hybridization programs. During the survey, ethnobotanic information of 23 plants for medicinal and other uses was also documented. Novel uses of the native plant species in the islands indicate their potential for exploitation in other coastal ecosystems. This report aims to highlight the potential plant resources of the region for direct human use and in future breeding programs.

Evaluation of Yam Bean for Yield and Proximate Composition

Abstract: Sixty yam bean accessions were evaluated for tuber yield and biochemical characters at Central Tuber Crops Research Insititute, Thiruvananthapuram, India. The mean yield data of two years’ preliminary yield trial showed that the tuber yield ranged from 9.1 to 27.8 t ha -1 . Dry matter of tuber varied from 9.0 to 15.0%. The starch content ranged from 3.0 to 6.0% and sugar varied from 2.5 to 4.0%. The results of the advanced yield trial conducted for three years with 16 accessions selected from preliminary yield trial indicated that six accessions recorded an yield of >25.0 t ha -1 . Highest yield of 29.0 t ha -1 was observed in the accession EC 100566.