The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) is an autonomous organization engaged in agricultural research related to spices in India. The institute has its headquarters in Moozhikkal, Silver Hills, Kozhikode, Kerala and is a subsidiary of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, under the Ministry of Agriculture, India.
In vitro propagation provides disease-free planting material in ginger, a crop of high medicinal and commercial importance. The present study aimed to evaluate the anatomical, biochemical, and functional characteristics of in vitro raised and conventionally grown (in vivo) ginger plants in order to understand structural and physiological adaptations induced by tissue culture conditions. Anatomical analyses of leaves, pseudostems, and rhizomes revealed distinct differences in cuticle thickness, stomatal density, mesophyll organization, and vascular development between in vitro and in vivo ginger plants. Biochemical profiling indicated enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and starch accumulation in in vitro plantlets, reflecting stress-responsive metabolic adjustments, while in vivo plants exhibited higher pigment and soluble sugar contents, supporting superior photosynthetic efficiency. Functional studies on phloem and xylem translocation confirmed active long-distance transport in both systems while maintaining genetic stability among tissue culture regenerants and its mother plant. Overall, the study highlights the structural and functional plasticity of micropropagated ginger plants and underscores the importance of optimized acclimatization strategies for successful field establishment.
Pearl millet production environments spans from severely moisture stressed to better endowed ecologies. ‘Minicore collection’, a global diversity capsule of 238 genotypes is a prized genetic resource for strengthening breeding programs. With the aim to evaluate genetic merit of pearl millet minicore for best trait combinations for different production environments, data on eight metric traits were recorded from field trials conducted for four years during 2021–2024. The results revealed significant effects of genotypes, environment and genotype × environment with higher mean squares due to environments indicating larger role of environment in trait expression. Fifteen early-flowering including two extra-early genotypes hold strong promise for drought‐prone and short‐season environments, where rapid flowering is a vital adaptive trait. Days to flowering and panicle length exhibited both moderate-to-high heritability whereas in contrast, grain yield, panicle and tiller number showed low heritability reflecting a greater influence of environmental variation. Genotypes IP 13387, IP 19964, IP 5869, IP 10953, IP 7422, IP 10371, IP 12374 and IP 16402 stands out based on MGIDI and MTSI indices representing key candidates with higher stability and broad adaptability. These findings highlight the potential of minicore to accelerate pearl millet improvement under changing climatic conditions and diverse production environments.
Moringa oleifera Lam. (MO), a highly valued perennial tree cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical regions, is widely recognised for its exceptional nutritional and medicinal properties. Notably, all parts of the plant are utilised, resulting in minimal to no waste. Despite its global importance as a multipurpose crop, crop improvement efforts have achieved limited success, with few improved cultivars developed to date. Crop improvement relies on gene and genome modulation, either indirectly via conventional breeding or directly via biotechnological approaches. The species’ long-life span and sexual incompatibility barriers pose significant challenges to traditional breeding approaches, necessitating alternative strategies for genetic improvement. Thus, biotechnological interventions, along with comprehensive omics studies, are essential for the effective enhancement and utilisation of the valuable traits offered by this miracle tree. This review provides an update on the application of biotechnological tools such as tissue culture, omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), and genetic engineering, and examines their current contributions and future prospects to the genetic improvement of MO.
The rising demand for nutritious and hygienically processed foods has fostered a strong market for value-added jaggery products that combine traditional flavour with enhanced quality and health benefits. In response to this consumer shift, the development of flavoured jaggery cubes represents a significant step towards healthier, more appealing, and functionally enriched traditional sweeteners. The present investigation focuses on the development of cumin-flavoured jaggery cubes and the determination of the effects of adding the gum acacia emulsifier and cumin oleoresin on the physicochemical and phytochemical constituents of the jaggery cubes. The increase in the concentration of gum acacia and cumin oleoresin increased the water solubility (88.55–91.03
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a major phytopathogenic ascomycete that causes anthracnose disease in cardamom plants. Here, we report the discovery of a novel double-stranded (ds) RNA virus in C. gloeosporioides. The virus genome consisted of four dsRNA segments, ranging in length from 2522 bp to 1236 bp. Each dsRNA has a single open reading frame flanked by 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs). dsRNA1 codes for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and dsRNA2 codes for a hypothetical protein with maximum similarity to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides polymycovirus 1 and Colletotrichum camelliae filamentous virus 1, respectively. The methyltransferase encoded by dsRNA3 and the proline–alanine–serine-rich protein (PASrp) encoded by dsRNA4 showed similarity to those of Fusarium redolens polymycovirus 1. Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp sequences revealed that this virus clusters with known members of the family Polymycoviridae. Based on these observations, this virus isolate is tentatively named Colletotrichum gloeosporioides polymycovirus 2 (CgPmV2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a polymycovirus from India.
