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Future aspects in value addition of Banana Pseudostem

Introduction

Banana (Order: Zingiberales; Family: Musaceae; Genus: Musa) is an important tropical and sub-tropical fruit crop grown all over the world. India is the largest producer and consumer of banana globally, producing about 30.46 million tons in the year of 2019 (FAOSTAT, 2021), contributing about 23% of world production. India is the largest producer of banana and the major producing states are Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Banana is commonly known as Kela in Indian sub-continent and regionally as Vazhappazham in Kerala, Vazhakkai in Tamil Nadu, Aratipandu in Andhra Pradesh, Kola in Bengali and Kol in Assam.

Banana is a large perennial monocotyledonous herbaceous plant having height up to 9 m with a long pseudostem that arises from the underground rhizomes (Ghag & Ganapathi, 2018). The leaves are oval, elongated and dark green in colour with each plant producing a single inflorescence. The fruits are oblong and fleshy with very small black seeds (Imam & Akter, 2011). All parts of plantain plants namely fruits, leaves, pseudostem, rhizomes and inflorescence are useful. Thus, it is known as a ‘Kalpataru’ in India, which is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘wish granting tree’ (Ghag & Ganapathi, 2018).

The plant is traditionally used as a medicinal herb. The leaves serve as a wrap for cooking, wrapping and serving food in certain traditions. Pseudostem and inflorescence are ingredients in many traditional cuisines. Rhizomes and the outer layer of pseudostem are utilized as animal feed. The fruit part is most commonly used either as raw fruit or in desserts, breakfast dishes when it is ripened. Unripe fruits are used commonly in curries, fried chips etc. The banana fruit, peel, and banana pseudo-stem from various species of banana have been reported to be rich in total carbohydrates, fibre and minerals specially potassium.

The cultivation of plantain is mainly carried out for fruits and the other parts such as leaves, inflorescence, pseudostem, peels and rhizomes are practically wasted. However, currently they have gained the status of valuable by-products generated from banana cultivation (Padam et al., 2014). It is estimated that, for each ton of banana fruit harvested, approximately 4 tons of biomass wastes including rotten fruit, leaves, pseudostem, rhizome and fruit bunch stem are produced (Subagyo & Chafidz, 2018). That is, in a hectare, on an average about 60 to 80 tons is of pseudostem alone. Conventionally, there are a few constraints in utilizing them, for instance pseudostem and inflorescence are considered as a vegetable in certain cultures, but the acceptance is very limited when compared to other leafy vegetables due to discoloration and taste. The surface of the banana pseudo-stem is easily subjected to browning after harvest, which will affect the sensory evaluation and economic value of the banana pseudo-stem made products. Other than the medicinal and culinary uses of banana, recent researches identified plantain and its parts as a great source of phytochemicals (Reddy & Hemachandran, 2014). Several applications of the banana pseudo stem in functional food and nutraceutical industries have been explored.

Pic.1#Cross section of Pesudostem.
The part of the plant that looks like a trunk is actually a false stem, called pseudostem. It is formed by the imbrication of the leaf sheaths.

Banana Pseudostem

Banana Pseudo-stem (BPS) constitute a major part of plant biomass, which are wasted usually left in the plantation or incinerated. BPS is a rich source of fiber, total carbohydrate and cellulose (Saravanan et al., 2011). Pseudostem is the part of plantain plant, which is formed by tight overlapping of leaf stalk one over another with a center having tender core in a cylindrical shape. Plantain stem is a low cost agricultural waste, which can be altered into certain value added products in the current scenario.

Banana Pseudostem Applications

At present, the banana pseudo-stem are dumped on road side or burnt which causes environmental pollution. The usage of agricultural wastes contributes to the concept of green technology and hence paves the way towards sustainable development. Moreover it is an additional income for both small scale farmers and processing industries (Padam et al., 2014).

Natural fibre 

Pic.2# Natural fiber extracted from pesudostem of Banana

Some researchers have successfully demonstrated the use of banana pseudo-stem and leaves for extraction of fibers on a small scale. The pseudostem fiber is used  for making several value added products namely rope, cordage, fishing net, mat, packaging material, paper sheets, textile fabrics,     bag, table cloth, handicrafts, absorbent, polymer/fibre composites etc. (Subagyo & Chafidz, 2018). The fiber is extracted by using a decorticator machine     then retting and degumming processes are done.

Fuel   

Bio-ethanol can be produced from banana pseudostem by fermentation  process. Similarly, through banana waste methane can also be produced using  anaerobic fermentation.

Substrate for edible

Banana pseudo stem can be utilized as a good substrate for edible   mushrooms because of its high cellulose content. 

Heavy metal and dye 

Studies reported that banana pseudostem can be powerful absorbers  of mercury and lead. Similarly it is also reported that banana pseudostem adsorbed methyl red in aqueous solution.

Organic manure

Banana pseudostem outer peels are used as organic manure for banana  plantations itself.

Organic farming

Pic.3 #Banana pseudostem used as based for growing veggies.

Since banana pseudostem is having a good water retention capacity it can be used in organic farming. It can be done through digging small holes in the banana stem with the help of a sharp object like a knife. Add a little soil and feel free to plant as required.

Others

Pseudo-stem can be used in pulp and paper industries due to its cellulosic content. The banana pseudostem fiber can also be used for ropes such as marine rope since this fibre has good resistance to sea water and has buoyancy properties.

Banana pseudostem: Food applications

The banana central core finds use in south Indian cuisine. The tender core in the centre of the banana pseudostem is edible. In southern part of India, pseudo stem is cooked both as gravy and stir fry seasoned with ginger, garlic, chillies, shallots with curry leaves and grated coconut. In Assam, a dish called kolposola is prepared from young banana pseudostem. Some commonly prepared dishes using banana pseudostem and their recipes are Stir fry, curry, soup, stew, thor ghonto, and stem bajji.

Pic.4#Pseudostem bajji

Recently, value added innovative products from banana pseudostem are developed from Central Food Technological Research Institute, Karnataka. Apart from this, the high value products viz., mordant from sap, microcrystalline cellulose powder from fiber and edible products like candy from central core can also obtained (Desai et al., 2016). Stem juice can be prepared with or without addition of other juices like lemon or grape and sugar or jaggery (Kumar & Reddy, 2015; Ravi et al., 2011).

Extensive studies are undergone to explore various possibilities of value addition of banana pseudostem. Banana pseudostem can be dried into powder and can be utilized for carbohydrate and mineral fortification in different bakery products like bread, biscuits, cookies and dairy products like shrikhand, paneer and cheese (Thorat & Bobade, 2018).

Health benefits of Banana pseudostem

  • Banana stem is a rich source of fibre and helps in weight loss (Chandrasekaran, 2012).
  • Rich in potassium and vitamin B6.
  • It helps to control obesity.
  • It is said to be a diuretic and helps detoxify the body.
  • It can be used as a source of starch, pectin, cellulose, natural dye, bio generation of flavours and nutrients like dietary fibre, carbohydrates and minerals (Padam et al., 2014).
  • It has less glycemic index and high dietary fibre and antioxidant content which is good for diabetes (Bhaskar et al., 2011).
  • In southern India, it is consumed as fresh juice to prevent kidney stones (Dawn et al., 2016).
  • Banana pseudo-stem powder is a well-known remedy for urinary disorders, stomach troubles like diarrhoea, dysentery and flatulence.
  • The food products which are fortified by banana pseudo-stem powder served as nutraceutical food and these show nutritional improvement as well as prove as medicine.
  •  It is known to be nutritionally superior and associated with several health benefits.

Recently researchers are more focused on identification, quantification and isolation of different bioactive components present in the pseudostem which have potential nutraceutical applications. Few are listed in Table 1.

Variety/SpeciesStudy/ BioactivityREFERENCES
Musa spp. (8 cultivars)Invitro Anti-oxidant activitySaravanan & Aradhya, 2011
Musa sapientum Linn.Invivo Anti-diabetic and Anti-lipedemic activityDikshit et al., 2012
Musa parasidiaca Linn.Invitro Anti-oxidant activityJoyetal., 2016
Musa acuminataInvitro Anticancer activityNindiaetal., 2019
Musa spp. (10 cultivars)Antimicrobial activityJouneghani et al., 2020
Table 1: Studies showing potential nutraceutical activities of banana pseudostem

Banana stem extracts

Banana stem extracts having potential hypoglycemic properties are traditionally used as anti-diabetic agents. A comparative study among various plant parts of plantain plant for hypoglycemic effect showed that the banana stem juice extract exhibited highest anti-diabetic activity than other plant parts as fruit, rhizome and peels (Reddy & Hemachandran, 2014).

Conclusion 

Banana pseudo-stem is a by-product of banana plant which has a potential for providing profitable products. Banana pseudostem is an agro waste in plantain cultivation. So there is a great possibility of utilizing banana pseudo-stem in the food processing and other industries thereby providing an additional income for both small scale and large scale farmers. In India, the fibers are being used for preparing handicrafts, ropes etc., which otherwise can be used for making fabrics, home furnishings and good quality papers. The presence of various bioactive components in the pseudostem enhances the nutritional quality but also the therapeutic values of the products. So it will be a great opportunity for researchers in future. At the same time, the problem of waste management can also be solved and provides a new scope for the efficient utilization of banana pseudostem. And the farmers will get benefitted directly and it will contribute to our national economy.

References

Dikshit, P., Shukla, K., Tyagi, M. K., Garg, P., Gambhir, J. K., & Shukla, R. (2012). Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effects of the stem of Musa sapientum Linn. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Diabetes, 4(4), 378–385. https:// doi.org/10.1111/j.17530407.2012.00198.x 

Dong, N., Alena, N., Klára, S., Jiří, H., Huong, P., Jitka, V., Milena, S., Jana, H., & Tomáš, R. (2017). Antidiabetic compounds in stem juice from babana grown in natural and greenhouse. Czech Journal of Food Sciences, 35(No. 5), 407–413. https://doi. org/10.17221/172/2017-cjfs FAO (2021). http://www.fao. org/3/t0308e/T0308E03.htm, Accessed on March 10, 2021 FAOSTAT. (2019). http://www. fao.org/faostat/en/, Accessed on March 10, 2021.

Thorat, R.L. and Bobade, H.P. (2018). Utilization of banana pseudo-stem in food applications. Internat. J. Agric. Engg., 11(Sp. Issue):86-89, DOI: 10.15740/HAS/IJAE/ 11.Sp. Issue/86-89.

Ravi et al., “A review on composition and properties of banana fibers” Cellulose 60: 65, 2015.

Subagyo, A., Chafidz, A. (2018). Banana pseudo-stem fiber: preparation, characteristics and applications. IntechOpen.

Author Details:

Gadha Sreekumar

Ph. D Research Scholar, Department of Vegetable Science,

Horticulture College and Research Institute,

Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Email@gadharajee@gmail.com

  • The part of the plant that looks like a trunk is actually a false stem, called pseudostem. It is formed by the imbrication of the leaf sheaths.
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Management of Pollinators to Increase Vegetables Production

Introduction

A significant section of small and marginal farming community, who constitute 80% of the country’s farm holdings is significantly dependent on the production of vegetables such as various gourds, brinjal, cucumber, tomatoes apart from potatoes, onions etc. (Sindhu et al., 2005).Approximately 70% of the tropical vegetable crop species produced are dependent on the activity of insect pollinators (Klein et al., 2007).This underpins the 7.53 million tonnes of vegetables grown in India representing 13.4 % of global production (Charan et al., 2010) – a sizeable proportion of which is pollinator dependent.

The consideration of pollination requirements for vegetable crops should be viewed in two broad categories.

Vegetable seed production

Vegetable production

Pollination

Pollination refers to transfer of pollen from the anthers or male reproductive organs of the flowers to the stigmas.

 Types of Pollinations

  1. Self pollination
  2. Often cross pollination
  3. Cross pollination

Table 1: Different pollinators which play vital role in pollination

PollinatorsContribution (%)
Bee73%
Flies19%
Bats6.5%
Wasps5%
Beetles5%
Birds4%
Butterflies4%
Source- Abrol,2009

Pic 2.# Different types of Pollinators insects

Table 2: List of crops which requires and does’t require the pollinators:

Crops That Require PollinatorsCrops That Don’t Require Pollinators But Have Better Yields With ThemCrops From Which Pollinators Collect Pollen
Melons, Cucumber, squash/pumpkinEggplant, lima bean, Okra, PepperPea ,snap bean ,tomato

In vegetable production, insecticides can harm pollinators (including bees) in several ways:

  1. When pollinators are present, resulting in direct exposure. This can be true for crops that require pollination services and for crops where pollinators are only feeding on pollen.
  2. Applicators apply insecticides to fruit or vegetables when pollinators are not present, but the insecticide residues persist long enough to potentially harm pollinators when they visit the crop.
  3. Applicators apply systemic insecticides to fruits and vegetables. These products move through the plant to flowers in quantities that could harm pollinators.
  4.  Applicators apply insecticides outside the fruit or vegetable production field that move (in some manner) into the field in sufficient quantities to harm pollinators.
  5.  The residues of systemic insecticides remain in the soil from a previous crop. The fruit or vegetable crop then takes up the insecticide, which moves to flowers in quantities large enough to harm pollinators.

Best Management Practices to Attract and Protect Pollinators:

  • Plant native and other well-adapted flowering plants for season long bloom in or near the garden.
  • Create nesting habitat for ground- and cavity-nesting bees.
  • Do not spray insecticides or fungicides on flowering plants or fruit trees just before or during bloom.
  • If pesticide applications are necessary, choose a product with the least toxicity to bees.

The pollination process:

  • Many insects visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar as food. As they forage, these insects spread pollen grains among flowers, accomplishing pollination. Many flowers offer sugary liquid nectar as an added enticement for these pollinating insects. Among insect pollinators, bees are especially efficient because they eat pollen and nectar exclusively, visit many flowers of the same species during a single trip and have hairy bodies that easily pick up pollen grains.
  • Cucurbit flowers open shortly after sunrise and remain open until late afternoon or early evening, so each flower is open for only a few hours. The honeybee is the most common and effective cucurbit pollinator. Honeybee activity closely coincides with the period when the flower is open. Honeybees begin to visit flowers an hour or two after sunrise and continue to visit until mid-afternoon. If temperatures are very warm, bee activity may decline about noon. Avoid spraying pesticides when bees are active.

How are vegetables pollinated?

  • Vegetable crops that produce a fruit require pollination in order to develop fruit. Some vegetable plants produce a separate male and female flower – pumpkins, squash and cucumbers for instance. Pollination occurs when insects such as bees and hoverflies visit flowers, collecting nectar and pollen.

How do you attract Pollinators to a vegetable garden ?

  • How to attract them: Plant large patches of flowers such as vetch, borage, buckwheat, sunflowers, alfalfa, clover, or wildflower mixes to bring them to your yard. You can also hang a honey bee lure in your garden.
  • Plants produce nectar to attract pollinators.

How many flowers does a bee pollinate in a day?

  • Did you realize that a bee can visit up to 5,000 flowers in a single day? If you think that’s amazing, consider this: to make one pound of honey, a hive of bees must travel over 55,000 miles and visit two million flowers!

What time of day are bees most active?

  • Bees are mid-morning risers. Meaning they will be out and about during the day. Early morning could be best if you don’t have time to wait for dry grass. But either way before 9a.m. or after 5p.m. is the best time to mow your lawn to avoid bee stings.

At what temperature do bees die?

  • At somewhat lower temperatures bees can survive longer at high relative humidities because desiccation is the limiting factor. PIRSCH (1923) concluded that honeybees die at 46 ° to 48°C and ALLEN (1959) found that they die after 1 hour at 48 °.

Need of management of pollinators:

  • Unlike the western countries, the bees that pollinate Indian crops are almost all wild honey bees and other non- Apis pollinators. As a result, very little research has been done on their decline.
  • According to Gallai et al. (2009) more than 40 % of honey bees have been disappeared during last 25 years in India

Reference

  • Abrol DP. 2009. Plant-pollinator interactions in the context of climate change – an endangeredmutualism. Journal of Palynology, 45:1-25
  • Basu P,Bhattacharya R and Ianetta PP. 2011. “A decline in pollinator dependent vegetable crop productivity in India indicates pollination limitation and consequent agroeconomic crisis,” Nature Precedings, http://hdl.handle.net/ 10101/npre.2011.6044.1
  • Chakrabarti P, Rana S, Sarkar S, Smith B and Basu P. 2014. Pesticide-induced oxidative stress in laboratory and field populations of native honey bees along intensive agricultural landscapes in two Eastern Indian states. Apidologie 46, 107–129.
  • Gallai N, Salles JM, Settele J  and Vaissiere BE.2009. Economic valuation of the vulnerability of world agriculture confronted to pollinator decline. Ecological Economics 68, 810-821.
  • George RAT. 2009. Vegetable seed production, 3rd ed. CABI, Wallingford.
  • Klein MA, Vaissiere EB, Cane HJ, Steffan-Dewenter I, Cunningham SA, Kremen C  and Tscharntke T. 2007.Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops. Proc.  R. Soc. Lond. (B) 274,303-313.
  • Pannure A.2016.Bee pollinators decline: perspectives from india. International Research Journal of Natural and Applied Science,3(5)
  • Raj H and Mattu VK.2016.bee pollination and pollinator friendly management Practices in himachal himalaya, india,Global Journal of Bio-science and Biotechnology, 5 (1) : 88-94
  • Sengupta P and Ghorai N.2018.A study on the foraging behaviour of hymenopterans on vegetable crops in the South-24-parganas district of west bengal, india.Asian Journal of Science and Technology, 09(1):7319-7326,
  • Sushil SN, Stanley J, Hedau NK and Bhatt JC. 2013. Enhancing Seed Production of Three Brassica vegetables by Honey Bee Pollination in North-western Himalayas of India , Universal Journal of Agricultural Research 1(3): 49-53
  • Annual report of AICRP on  Honey Bee and Pollinators, Bhubaneswar, OUAT, 2016-17.

Author Details:

Shaik Moulana

Research Associate, Banana Research Station,

Dr.YSR Horticulture university, Pulivendula,

YSR Kadapa (Dist.), Andhra Pradesh-516390

Email @moulana1995@gmail.com

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Scope of fruit and vegetable carving : An innovative pathway towards generating employment in urban horticulture sector

Pic.1# Original carving on different fruits and vegetables done by Mr. Sai Teja on a horticulture exhibition in the year 2015.

Fruit carving is the art of sculpting fruit, a very common technique in Europe and Asian countries, and particularly popular in Thailand, China and Japan. Carving art on the fruits and vegetables has become the sign of attraction for the guests attending the parties. There are many fruits that can be used in this process; the most popular one that artists use are watermelons, papayas, muskmelons, pineapples etc.

Regardless of its origins, vegetable carving is flaunted in many different Asian restaurants, cruises, hotels, and other various places. In the mid-20th century, the art of vegetable carving began to grow outside Asia. Since then, other cultures have slowly come to appreciate the beauty and culture associated with the practice. Today, one can marvel at vegetable carving throughout the world.

Pic.2#Carving on different fruits and vegetable done by Mr.Sai Teja.

Irrespective of the occasion and place, fruit and vegetable carvings find a prominence. They are not easy to make and are a testimony to the skills and talents of the artisans carving it. In most cases, these specialized artisans have taken formal training from culinary institutes and this gives them a hold on the basic techniques. The rest is up to their imagination and practice.

Artisans carve fruits and vegetables about three hours before the event starts and they leave it in cold water for the carvings to set. The tools they need to carve include cutting board, small and medium sized knives with sharp edges, a sharp peeler with preferably an oval edge, bells pins, tooth picks and dry sticks used to represent the stem of flowers. With these tools, the artisan is all set to run his or her imagination wild and come up with a variety of flowers, baskets, insects, birds, animals, toys and just about anything that is appropriate for the occasion.  

Pic.3# A typical art of a boat carved out of a single piece of Pumpkin by Mr. Sai Teja

Other than restaurants, one can see carvings done by artisans in all major food festivals today. In some cultures, fruit and vegetable carvings are displayed in formal gatherings and in private parties. In India, for example, one can see fruit and vegetable carvings displayed in many wedding halls just before guests enter the dining area. The idea behind such display is not only to show the skills of the artisans, but also to entice guests to enter the dining hall. Some chefs believe that a visual display of food triggers taste buds and helps guests to better relish their food. For these reasons, it is common to find different carvings on the entrance of dining halls in Indian weddings.

Present scope and future prospects of carving fruits and vegetables

The demand for fruit and vegetable carving is increasing day by day as the people are looking towards alternatives that are livelier and more attractive to decorate in the functions. The abundance of fruits and vegetables throughout the year even in the off-season has been achieved due to advanced horticultural techniques which overcome the problem of non-availability of raw materials for carving. There are very less artisans who are experienced in this art and there is lot of scope in training through workshops and symposiums.

pic.4# A beautiful design of Rose flowers in a Pot carved out from a single piece of Watermelon by Mr. Sai Teja

Once fruit carvers have mastered the techniques past the intermediate stage and become professionals, they can price their services to restaurants, professional caterers, hotels and resorts. On a smaller scale, fruit carvers can present a dish with decorative garnishing to add an aesthetically pleasing experience to their viewers. Rural women, self-help groups, FPO(Farmer Producer Organizations) can be trained with the art of fruit and vegetable carvings to propagate the skill in this field which helps them to generate income as an association. Several food carving competitions are being held across the world which brings the artists great reputation and opportunities to work with some of the biggest events, restaurants and ceremonies. The art of carving fruits and vegetables is eternal and has a never-ending demand. In short, when you see a carved fruit or vegetables the next time, spend a few minutes to admire its beauty and intricacy. It will not only give you a glimpse into the culture, but will also make the artisan happy.

pic.5# A beautiful peacock design carved out of a single piece of watermelon by Mr.Sai Teja

Limitations

The major obstacles of fruits and vegetable carvings include the lack of quality raw materials, pattern designers, transmission of knowledge and creating added value. Quality fresh fruits and vegetables are needed so that the finished carvings can be kept and displayed longer which also depends on the atmosphere and time period where the carvings will be displayed. Fruits and vegetable engravers lack experience and consistency in their art forms where there must be a consistent balance in the lines, patterns, shapes, weight, color and texture. The lack of understanding these factors result in underdeveloped carvings and development of patterns. The limited time available to prepare the carvings has limited the designs and patterns for each venue. The transmission of knowledge between artisans is still limited due to the closure and unwilling transfer of knowledge from senior artisans. The limited transfer of knowledge and skills due to competing attitudes of modern society has led to in-efficient development of fruit and vegetable carvings and lack of apprentices.

References:

https://asian-recipe.com/methods/fruit-vegetable-carving

  • Panprom, S., Somtrakool, K., & Tidpad, P. (2013). Fruits and Vegetable Carving:    Development of         Carving Patterns for Banquets. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3(9), 697.

For more information about fruit and vegetable carvings you can contact our author.

Author Details:

Sai Teja

M.Sc (Agronomy)

ASSAM AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY,ASSAM,INDIA

Email@kandapu.saiteja.amj19@aau.ac.in

Mob:91-7032865674

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Advances in hybrid seed production in solanaceous crops

What is Hybrid ?

Hybrid is first generation (F1) from crosses between two purelines, inbreds, open pollinated varieties, clones or other populations that are genetically dissimilar.

Types of Hybrids :

  • Single cross hybrid: Cross between two unrelated inbred lines (A × B)
  • Double cross hybrid: (A×B) x (C×D)
  • Three way hybrid: (A × B) × C
  • Top cross hybrid: Inbred is crossed with an open-pollinated variety

Hybrid Seed Production Systems :

  • 1 line system: Apomixis
  • 2 line system: Genetic male sterility (GMS) and Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)
  • 3 line system: Cytoplasmic-genetic male sterility (CGMS)

History of Hybrid seed Production in India (In Vegetables)

  • In 1973, IAHSC released first tomato (Karnataka) and Capsicum (Bharat) hybrids for commercial cultivation.
  • Since 1975, intensive research work has been started by both public and private sectors for exploitation of hybrid vigor in various vegetables crops.

Characteristics of the Solanaceae

  • Flower:  small to medium & perfect
  • Fruit:  berry with many seeds. 
  • Pollination:  Self- or often cross-pollinated

Reasons for commercial exploitation of Solanaceous hybrids

  • Sufficiently medium flowers facilitates easy emasculation & pollination.
  • Availability of pollen in abundance.
  • Large number of seeds obtained per pollination/cross.
  • Manifestation of heterosis for yield & its components.
  • The highly profitable prices obtained from the produce.
  • Good response of F1 to better cultural practices, inputs & environment.

Steps for Hybrid Development

  • Development of Inbred lines
  • Testing the combining ability

                        a) General Combining Ability

                        b) Specific Combining Ability

  • Production of F1 hybrid seed

Hybrid Seed Production Techniques in Solanaceous crops:

Emasculation: Can be performed at the start of flowering, about 55-65 days after sowing.

Steps in Hybrid Seed Production:

  • 1.Selection of Bud
  • 2.Split open anther cone
  • 3.Removal of petals
  • 4.Removal of anther cone
  • 5.Pollen collection
  • 6.Pollen storage
  • 7.Pollen drying
  • 8.Pollination(a)
  • 9.Pollination(b)

Study done at IARI using male sterile & male fertile lines in Tomato:

  • Time saved by male sterile line was 63%.
  • Average fruit set by using male sterile line was 79.35%.
  • Average fruit set using male fertile line was 65.40%.
  • Hybrid seed cost by using male sterile line per kg was Rs. 466/-
  • Hybrid seed cost by using male fertile line per kg was Rs. 3691/-

Hybrids released in tomato by private & public sectors:

Name of Hybrid VarietyInstitute/Company
RupaliIndo-American Hybrid Seeds Co.
AmoghNamdhari Seeds Pvt.Ltd. Bangalore
Pusa Hybrid-1IARI, New Delhi
Pusa Hybrid-2IARI, New Delhi
Pusa Hybrid-4, Pusa Hybrid-8,IARI, New Delhi
Arka Shreshta, Arka RakshakIIHR, Bangalore
ArkaVardan, Arka SamratIIHR, Bangalore
Arka Vishal, Arka AnanyaIIHR, Bangalore
Solan Sindhur, Solan Garima, Solan  SagunUHF, Nauni, Solan
Table no.1 #Hybrids released in tomato by private & public sectors in India

F1 Hybrids in Brinjal:

Public Sector Variety Name

GAU (Anand)                         :           ABH-1(SR), ABH-2(SR)

IARI (New Delhi)                  :          Pusa Hybrid-5, Pusa Hybrid-6, Pusa Hybrid-9

IIHR (Banglore)                    :          Arka Navneet, Arka Aanand

NDUAT (Faizabad)               :         NDBH-1, NDBH-6

GBPUA&T                             :           Pant Hybrid 1

Private Sector Variety Name

Ankur                                      :           ARBH-201, AHB-2, AHB-4

Indo-American                      :           Suphal

MAHYCO                               :           MHB-1, MHB-2, MHB-10, MHB-11, MHB-56

Sumex `                                  :           Sumex 9, Sumex 19

Sungrow                                 :           Kanhaya, Navkiran

Century                                   :           Nisha, Vardaan, Shiva

F1 Hybrids in Chilli

Public Sector Variety Name

PAU (Ludhiana)                   :  CH-1, CH-3

IIHR                                        :  Arka Suphal, Arka Meghana, Arka Sweta, Arka Harita

Private Sector Variety Name

Hung Nong                             : Delhi Hot, Hot Green, Skyline

Mahyco                                   : Tejaswini

Sandoj                                     : Agni

Practical tips for hybrid seed production in Solanaceous vegetables:

  • Fermentation method of seed extraction gives better seed recovery, however acid and alkali extraction can be employed where temperature is too low.
  • Planting ratio of male to female lines in hybrid seed production plot of brinjal can be increased to 1:10
  • Axial flow vegetable seed extractor can be used economically in brinjal
  • Minimum isolation distance of 225 m in chilli is safe for hybrid seed production under north Indian conditions.
  • Fully ripe fruits should be used for seed extraction in chilli.
  • Seed production cost can be reduced by using male sterility system or androcides in all these crops.

Conclusion:

  • Hybrid  seed production starts very early but still its coverage is not satisfactory.
  • It should be popularize among rural masses not only for increasing production but also it help to give employment to rural youth and women in particular.
  • Standardization of research at molecular level.
  • Utilization of transgenic technology.

Reference:

Kanwar et al ,2014..Advances in Quality Seed Production of Vegetable Crops, Publisher: Department of Vegetable Science Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni -173 230 Solan, Himachal Pradesh, pp.19-37.

Nascimento et al., 2003. Ciencia e Agrotecnologia, 27 (Especial): 1662-671. 

R.T. Opeña, J.T. Chen, T. Kalb and P. Hanson October 2001 Hybrid Seed Production in Tomato AVRDC pub # 01-527.

Tewari G., Ram, R. N. and Singh A (2018). Effect of plant base digestive enzyme ‘Papain’ on growth, survival and behavioural response of Cyprinus carpio. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies: 6(3): 210-214.

Sushma Sharma ,Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Seed Science and Technology CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar: VOL. NO. XVII, ISSUE NO. 03

Author Details:

Shaik Moulana

Research Associate, Banana Research Station,

Dr.YSR Horticulture university, Pulivendula, YSR Kadapa (Dist.), Andhra Pradesh-516390

Email: moulana1995@gmail.com