2024 APSA LSVBO TGIF Webinar - Session 2 28 June 2024 / 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm (GMT+7)

APSA is happy to announce a new webinar series, the 2024 APSA Large Seed Vegetables & Brassicaceae Okra (LSVBO) Thank God It's Friday.

This new webinar series will consist of 4 sessions covering large seed vegetables, Brassicaceae and okra in Asia and Pacific Region. Each session is to be held on Friday each month in March, June, September and November 2024 from 14.00 - 16.00 hrs. (ICT/GMT+7). 

New Variety video from Enza Zaden

New Variety video from East West Seed

Breeding Okra for Yield and Virus Resistance by Dr M. Pitchaimuthu

Begomovirus Dynamics and Challenges in Okra by Dr. V. Venkataravanappa 

2024 APSA LSVBO TGIF Webinar - Session 2
28 June 2024 / 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm (GMT+7)

OKRA

Speaker Profile & Abstract

Dr M. Pitchaimuthu
Principal Scientist (Horticulture), Division of Vegetable Crops
ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, India

Profile:
Dr.M. Pitchaimuthu, is a Principal Scientist ,working in the Division of Vegetable Crops, under the unit of ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru. He is the Principal investigator leading the Cross Pollinated Vegetable Crops (Cucurbitaceous crops, onion, radish and carrot) improvement program aiming to understand  the basis of major biotic and abiotic  stresses encountered by the farmers, growers and  seed companies  to  utilize the available genetic resources to develop new varieties and hybrids for yield, quality and resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses  using conventional and   biotechnological tools. Current Research program on my project is 1.Collection, evaluation, characterization, conservation and utilization of cross pollinated vegetable  crops and also okra. 2.Exploring useful genes from cultivated and wild species particularly (fungal and viral disease resistant  genes) and transferring in to high yielding  lines and   varieties (Recurrent parents) 3.  Development of hybrids using genetic male sterile line with high heterotic effects  as well as  quality and resistant to major diseases in okra.

Abstract:
Breeding Okra for Yield and Virus Resistance
Okra  [Abelmoschus esculenus (L.) Moench )] is one of the most traditional and commercial trading crop widely cultivated different parts  of the world for human consumption and also for industrial use as a fiber. The world wide the most important constraint in okra production is susceptibility of the crop to various insect pests and viral diseases viz., Okra Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus, Okra Enation leaf curl Virus  diseases causes significant losses in production At present , control of the viral diseases in okra is mainly relies on heavily spray on insecticides to control the vector  whitefly (Bemisia tabacci ) and also concerned to environment and health issues. At present in India  many hybrids from public and private sectors and many open  pollinated varieties from public sectors were   available for the farming communities but none of the hybrids and varieties were complete resistant to YVMV and ELCV at  all the agro climatological zones of the country. I will provide brief introduction and importance of okra, breeding objectives, limitation of okra breeding,collection,evaluation,characterization conservation, breeding methods, Abelomoschus and its wild relatives, sources of resistance, major production constraints, genetics of resistance, screening methodologies, varieties released from different breeding methods and institutions, stability of resistance, sterility problem while transferring genes from wild relatives to cultivated lines , overcoming the sterility . Use of male sterile  line to development of F1 hybrids, transfer of ms gene in to different genetic back grounds and work done at IIHR and future breeding strategies of okra breeding in India.

Dr. V. Venkataravanappa
Senior Scientist (Plant Pathology), Division of Crop Protection
ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, India

Profile:

• Surveying and monitoring of plant pathogens, diagnosis and identification of emerging plant pathogens in different horticultural crops
• Genetic diversity of begomoviruses infecting tomato, eggplant, chilli, okra and cucurbits 
• Development of efficient inoculation protocols for viruses infecting tomato, eggplant, chilli, okra, and cucurbits
• Developed different serological (ELISA and DIBA ) and molecular techniques (PCR, RT-PCR, LAMP, and NGS) based techniques for detection and identification of viruses and virus-like viruses and virus like organisms infecting horticultural crops
• Study and monitoring of emerging plant viruses including  OELCuV, ToBFRV, TMV, CMV, ChVMV, ToMMV, CABYV and TSV 
• Published 120 papers in different national and international journals in different horticultural crops
• Monitoring two Msc.  and four Ph.D students different institutes  and universities and also a recognized faculty of 4 universities  

OELCuD is a monopartite begomovirus first reported from Karnataka (Bangalore) in southern India. Depending on the crop growth stage and time of the virus infection, yield losses range from 50 to 94 percent. OYVMD was first recorded in India by Kulkarni (1924), and later Uppal et al. (1940) established the viral origin of the disease based on the morphogenic symptoms expressed on plants. The disease was named yellow vein mosaic virus (YVMV). OYVMD is characterized by chlorosis and yellowing of veins and veinlets, vein twisting, stunting of plants with fewer fruits, and reduced leaf and fruit size. In the case of OELCuD-infected plants, minute pin-head enation-like symptoms occur on the abaxial surface of the leaves, followed by curling and a rough texture of the leaves. The infected plants show symptoms of stem and lateral branch twisting, petiole bending, vein thickening, and leaves becoming thick and leathery. The plants are severely stunted, bearing very small fruits that are deformed and unfit for marketing.

In India, OYVMD and OELCuD are caused by eight different mono- and bipartite begomoviruses (BYVMV, BYVBV, CLCuBaV, CLCuAlV, ToLCNDV BYVDV, OELCuV, and RaLCuV), six types of betasatellites (BYVB, OELCuB, MaYVYnB, LuLDB, RaLCuB, and BYVBB), and eight different types of alphasatellites (NVLP, MYVD1, OLCuDD1, CyTLCuD1, GoDSLa, ToCSVD1, AEVD, and CLCuBuVD1). Recombination analysis has shown that the begomoviruses, alphasatellites, and betasatellites associated with yellow vein mosaic and enation leaf curl diseases exhibit a high degree of recombination with different viruses and DNA satellites associated tomato, chilli and cucurbits.

Okra production faces significant challenges due to the rapid evolution and recent spread of begomoviruses, the emergence of new viral strains, and the increasing prevalence of whitefly cryptic species complexes. Currently, none of the cultivated okra varieties or hybrids offers complete resistance to yellow vein mosaic disease (YVMD) and enation leaf curl disease. Although public sector breeding programs have utilized genes from wild species and cultivated lines to develop resistant varieties against OYVMD, such as Parbhani Kranti, Punjab 7, Arka Anamika, Arka Abhay, Varsha Uphar, Hisar Unnat, and Hisar Naveen, these varieties have also become susceptible. This susceptibility is attributed to the emergence of new mono- and bipartite begomoviruses and the increasing abundance of whitefly cryptic species complexes.

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