Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
37
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Gamma radiation induced genetic variability and physiological modulation in mutant litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) population Nanneboyina Srikanth, Sunil Kumar, Bikash Das, Abhay Kumar, Ipsita Samal, Omkar Maharudra Limbalkar, Narendra Singh, Mahesh Kumar Dhakar, Ashok Dhakad Cogent Food and Agriculture, 2026 Mutation breeding has emerged as a powerful tool for expanding genetic variability and accelerating crop improvement, particularly in perennial fruit crops where conventional breeding is constrained by long juvenility and narrow genetic bases. The present study was conducted at the ICAR–National Research Centre on Litchi, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India, from 2022 to 2025 to determine the median lethal dose (LD50) of γ-irradiation in litchi cv. Shahi and to assess induced morphological and physiological responses. Fresh seeds were irradiated in two phases using a Co60 γ-source: in 2022, with doses ranging from 5 to 50 Gy, which resulted in higher survival percentages and limited phenotypic variation; and in 2023, with higher doses ranging from 55 to 100 Gy to increase the mutation frequency. Survival percentage was recorded two months after sowing, and LD50 was calculated at 46 Gy. Morphological and physiological evaluations were subsequently conducted on mutant populations generated from irradiation doses above the estimated LD50 (46 Gy) to maximize mutation recovery and phenotypic variation. Analyses revealed that increasing irradiation doses reduced plant survival, height, canopy volume, and chlorophyll content, while inducing significant morpho-physiological alterations. Several novel phenotypes were identified, including a climbing-type growth habit, dwarfism, compact canopies, and altered leaf morphology. This study demonstrates the potential of gamma irradiation as an effective tool for creating selectable genetic variability and broadening the genetic base of litchi.
ASSESSING THE GENETIC DIVERSITY AND CHARACTER ASSOCIATION OF YIELD COMPONENTS IN LITCHI (LITCHI CHINENSIS SONN.) Narayan Lal, Abhay Kumar, Sd Pandey Bangladesh Journal of Botany, 2024 Eighteen litchi genotypes were evaluated in this study for genetic advancement, heritability, variability, and association studies. The genotype ‘CHL-4’ exhibited maximum fruit weight (28.12 g), aril weight (14.00 g), aril thickness (9.65 mm) and seed weight (4.86 g). Fruit length (10.70 and 10.46%), panicle width (10.61 and 10.37%), and panicle length (15.75 and 15.45%) all had substantial phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation. All the metrics, with the exception of fruit diameter, aril thickness, seed weight, and number of fruits/panicle, showed higher heritability estimations with substantial genetic advances. In addition to being negatively correlated with fruit weight, aril weight, seed weight and pulp thickness, yield also showed a strong positive correlation with the number of fruits/panicle and aril percentage. Path analysis made the impact of different components on yield very evident. The maximum positive direct effect on yield at genotypic level was through fruit weight (10.120) followed by seed weight (4.070), panicle length (1.550), panicle girth (1.170) and negative direct effect via aril weight (-0.12.860) followed by panicle width (-11.830), fruit length (-6.290). In order to select a diverse parent for a subsequent breeding effort, cluster analysis assists in classifying comparable objects into appropriate categories. Therefore, the goal of the study was to confirm the genetic variability across genotypes of litchi and identify prospective features for the selection of genotypes that are superior. Bangladesh J. Bot. 53(3): 465-473, 2024 (September)
PANICLE AND FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS INFLUENCED BY PLANT AGE IN LITCHI CV. ROSE SCENTED Narayan Lal, Abhay Kumar Bangladesh Journal of Botany, 2024 An experiment was conducted during the cropping season of 2018 and 2019 to determine how plant ages affect flowering, fruit quality and incidence of sunburn and fruit cracking in litchi cv. Rose Scented. In a lot consisting of litchi plants aged between 1 and 30 years, 25-30- years-older plants initiated panicle emergence earlier with larger-sized panicles (42.35 cm length and 28.65 cm spread) and thicker peduncle (>6 mm). Fruit retention per panicle was also more in number (15.68) in 25-30- years older plants as compared to 1-5 year younger plants (4.76). An important observation involved fruits being borne closer to leaf in 25-30- years-older plants, which ultimately resulted in lesser incidence of sun burn and fruit cracking. Older plants (25-30-years) produced bigger fruit than 1-5 year-younger ones and highest fruit weight (22.58g) was recorded in 15–20-year-old plant. The time taken for fruit borne in older trees (25-30-years) to attain optimum fruit maturity was extended or delayed by 5 days as compared to younger plants (1-5-year). Total soluble solids was also higher in fruits borne on 25-30 years older litchi plants, while titratable acidity and ascorbic acid contents was more in fruits borne on 1-5 year younger plants. Total phenolics and antioxidant activity of pulp were the highest in young plants and least in older plants. we conclude that heavy bunches and proximity of fruit to leaf are important traits in litchi for consideration in breeding programmes to identify clones or variants tolerant to sun burn and fruit cracking. Bangladesh J. Bot. 53(2): 279-285, 2024 (June)
Advances and Challenges in Sugarcane Biofuel Development Abhay Kumar, Vivekanand Tiwari, Pratibha Singh, Sujit Kumar Bishi, Chandan Kumar Gupta, Gyan Prakash Mishra Biotechnology for Biofuels A Sustainable Green Energy Solution, 2020
Over-expression of bacterial mtlD gene confers enhanced tolerance to salt-stress and water-deficit stress in transgenic peanut (Arachis hypogaea) through accumulation of mannitol Australian Journal of Crop Science, 2014
Validation of SSR markers linked to the rust and late leaf spot diseases resistance in diverse peanut genotypes Australian Journal of Crop Science, 2014
