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The study has been initiated with an aim to utilize cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) associated gene fragment marker to understand the marker flow in segregating population and nature of dominance of the marker. And further it was aimed to understand the best pollination time for the maximum fruit set and to economise the chilli hybrid seed production based on CMS lines. Hence, two CMS based high yielding hybrids, which were found to be much more potential than that of the non CMS based hybrids, have been identified. The CMS gene was dissected from one of the high yielding hybrid. The marker was successfully amplified in A line, F 1 and F 2 population with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product of 600 bp. The seedlings were transplanted at the ratio of 2:1, 2:2 and 3:2 sterile:fertile for natural pollination and 2:1 sterile:fertile for artificial pollination. The percent of fruit set was calculated without emasculation (CMS line) and pollination, and with emasculation and pollination, respectively. The maximum fruit set of 95.24% per plant was recorded when artificial crossing attempted between 10:00 am and 11:00 am using male sterile lines. While, 40% fruit set was observed in emasculation and pollination system. The maximum numbers of fruit set (351 and 75) were registered in JNA1 and ACA1 male sterile lines, respectively, thorough artificial pollination. However, the maximum numbers of fruit set (20.24 and 14.74) were recorded in JNA1 and ACA1, respectively, by natural pollination. Pollinating more number of flowers and fruit set success was recorded using male sterile lines than that of the bisexual plant in chilli.

A pot culture experiment on bio-hardening of the in-vitro raised plants of Bhagwa pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) was conducted to find out the effect of two commercially available bio-formulations containing Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Aspergillus niger strain AN-27. Observations on root colonization, population dynamics of microbes in rhizospheric soil, growth, physiological and biochemical parameters of biohardened plants were recorded at 180 days after inoculation. Results revealed that AMF colonization in roots of in-vitro raised pomegranate plants was found at par in plants inoculated with AMF (71.12%) and AMF + Asp (65.00%) the root colonization in these two treatments was significantly higher than Contral (10.00%). Population of Aspergillus niger in the rhizospheric soil was found significantly higher in soil inoculated with Aspergillus niger strain AN-27 (6 × 104 cfu/g of soil) as compared to non-inoculated control (2 × 104 cfu/g of soil). Significant improvement in plant height (27.0% increase), shoot fresh weight (24.8% increase), root fresh (23.3% increase) and dry weight (15.7% increase) was observed in bio-hardened plants than untreated ones. Physiological processes were also significantly improved by bio-hardening as AMF and AMF + Asp treated plants registered significantly better RWC (92.34 and 91.74 %, respectively) and photosynthesis (12.69 and 12.78 µmol CO2m-2s-1, respectively) as compared to control (87.76 % and 9.07 µmol CO2m-2s-1, respectively) and only Asp treated plants (89.99% and 9.70 µmol CO2m-2s-1, respectively). AMF inoculated and AMF + Asp treated plants registered significantly higher total leaf chlorophyll (2.97 and 3.14 mg/g fresh weight, respectively) and total phenolic content (53.00 and 52.50 mg catechol equivalent/ 100 g fresh wt., respectively) than the control and only Asp treated plants.