2025 APSA Breed Better TGIF Webinar - Session 3 22 August 2025 / 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

APSA is thrilled to announce a brand new webinar exclusively for APSA members. This exciting series offers four expertly curated sessions, providing invaluable insights into the latest trends and advancements in vegetable breeding and cultivation across the Asia-Pacific region. Don't miss the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and enhance your expertise!

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2025 APSA Breed Better TGIF Webinar - Session 3
22 August 2025 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm (GMT+7)

Male Sterility System

TIME AGENDA
14.00 – 14.10 Opening of the Webinar
Dr Girish Patil, Member, APSA R&D Advisory Group
14.10 – 14.40 Overview of Cytoplasmic Male Sterility and the Potential for New CMS Line Development 
Dr Igarashi Keisuke, Assistant Professor, Laboratory of Environmental Plant Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Japan
14.40 – 15.00 Q&A session
15.00 – 15.30 Male Sterility Systems in Vegetable Crop Improvement 
Dr Shyam Sundar Dey, Principal Scientist, Division of Vegetable Science, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
15.30 – 15.50 Q&A session
15.50 – 16.00 Wrap up and closing remarks
Dr Girish Patil, Member, APSA R&D Advisory Group

Speaker Bio & Abstract

Dr Igarashi Keisuke

Assistant Professor, Laboratory of Environmental Plant Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Japan

Profile
Dr. Keisuke Igarashi is an Assistant Professor at the Laboratory of Environmental Plant Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, and the Board Chairperson of the Japan Cellular Agriculture Association (NPO). He is a leading researcher in the field of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and plant cellular agriculture, aiming to address global food security challenges and contribute to the preservation and expansion of culinary diversity.

His primary research program focuses on the establishment of a new research area for plant-based cellular agriculture in Japan. Current research interests in his program include:

  1. Functional genomics of mitochondrial and nuclear gene interactions related to CMS.
  2. Plant cell culture and organelle genome engineering.
  3. Application of artificial intelligence in plant biotechnology.
Abstract:
Overview of Cytoplasmic Male Sterility and the Potential for New CMS Line Development

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a maternally inherited trait characterized by the abortion of functional pollen due to the expression of mitochondrial CMS-associated genes. This phenomenon is commonly regulated by nuclear-encoded fertility restorer (Rf) genes, which suppress or mitigate the effects of the CMS genes.

In this talk, I will first provide an overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying CMS and then discuss the practical approaches to induce CMS in non-CMS cultivars, aiming to enable the development of F1 hybrid varieties using novel CMS systems.
Over the years, our laboratory has maintained a broad collection of CMS lines derived from various plant species and has identified multiple CMS and Rf gene pairs. However, the core features that determine CMS functionality remain elusive, and reliable prediction of CMS-inducibility in target crops is still under development.

To address this challenge, we have employed several advanced approaches, including:

  • Transgenic identification of fertility restorer genes.
  • Targeted mitochondrial gene knockout using mitoTALENs.
  • In silico prediction of PPR protein targets involved in RNA processing.
Recent findings suggest that cryptic regions of the mitochondrial genome, typically transcriptionally silent, may harbor novel CMS-associated open reading frames. Furthermore, accurate prediction of Rf gene targets—particularly those encoding P-type PPR proteins—may open new possibilities for rational CMS system design.The talk will conclude with a brief introduction to the emerging field of plant cellular agriculture and its potential contributions to sustainable food production.

Dr Shyam Sundar Dey
Principal Scientist, Division of Vegetable Science
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India 

Profile
Dr. Shyam Sundar Dey is Principal Scientist working on improvement of cole and Cucurbitaceous vegetable crops at Division of Vegetable Science, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Development of pollination control system like male sterility and gynoecism is one of his main research focus for development of superior F1 hybrids in different vegetable crops. He is working on understanding the economically important traits in cauliflower, cucumber and gourds for their improvement and development of elite breeding lines and cultivars with resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses and higher productivity. Current research interest in his programme are 1. Development of CMS suystems in cole crops and gynoecism cucurbits through MABC 2. Molecular mapping of Black rot, Alternaria leaf spot and DM and understanding the associated molecular networks.
 

Event Zone & Time

Countries/Territories Time Zones Event Time
Iowa, USA UTC -05:00 02:00 – 04:00
Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Turkey UTC +03:00 10:00 - 12:00
Iran UTC +03:30 10:30 – 12:30
Pakistan UTC +05:00 12:00 - 14:00
India, Sri Lanka UTC +05:30 12:30 – 14:30
Nepal UTC +05:45 12:45 – 14:45
Bangladesh, Krygyztan UTC +06:00 13:00 - 15:00
Myanmar UTC +06:30 13:30 - 15:30
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam UTC +07:00 14:00 - 16:00
China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong-China, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore UTC +08:00 15:00 - 17:00
Japan, South Korea UTC +09:00 16:00 - 18:00
Australia (Canberra) UTC +11:00 18:00 - 20:00
New Zealand (Wellington) UTC +13:00 20:00 - 22:00