International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
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Genome editing in maize and sorghum: A comprehensive review of CRISPR/Cas9 and emerging technologies
Full text linkThe increasing changes in the climate patterns across the globe have deeply affected food systems where unparalleled and unmatched challenges are created. This jeopardizes food security due to an ever-increasing population. The extreme efficiency of C4 crops as compared to C3 crops makes them incredibly significant in securing food safety. C4 crops, maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in particular, have the ability to withstand osmotic stress induced by oxidative stress. Osmotic stress causes a series of physical changes in a plant thus facilitating reduced water uptake and photosynthesis inhibition, such as membrane tension, cell wall stiffness, and turgor changes. There has been a great advancement in plant breeding brought by introduction of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene editing technology. This technology offers precise alterations to an organism's DNA through targeting specific genes for desired traits in a wide number of crop species. Despite its immense opportunities in plant breeding, it faces limitations such as effective delivery systems, editing efficiency, regulatory concerns, and off-target effects. Future prospects lie in optimizing next-generation techniques, such as prime editing, and developing novel genotype-independent delivery methods. Overall, the transformative role of CRISPR/Cas9 in sorghum and maize breeding underscores the need for responsible and sustainable utilization to address global food security challenges
Comprehensive Project on Rice-Fallow Management (2023-2024)
Full text linkSouth Asia faces a significant agricultural challenge with an estimated 22.3 million hectares of rice-fallow land remaining uncultivated during the post-rainy season, predominantly concentrated in eastern India. The Comprehensive Project on Rice-Fallow Management, initiated by the Government of Odisha and implemented by ICRISAT across 93,850 hectares, addresses this issue through science-led interventions. By introducing short-duration, climate-resilient crops, guided by GIS-based targeting and soil diagnostics, and improving access to inputs, the project demonstrates a scalable model for enhancing cropping intensity, improving farm incomes, and achieving better nutritional outcomes in rainfed agricultural ecologies.
This initiative highlights the potential of strategic agricultural interventions to transform underutilized land and improve livelihoods in the region
Introduction: Breeding Climate-Resilient and Future Ready Oilseed Crops
No full textOilseed crops are cultivated and consumed globally on a large scale and have been the major sources of fat and protein. The food preparations and different delicacies are completely dependent on the oilseed crops. Few of these oilseed crops have industrial applications as well; however, our focus is on major oilseed crops such as soybean, sunflower, groundnut, brassica, canola, coconut, oil palm, and rapeseed. This book provides the current status of breeding climate-resilient oilseed crops, keeping in mind nutrition and quality. Availability of multiple advanced tools and technologies to fasten and making the development process more precise, leading to a reduction in resource use. Further attention is warranted to make these crops more mechanized in order to lower the cost of production as well as saving the time. The challenge is now to integrate and implement these advanced technologies, and methods in the ongoing crop improvement programs
Breeding for High Oleate Oilseed Crops: Opportunities, Constraints, and Prospects
No full textBreeding for high oleate oilseed crops for healthier and more stable oils has seen significant progress over the years. This review explores the fatty acid composition of plant oils, emphasizing the shift toward higher oleic acid content. It highlights various alternative oilseeds, including soybean, rapeseed, sunflower, peanut, etc., as promising candidates for breeding programs. Factors influencing fatty acid composition, such as environmental conditions and genetic factors, are examined in detail. Key enzymes and genes regulating fatty acid biosynthesis, particularly stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SAD) and fatty acid desaturase (FAD), are discussed for their pivotal roles in determining oleate levels. Advances in gene discovery have identified crucial genetic determinants that facilitate targeted breeding for high oleate traits. Traditional breeding techniques are complemented by marker-assisted breeding, enhancing the precision and efficiency of developing high oleate cultivars. Genetic engineering and gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, offer transformative prospects for modifying fatty acid biosynthesis pathways. These cutting-edge approaches enable the precise manipulation of SAD and FAD genes to achieve desired fatty acid profiles. This review underscores the successful development of several improved varieties across various crops, reflecting the tangible outcomes of these advancements
Impact of cold plasma treatment on aflatoxin decontamination, nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, mineral content and anti-nutritional factors of groundnuts.
Full text linkGroundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are a globally consumed legume valued for their nutrition and affordability. Cold plasma (CP) processing, an innovative nonthermal technology, improves food safety and quality by inactivating microorganisms and reducing chemical contaminants. In the present study, groundnuts inoculated and non-inoculated with Aspergillus flavus were treated with CP at varying voltages (20--30 kV) and durations (1--15 min). CP treatment significantly reduced aflatoxin B1 levels (up to 82.1% at 30 kV, 15 min) while enhancing protein, fat, fibre, phenolics, flavonoids and mineral bioavailability. Anti-nutritional factors like phytates, oxalates and tannins decrease, improving nutrient digestibility. The present study demonstrates CP's potential as a sustainable, chemical- free method for enhancing groundnut quality and safety, with promise for large-scale application in the food industry
Integrated watershed management for transforming dryland livelihoods: A climate-smart strategy for sustainable dryland agriculture in India
Full text linkIn India, 51 % of the net sown area relies on rainfed agriculture, with 40 % of landholdings unirrigated and 13 % partially irrigated. Rainfed farming produces 40 % of food grains and supports two-thirds of the livestock population but faces challenges like land degradation, low productivity, and biodiversity loss due to erratic monsoons and extreme weather. Additionally, India’s water scarcity is worsening, with per capita availability expected to reduce from 802 cubic meters in 2022 to 677 cubic meters by 2050. Therefore, to meet the diverse food requirements of the burgeoning population of the country, conservation of natural resources, and improving the living standard of the resource-poor small and marginal farmers is imperative. Integrated watershed management (IWM) has emerged as a climate-smart strategy to address these challenges by enhancing soil and water conservation, agricultural productivity, and livelihoods in dryland systems. This study assesses the impact of IWM on dryland agriculture in India by analyzing various interventions such as in-situ and ex-situ water conservation, soil health management, and the use of modern technologies like remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS). The results revealed that the adoption of IWM practices has led to significant improvements in soil moisture retention (20–25 %), soil organic carbon (22–32 %) agricultural productivity (30–45 %), and water use efficiency (15–25 %). Additionally, soil conservation techniques have reduced soil loss and runoff by 25–50 % and 50–60 %, respectively. Furthermore, the cultivation of lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), anjan grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), and bamboo (Bambusa spp.) could be the nature-based solutions for mitigating the impact of climate change due to their soil binding capacity and carbon sequestration potential. Moreover, this review indicates the potential of fast-growing trees (Melia dubia) under the agroforestry system in enhancing carbon sequestration by >100 % over sole cultivation. These results demonstrate that IWM is a sustainable solution to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on dryland farming systems and improve rural livelihoods. Further, the study suggests that IWM practices helps to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as zero hunger, no poverty, and climate action etc., particularly in the face of climate change in water-scarce regions
Marker-Assisted Introgression of qSPP2.2 Loci from Oryza longistaminata Improves Spikelet Number in Basmati Rice
Full text linkBasmati rice is the premium, export-quality, long, slender grains with pleasant aroma. Punjab Basmati 3 (PB3), a unique aromatic rice, is sensitive to photoperiod, semi-dwarf, tolerant to lodging, and resistant to bacterial blight (BB). However, it yields less than Indica varieties, mostly due to lower number of grains per panicle (GPP), which varies between 60 and 80. To increase the GPP in PB3, we transferred the grain number QTL qSPP2.2 from O. longistaminata (A. Chev. et Roehr.) derived introgression line, RIL127 into PB3 using marker-assisted selection (MAS). Marker- assisted foreground selection using polymorphic markers linked to the qSPP2.2 loci in plants from backcross progenies and their advanced self-progenies, coupled with their background analysis for BB resistance (Xa21, xa13), Basmati aroma (Badh2) and intermediate amylose content (wx locus) and analysis of their grain quality characteristics ensured an efficient and successful introgression of the QTL qSPP2.2 into PB3. The phenotypic expression of qSPP2.2 in the Basmati background was studied in BC1F2, BC2F3 and their advanced selfed progenies, and it shows a 35–40% increase in the grain number of PB3, demonstrating a significant improvement of grain yield of the introgressed lines. Together, a large number of backcross progenies and their advanced self-progenies, coupled with MAS for desirable alleles, and extensive phenotyping have resulted in an improved version of PB3 with higher spikelet per panicle (SPP). Correlation analysis using 384 replicated F2 plants revealed no significant correlation between SPP and grain length, however, a significant weak negative correlation (-0.150*) was observed between SPP and grain breadth, suggesting the possibility of raising the GPP and the total output of Basmati rice having exceptional quality
Metabolite profiling reveals differential accumulation of secondary metabolites related to flavour and colour across four heirloom chilli landraces
Full text linkChillies from Northeast India exhibit wide variability in fruit morphology, pungency, bearing habit and crop duration. An untargeted metabolite profiling using LC-HRMS of four ‘heirloom’ pungent landraces viz. Naga chilli (AL-1), Dalle khursani (AL-2), Sohmynken khnai (AL-3), and J-41(B) was performed and compared with Kashi anmol (KA). While AL-2, J-41(B) and KA belong to C. annuum species, AL-1 is categorised as C. chinense and AL-3 is C. frutescens. A total of 6990 consistent peaks of monoisotopic masses were detected, out of which 2702 metabolites were identified using accurate mass error < 10 ppm. A higher number of differentially accumulated metabolites were seen in J-41(B) versus AL-3 (1376), followed by J-41(B) versus AL-2 (1365), J-41(B) versus AL-1 (1257), KA versus AL-2 (649), AL-3 versus KA (616), KA versus AL-1 (594) and J-41(B) versus KA (413). Variation among species was higher than variation within species. Pathway analysis identified fatty acid, carotenoid, flavonoid and capsaicinoid as key pathways. We identified eight major categories of metabolites, including fatty acids, sterol lipids, and flavonoids, which together account for over 70% of the significantly expressed metabolites across the genotypes. This study explores untargeted metabolites in various chilli species, offering insights into the biochemical and molecular mechanisms which may play a role in governing important fruit traits. Identification of key metabolites and underlying alleles for twenty-one genes across three pathways (flavonoid, capsaicinoid and carotenoid) suggests that the metabolites and associated alleles identified in this study can be used as biomarkers for further characterization of these heirloom chilli and could provide distinct parameter(s) in distinguishing improved cultivars from landraces. This will contribute towards breeding programs in aiding selection of fruits of the desirable traits
Performance of larval parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): potential use as Bio-control agent
Full text linkThe parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor is a polyphagous parasitoid of several lepidoptera larvae, including Spodoptera species. H. hebetor is already used to control several economically important insect pests. It has also been reported on the fall armyworm (FAW), but its utilization against the FAW requires further investigation. First, we assessed the acceptability of different larval instars of S. frugiperda for parasitism by H. hebetor. Second, we assessed the parasitism of H. hebetor on S. frugiperda in comparison to Corcyra cephalonica, the factitious host on which the parasitoid is mass cultured. Finally, we tested the parasitic ability of H. hebetor progeny developing from S. frugiperda larvae. The H. hebetor female paralyzed and killed all 3rd -6th instar larvae of S. frugiperda but parasitized and laid eggs only on the 5th and 6th instar larvae. With respect to parasitism and laying eggs, H. hebetor has a marked preference for C. cephalonica larvae. Likewise, H. hebetor developing on S. frugiperda larvae had lower performance than parasitoids that have been reared on the factitious host, C. cephalonica. However, because H. hebetor is relatively easy to mass rear, it could still be considered a potential supplementary biological control agent with other parasitoids against the FAW
Distribution and Risk Assessment of Aspergillus flavus Infection in Major Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Growing Regions of India
No full textGroundnut (Peanut; Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oil seed, food and cash crop in India. Although India is the largest exporter of groundnuts, its share in the niche markets like the European Union is very small due to stringent regulations on aflatoxins. The crop is susceptible
to pre- and post-harvest aflatoxin contamination caused by Aspergillus flavus group of fungi. It is imperative to know the prevalence, distribution of A. flavus fungi and mapping the risk areas. We have undertaken an extensive survey to assess A. flavus infection in groundnut during pre- and post-harvest stages. Groundnut pod samples were collected from 11 major groundnut-producing states in India such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, and Odisha during both rainy and postrainy seasons over three consecutive years (2022–2024). The districts in each state were categorized into four risk levels: safe, acceptable, moderate, and high-risk areas for A. flavus infection based on the percentage of kernel infection. The incidence of A. flavus kernel infection varied across regions, ranging from 6.25 % to 37.25 %. Among the 37 districts surveyed across 11 states, the highest kernel infection was recorded in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra (37.50 %), followed by Junagadh district, Gujarat (35.00 %). Out of the 37 districts, nine districts were classified as safe or having minimal A. flavus infection, while 18 districts were under the acceptable range. A few districts exhibited moderate A. flavus infection levels in the field. Our findings indicate that although A. flavus is a saprophytic, soil-borne
pathogen, its infection levels vary across regions, likely due to differences in farming practices, environmental conditions, soil microbiota, and host susceptibility. The identification of high-risk areas for A. flavus infection is crucial for developing and deploying region-specific
management strategies