Sudha Raju

ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasargod, Kerala, India · Crop Improvement

A collection of 96 palms, representing 16 diverse coconut accessions from the International Coconut Genebank for South Asia and the Middle East (ICG-SAME), Kidu, India, was analyzed for genetic diversity and population structure based on 35 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. The accessions exhibited high genetic diversity. The number of alleles ran...

The micro-morphological characteristic of the pollen grain is one of the most important diagnostic traits use for identification and characterization of plants even to the accession levels. In this study, pollen grains characterization of eight different coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) accessions were carried out. Morphometric observations and structur...

Non-coding RNA (ncRNA)-based SSR markers are highly useful in molecular breeding as ncRNAs play a significant role in gene regulation. In the present study, for the first time in coconut, we have identified 597 ncRNA-derived SSR markers, including 509 long non-coding RNASSRs (lncRNASSRs) and 88 micro RNASSRs (miRNASSRs). Of these, 20 primers (10 ea...

Hybrid authentication is important in the selection of good quality hybrid seedlings in coconut before distribution to various stakeholders. Fourteen coconut specific SSR primer pairs were initially used to screen parental lines used in coconut hybrid nut production for polymorphism. Primers capable of differentiating parents, CncirE2 and CnCirE10...

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is a monotypic genus and an important plantation crop with an enormous application value as a food, fuel, and fiber. The crop has also been recently attaining great importance in the field of nutraceuticals worldwide. Development of high yielding cultivars, genotypes having high copra content, genetic sources with charac...

Genetic diversity is an important determinant of future yield security and hence is a significant factor for crop varietal improvement. Genetic diversity in coconuts is evidenced by differences in morphological characters such as plant height (tall and dwarf), nut size, nut shape and colour, leaf and leaflet length, width and colour, husk and endos...

Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) has emerged as a cost-effective approach for genome-wide discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and high-throughput genotyping. In this study, 96 coconut palms, representing 16 accessions from globally diverse origins, were genotyped using the GBS strategy. A total of 10,835 high-quality SNPs, which...

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.) is a monospecific, monoecious and protandrous, tropical perennial tree crop. It belongs to the palm family Arecaceae which contains about 190 genera and 2800 species. It is an unbranched tree with light gray to brown colored trunk of 9–18 m height and occasionally up to 30 m height; dwarf morphoforms are also presen...

The potato cyst nematodes are the most wilful and difficult to manage pests of potato crop. Due to the regulatory considerations and potential risk involved in environmental and health hazards, the options for controlling this nematode are becoming increasingly limited. Among the available management options, trap and antagonistic crops offer viabl...

Potato has been recognized as a crop of importance in developing countries for ensuring human nutrition and food security. The dwindling natural resources, low fertility of soils, the incidence of pests and diseases, climate change and lack of strategic planning pose major constraints for potato production in these countries. Crop models are effici...

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.) is an important perennial oil-yielding plantation crop in the tropics. It is cross-pollinated and exhibits high level of genetic variation among cultivars in terms of colour, size and shape of the fruits. The objectives of the study were to estimate the magnitude of genetic variability, heritability and genetic adva...

Coconut inflorescence sap (neera) is the sweet, oyster-white coloured sap collected from the immature coconut spadix (inflorescence). It is a natural health drink and a rich source of sugars, proteins, minerals, anti-oxidants and vitamins. Besides being used as a nutritional drink, it is used as raw material for value-added products like natural co...

Variety Kufri Sahyadri is a high-yielding and medium maturing variety of potatoes possessing resistance to both, potato cyst nematode and late blight of potato. It is suitable for the table as well as processing purposes. The variety is developed for cultivation in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, India.

Potato cyst nematode (PCN) is considered to be the most devastating pest causing major yield losses in potato worldwide. Resistant potato cultivars would be the most effective strategy to control PCN however, they may not posses enough resistance to all pathotypes of PCN. Therefore breeding programme should focus on developing varieties with horizo...

An experiment was conducted during two consecutive summer seasons to evaluate the effect of nitrogen sources on yield and yield attributing characters of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with four potato cultivars and three different nitrogen sources. The sources of phosphor...

Solanum sisymbriifolium from southern hills of India has been evaluated as a trap crop against potato cyst nematodes.

The influence of potato cyst nematode (PCN) on plant growth and yield parameters, its pathogenic potential and reproduction fitness on popular potato cultivars of Nilgiris was studied in field. The final population of cysts increased in the susceptible cultivars viz. Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Girdhari and Kufri Himalini with reproductive factor of 1.16 to...

Health concerns related to the use of pesticides are increasing the interest in alternate use of pest and disease control strategies. Accordingly, different cultural practices, viz., trap cropping, soil solarization and non-solanaceous crops were evaluated for the management of potato cyst nematode during summer 2013-14 and 2014-15. Among the potat...

Correct identification of species and pathotypes is must for eradication of potato cyst nematodes (PCN). The identification of PCN species after completing the life cycle is very difficult because it is based on morphological and morphometrical characteristics. Genetically different populations of PCN are morphologically same and differentiated bas...

At present the resistant potato cultivars under cultivation do not possess enough resistance to wide range of potato cyst nematode (PCN) pathotypes (Ro1 to Ro5 of Globodera rostochiensis and Pa1 to Pa3 of Globodera pallida). Therefore, development of varieties having resistance against different PCN pathotypes is must however, large scale phenotypi...

Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary is one of the most dreaded diseases of potato worldwide and causes 30-50% loss in kharif potato production. It has become one of the major diseases of kharif potato in Hassan district of Karnataka since 2007-2008. Therefore, a survey was conducted during kharif 2012 and 2013 to know the l...

An intergeneric hybridization program was developed between Carica papaya (Var. Pusa Nanha, CP 50 and CO 7) with Vasconcellea cauliflora to incorporate the PRSV resistant gene from V. cauliflora into the cultivars of papaya. Serological studies suggest that 18 progenies of the cross Pusa Nanha / Vasconcellea cauliflora, 5 selected progenies of CP 5...

Potato cyst nematodes (PCN) Globodera rostochiensis (Woll) and G. pallida (Stone) hinder the sustainable production of potato in the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu. It remains as a serious endemic pest of potato in this region due to intensive cultivation of potato and favourable climatic conditions. Hence, field experiments were conducted to evaluate...

In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, wide diversity of papaya germplasm exists and has not been characterized. Therefore, there is difficulty in differentiating the papaya accessions in different regions of the Islands. Hence, the present investigation was undertaken for characterizing Carica papaya L. genotypes using morphological and DNA marker techno...

The present investigations were undertaken to evaluate the F2 intergeneric population of Carica papaya (var. Pusa Nanha, CP 50 and CO 7) and Vasconcellea cauliflora for PRSV resistance. Investigations were also made to estimate the mean performance, genetic parameters governing different traits and reaction to the PRSV in the F2 population. Among t...