2025 APSA Breed Better TGIF Webinar - Session 1 28 March 2025 from 2":00 pm - 4:00 pm (GMT+7)

Speaker Profile & Abstract

Prakash I Gangashetty
Global Pigeonpea Breeding Lead
Global Research Program - Accelerated Crop Improvement (ACI)

Profile:
Dr Gangashetty is leading the global pigeonpea breeding program at ICRISAT. His research focuses on developing early maturing, climate-resilient, disease-resistant, pest-tolerant, and nutritionally rich pigeonpea varieties and hybrids for Asia and Africa. His team developed the world's first-speed breeding protocol in pigeonpea and is currently deploying rapid cycle genomic selection to accelerate product delivery and enhance genetic gain. He is the recipient of Monsanto's Beachell- Borlaug international scholarship for the sandwich PhD program in Genetics and Plant Breeding. He started his career at ICRISAT as Postdoctoral Scientist- Pearl millet breeding in 2014 at West Central Africa program, based in Niamey, Niger. He led Africa's pearl millet improvement program and was successful in the release of Africa's first Fe-biofortified millet variety, CHAKTI, and first commercial hybrid “Nufagnon” in West Africa; He has received several awards, including the Bayer Ted Crosbie- Beachell-Borlaug impact award in 2020, the promising young scientist award in 2018 for outstanding pearl millet breeding work in West Africa, and the Resource mobilizer award in 2019. He has guided 5 PDFs, 18 PhD scholars, and 8 master’s students. 

Abstract
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is unique among pulse crops due to its substantial natural cross-pollination. To address the long-standing issue of low productivity, ICRISAT, in collaboration with public and private partners, has developed commercial, disease-resistant hybrid pigeonpea hybrids. These hybrids have demonstrated a 30-50% yield advantage over traditional varieties in over 3000 on-farm demonstrations. Despite the promising yield advantages, the adoption of hybrid pigeonpea has faced several challenges such as maturity duration of hybrid pigeonpea, Seed Quality Issues, CMS Stability, seasonal restrictions on hybrid seed production due to photo and thermo sensitivity of parents, Lack of Private Sector Participation in hybrid uptake and scaling up. ICRISAT has made significant strides in developing early maturing hybrids, seed and restorer parents. Recent efforts led to the development of stable CMS, high-yielding hybrid parents, photo and thermo-in-sensitive, and new hybrids being tested across different locations. Early maturing hybrids, which mature in up to 140 days, have shown yield gains ranging from 18% to 54%. Notable hybrids include ICPH 22111, ICPH 22222, ICPH 2411, and ICPH 2422. With dedicated efforts to refine hybrid seed production systems in post-rainy and summer and increased support from both public and private sectors, hybrid pigeonpea has the potential to significantly boost yields and contribute to food security. The development of early maturing, high-yielding hybrids will benefit farmers by providing resilient and productive crop options.

Manoj S Phalak
General Manager, (Research and Development),
Ankur Seeds Pvt. Ltd., Nagpur, India

Profile:
Dr. Manoj S. Phalak is an accomplished plant breeder and molecular biologist with over 27 years of expertise in conventional and molecular breeding. He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Breeding, specializing in disease resistance in rice through marker-assisted selection. Dr. Phalak pioneered the development and commercialization of Genetic Male Sterility (GMS)-based hybrids in Dolichos Beans and Cowpea. He has spearheaded numerous research initiatives, authored several publications, and played a key role in regulatory affairs related to GM crops, contributing significantly to advancements in crop improvement and hybrid seed technology.

Abstract:
Development and Successful Commercialization of Genetic Male Sterility (GMS) System in Dolichos Beans (Lablab purpureus) and Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) for Hybrid Seed Production

The introduction of Genetic Male Sterility (GMS)-based hybrids in Indian Beans (Lablab purpureus L.) and Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) marks a groundbreaking achievement in heterosis breeding for leguminous crops. Developed by Ankur Seeds Pvt. Ltd., these hybrids leverage GMS technology to overcome the limitations of traditional self-pollinated varieties, enabling higher yields, improved disease tolerance, and off-season adaptability.
Indian Beans (Lablab purpureus L.) and Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) are vital sources of vegetable protein, offering multiple health benefits while playing a key role in sustainable agriculture. Traditionally, farmers had access only to photoperiod-sensitive varieties, limiting their cultivation potential more particularly in Indian Beans. The discovery of Genetic Male Sterility (GMS) in Indian Beans in 2012 and the successful development of GMS in Cowpea in 2013 through mutation breeding marked a major breakthrough. These advancements, combined with innovative and efficient pollination techniques, paved the way for hybrid development in both crops at Ankur Seeds Pvt. Ltd., Nagpur.

Ankur Seeds Pvt. Ltd. pioneered the world's first large-scale commercialization of GMS-based hybrids in these crops, introducing Ankur Dolly and Ankur 427 in Indian Beans and Ankur Agraja and Ankur Celebrity in Cowpea. These hybrids exhibit exceptional heterosis, achieving up to 100% yield improvement in regular seasons and 200–250% in off-season cultivation, significantly enhancing farmer profitability. Dharti Agro Pvt. Ltd. further expanded this innovation with the commercialization of Cowpea hybrids Bubbly and Sherly, which have demonstrated superior thermotolerance, disease resistance, and adaptability across diverse agro-climatic zones. 

This breakthrough hybrid technology enables year-round cultivation, improves soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, and enhances crop diversification, making it a scalable, climate-resilient, and farmer-friendly solution. By nearly doubling farmer incomes and ensuring greater nutritional security, these hybrids mark a transformative step in sustainable agricultural advancement. 

Assoc. Prof. Prakit Somta 
Department of Agronomy (Faculty of Agriculture at Kamphaeng Saen),
Kasetsart University, Thailand

Profile:
Ph.D. (Plant Breeding) 2005 Kasetsart University., Thailand, B.Sc. (Agriculture) (First class honor) 2000 Kasetsart University., Thailand 
Experiences; Genetics, genetic resources, and breeding of legume crops, especially mungbean and soybean 
Award; 2019 Outstanding Plant Breeder of the Plant Breeding and Multiplication Association of Thailand

Abstract:
Yardlong bean/vegetable cowpea public research project

Yardlong bean (Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata cv-gr. sesquipedalis), also known as asparagus bean, Chinese long bean, long-podded cowpea, pea bean, snake bean, haselongated pods (ranging from 50-100 cm) that are tender and commonly eaten as a fresh vegetable. The crop is grown on over 300,000 ha in China, about 20,000 ha each in India and in Thailand. Although it is an important vegetable legume crop of Southeast Asia and China, there are not many public breeding programs for this crop, especially in Southeast Asia. Major commercial varieties have been developed by pure line selection. In India, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) and the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) and the State Agricultural Universities (Kerala Agricultural University) have released successful varieties. The traits of focus in the Thailand breeding program are fresh pod yield, eating and cooking qualities, disease resistance, and heat tolerance. Fiber content is believed to be associated with eating and cooking qualities of the yardlong bean. A local variety in Thailand with special pod appearance and excellent eating and cooking qualities has been discovered. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) controlling such special pod appearance has been identified. The major diseases include yellow mosaic disease (YMD), bean common mosaic virus, Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) and nnthracnose. A major QTL for the Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) resistance in field cowpea (V. unguiculata ssp. unguiculata cv-gr. unguiculata) has been identified and can be used in improving the resistance in yardlong bean. The major insect pests of yardlong bean are pod borer, aphids and thrips. Marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC) was performed at University of California Riverside for introgression of two known quantitative trait loci (QTL) for aphid resistance into three local elite lines. The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan holds 500 accessions, while The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi, India has 300 accessions in its collection. It is imperative to have concerted efforts to collect more land races from Southeast Asia and utilize them in the breeding programs for widening the genetic base of the varieties. In addition, the breeding programs will greatly benefit by introgression of desirable traits identified in grain cowpea, followed by backcross breeding. The recent improvements in high throughput sequencing coupled with the reduction in the cost per gigabase of sequence are allowing NGS to be utilized not only for evaluation of subset of lines but also mapping and characterization of traits of interest.

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