Beena Thomas’s scientific contributions

Yard long bean [Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdcourt] is a widely adapted, stress-tolerant legume vegetable crop, grown extensively in tropical and subtropical regions. An investigation was conducted on five F 3 families of yardlong bean and their populations to examine the relationships between yield components and to analyze both their direct and indirect effects on seed yield. Since yield is a complex trait influenced by multiple factors, understanding the relationships between these component traits is crucial for improving yield in breeding programs. A significant positive correlation between yield per plant and traits like pod weight, number of pods per plant, pod length, pod width, and harvest index. Pod weight and harvest index had the strongest direct effects on yield per plant, along with days to 50% flowering and pod width. Among five families, the F 3-1 family has the highest value of the selection index, followed by F 3-3 and F 3-3. Therefore, selecting F 3-1, F 3-3 and F 3-2 families with these traits will enhance yield in yard long bean in future breeding programmes.

Red gram (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.), commonly known as pigeon pea, is a widely cultivated legume valued for its nutritional and agronomic importance. This study aimed to assess genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance for yield and quality traits in 30 short-duration pigeon pea genotypes grown in Kerala. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among genotypes for all 16 traits studied, indicating considerable genetic variability. The genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation (GCV and PCV) exhibited high values for traits like the number of primary branches per plant, number of pods per plant, seed yield per plant, biological yield, and the content of total phenol, tannin, and methionine, indicating a strong potential for enhancement through selection. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean was observed for most traits, indicating the predominance of additive gene action, making direct selection effective. Traits with moderate and low PCV and GCV, including days to 50% flowering and total protein content, exhibited moderate genetic gain, suggesting limited potential for improvement. The findings provide valuable insights into the selection of promising genotypes for developing high yielding red gram varieties suitable for Kerala’s agro-climatic conditions.

Medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years for their health benefits, including anti- inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancerous effects. They help to prevent health issues and diseases like cardiovascular disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, and cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of the global population relies on traditional medicine as their primary form of healthcare. These plants contain bioactive compounds like polyphenols and flavonoids, which help prevent chronic diseases. However, breeding medicinal plants is challenging because it requires balancing yield, active compound levels, and plant strength. Breeding techniques like mutation breeding, polyploidy induction, and molecular marker-assisted selection have shown success in improving plant traits. New genomic tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9 and transcriptomic analyses, help identify important genes related to beneficial compounds. Despite challenges, the future will be promising with biotechnological advances combined with traditional methods, creating opportunities for developing plants with enhanced medicinal properties. Continued research and sustainable methods are essential for unlocking the full potential of medicinal plants to improve global health.

Biofortification is a sustainable strategy to enhance the nutrient content of staple crops, addressing the global issue of micronutrient deficiencies, particularly in low-income and rural populations. This approach improves the nutritional quality of crops through traditional breeding and modern biotechnological methods, ensuring that essential vitamins and minerals are present in the edible parts of the plants. Biofortified crops, such as provitamin A-rich orange sweet potato, iron-enriched beans, and zinc-fortified rice, have already demonstrated success in improving public health. Future advancements in genome editing, marker-assisted selection, and the integration of biofortified traits into food processing hold promise for further enhancing nutritional security. The widespread adoption of biofortified crops can help alleviate malnutrition, particularly in vulnerable populations, by integrating nutrition into agricultural practices and improving public health outcomes globally

Marker-assisted selection (MAS) has become a cornerstone in modern crop breeding, significantly boosting precision in selecting traits that improve crop resilience, productivity, and adaptability to environmental stresses. Its integration has shortened breeding cycles and improved breeding efficiency, making it possible to address urgent agricultural challenges, such as climate change and food security, more effectively. Through MAS, crops are bred not only for immediate gains but also for sustainable performance, supporting long-term agricultural advancement.

Oncidium orchids, commonly known as “dancing lady orchids,” represent a diverse genus with significant horticultural and commercial value. Breeding programs aimed at improving Oncidium species and hybrids have developed over the past few decades, driven by their ornamental characteristics such as flower colour, size, form, fragrance and disease resistance. This review explores the traditional and modern approaches used in Oncidium orchid breeding, including classical hybridisation, mutagenesis, polyploidy and some biotechnological advancements such as tissue culture and molecular markers. Furthermore, the challenges and potential future directions in breeding Oncidium orchids, including the development of novel traits are discussed.

An investigation was carried out with eighteen Oncidium orchid genotypes for the assessment of genetic variability and heritability in 2023. In this investigation, variation due to genotypes for all the traits under study was found significant indicating high amount of variability among different genotypes for different traits providing ample scope for selection and further evaluation as well as improvement in the shelf life and other traits. Number of base leaves per plant, length of inflorescence(cm), petal length (cm), petal width (cm), and lip length (cm) had high heritability estimates along with high genetic advance expressed as per cent of mean which implied that these traits are controlled by genes which are additive in nature. Simple selection for such characters would be rewarding. In addition, vase life of flowers (days) had moderate heritability estimates along with moderate genetic advance expressed as per cent of mean, it may require a sustained effort and might be enhanced by complementary strategies such as environmental management and advanced breeding techniques. GCV (%) was found high in petal width which is close to PCV (%) indicating that variability of the trait is largely due to genetic factors with minimal environmental influence. High heritability (>60%) combined with high genetic advance (>20%) was exhibited by majority of the characters under study indicating additive gene action for these characters and it provides a scope for further improvement of these traits in advance generations.

Gladiolus is one of the most popular cut flowers cultivated in India, and it is excellent for inducing physical mutagenesis. The present study was carried out to determine the optimal lethal dose for gamma rays and to induce mutations through gamma irradiation in two gladiolus varieties, Arka Amar and Arka Thilak. The corms of both varieties were irradiated with gamma ray of doses 25, 40, 55 and 70 Gy using a gamma chamber with 60Co as the radiation source. The mortality rate of the plants increased significantly with increasing radiation doses, with Arka Thilak showing higher sensitivity. The LD50 (lethal dose) values were determined as 58.22 Gy for Arka Amar and 58.31 Gy for Arka Thilak through probit analysis. Based on the LD50, the effective doses were fixed as 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65 Gy, along with a control, for both varieties. Corms of gladiolus varieties were then treated with the selected doses of gamma radiation to induce physical mutation. Six treatments of each variety were evaluated in factorial completely randomized design with three replications. The characters like number of leaves per plant, length and diameter of the floret, and plant height were highest in Arka Thilak treated with 45 Gy. The number of spikes per plant and spike length were highest in the same variety treated with 50 Gy. In Arka Amar, the length of leaf blade and field life were maximum at 45 Gy, and a greater number of florets per spike was observed at 50 Gy. Among the treatments, lower doses promoted better growth, whereas higher doses had detrimental effects. Attractive colour mutants were obtained in Arka Amar at higher doses. The study suggest the ability of gamma irradiation to induce beneficial mutations in gladiolus, creating opportunities for breeding new varieties with improved ornamental traits.

The world faces increasing concerns over climate change's impact on global food security. Fluctuating climate conditions cause farming uncertainty, leading to food scarcity and higher prices worldwide. New strategies are crucial for enhancing food production and agricultural resilience. Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) tailors crop varieties to specific ecological contexts, fostering collaboration between breeders, farmers, and stakeholders. It emphasizes participatory varietal selection (PVS) and explores long-term stability and genetic diversity implications. PPB involves the farmers in the selection based on individual and community needs. PPB aims to develop cultivars better adapted to the diverse growing conditions and preferences of smallholder farmers, especially in marginal environments and aims to increase crop production, profitability, and adoption of context-specific varieties, benefiting targeted users and enhancing farmer skills. PPB advances crop genetics by integrating biotechnology, conventional breeding, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and organic farming. Our review article recognizes the need for institutional and policy changes to realize PPB's potential and multidisciplinary activities within PPB drive its potential to revolutionize crop genetics, promote sustainable production, and reduce hunger.

The world faces increasing concerns over climate change's impact on global food security. Fluctuating climate conditions cause farming uncertainty, leading to food scarcity and higher prices worldwide. New strategies are crucial for enhancing food production and agricultural resilience. Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) tailors crop varieties to specific ecological contexts, fostering collaboration between breeders, farmers, and stakeholders. It emphasizes participatory varietal selection (PVS) and explores long-term stability and genetic diversity implications. PPB involves the farmers in the selection based on individual and community needs. PPB aims to develop cultivars better adapted to the diverse growing conditions and preferences of smallholder farmers, especially in marginal environments and aims to increase crop production, profitability, and adoption of context-specific varieties, benefiting targeted users and enhancing farmer skills. PPB advances crop genetics by integrating biotechnology, conventional breeding, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and organic farming. Our review article recognizes the need for institutional and policy changes to realize PPB's potential and multidisciplinary activities within PPB drive its potential to revolutionize crop genetics, promote sustainable production, and reduce hunger.