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Natural cross-pollination is both a boon and bane for pigeonpea breeders

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/11242/
10.18805/LR-4115
 
Title Natural cross-pollination is both a boon and bane for pigeonpea breeders
 
Creator Sultana, R
Saxena, K B
 
Subject Plant Breeding
Pigeonpea
Legume Crops
 
Description Natural cross-pollination in pigeonpea, mediated by insects, is a universal phenomenon with the first report appearing in
1919. Considerable information is now available on various aspects of this biological phenomenon including degree of
out-crossing and pollinating agents in different parts of the world. A large variation (0-60%) has been recorded in 30
different environments across 11 countries. The role of cross-pollination in rapid deterioration of the genetic purity of
cultivars and elite genetic stocks is well understood and documented by breeders and seed producers. Pigeonpea breeders
have converted this constraint into an opportunity by way of visually selecting natural hybrids from landraces in farmers’
fields and deriving high yielding cultivars. In a key development, the occurrence of natural cross-pollination in the wild
relatives of pigeonpea has also been recorded; and in three wild species such natural hybrids have yielded valuable
cytoplasmic male sterility systems. This has encouraged breeders to develop a hybrid breeding technology with natural
out-crossing playing a key role in the large-scale seed production of commercial pigeonpea hybrids.
 
Date 2019
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/11242/1/Natural%20cross-pollination%20is%20both%20a%20boon%20and%20bane%20for%20pigeonpea%20breeders.pdf
Sultana, R and Saxena, K B (2019) Natural cross-pollination is both a boon and bane for pigeonpea breeders. Legume Research (TSI). pp. 1-7. ISSN 0250-5371