Evaluation of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) germplasm

Seventy two cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) accessions were evaluated for 5 years at Pampadumpara (Kerala, India) for vegetative and economic characters and susceptibility to insect pests. Nine accessions recorded a dry capsule yield of above 150 g per clump. Among these nine promising accessions, S-1 appeared to be the best for further breeding programmes in view of its higher yield, moderate incidence of insect pests and higher quality parameters compared to other entries. Accessions MBP (Multiple Branching Panicle) and CP (Compound Panicle) can also be used in breeding programmes in view of their higher yield potential. The entries PS-12 and PS-5 offer great scope in breeding for quality. &nbsp

Evaluation of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) germplasm

Seventy two cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) accessions were evaluated for 5 years at Pampadumpara (Kerala, India) for vegetative and economic characters and susceptibility to insect pests. Nine accessions recorded a dry capsule yield of above 150 g per clump. Among these nine promising accessions, S-1 appeared to be the best for further breeding programmes in view of its higher yield, moderate incidence of insect pests and higher quality parameters compared to other entries. Accessions MBP (Multiple Branching Panicle) and CP (Compound Panicle) can also be used in breeding programmes in view of their higher yield potential. The entries PS-12 and PS-5 offer great scope in breeding for quality. &nbsp

Evaluation of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) germplasm

Seventy two cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) accessions were evaluated for 5 years at Pampadumpara (Kerala, India) for vegetative and economic characters and susceptibility to insect pests. Nine accessions recorded a dry capsule yield of above 150 g per clump. Among these nine promising accessions, S-1 appeared to be the best for further breeding programmes in view of its higher yield, moderate incidence of insect pests and higher quality parameters compared to other entries. Accessions MBP (Multiple Branching Panicle) and CP (Compound Panicle) can also be used in breeding programmes in view of their higher yield potential. The entries PS-12 and PS-5 offer great scope in breeding for quality. &nbsp

High yielding nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) varieties: a farmer-centric research approach to select superior trees: High yielding nutmeg Varieties

A comprehensive survey was conducted in the nutmeg-growing region of Kerala state to locate superior clones of nutmeg, by employing Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) method. Twenty-nine superior accessions were identified through mother tree characterization for four consecutive years. The characterized clones were female and produced fruits ranging from 628 to 2250 tree-1 year-1, dry nut weight varied from 3.27 g to 15.37 g, and assorted dry mace weight varied from 0.35 g to 4.80 g. Genetic variability analysis revealed high heritability with high genetic advance as per se mean (dry mace weight 76.30%, dry kernel weight 71.37% and the number of fruits tree-1 73.24%) which signifies the advantage of simple selection method of breeding. Based on the economic importance of yield contributing characteristics, five superior clones out of twenty-nine mother trees evaluated have been released as KAU- farmer’s varieties. All the superior trees identified based on yield traits had appreciable quantities of volatile oil (1.63-12.25% in nut; 3.31-16.97% in mace), oleoresin (17.60-41.77% in nut; 13.00-30.50% in mace) and fixed oil (22.45-40.70% in nut) in their nuts and maces as well as myristicin, elemicin, safrole and sabinene in the volatile oils. The characteristic features of mother trees and released varieties are discussed in this paper, and further, these varieties are recommended for commercial cultivation under tropical moist, humid climate conditions. &nbsp

Tissue Culture, Genetic Engineering, and Nanotechnology in Bitter Gourd

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) belongs to the genus Momordica that includes 45 species. It is cultivated extensively in tropical, subtropical, and rarely under temperate climates. The plant is valued in various disciplines of life and natural sciences. It is extensively used for culinary purposes. Its extracts are important for the treatment of a number of diseases and ailments in traditional and modern medicinal systems because of the abundance of insulin-like peptides, a mixture of steroidal sapogenins and alkaloids. It is rarely used as an ornamental plant. There are very few reports on systematic research on agronomic, breeding, and biotechnological aspects that curtail the improvement of this crop plant. This chapter reviews available information on biotechnology in a bitter gourd that will help understand the current scenario and help in making plans for improvement of bitter gourd