Indian spinach (Basella spp. L.) is an underutilized and underexploited indigenous leafy vegetable which has high nutritional and medicinal value and extensively used in the sub-continent. Landrace germplasm is endowed with rich genetic variability for various yield and quality traits. A total of six accessions collected through an exploration during 2010 were pre-bred by selfing during the October-January cropping season in 2011. These landraces were evaluated in a randomized block design with four replications in June-September, 2012 at Vegetable Research Station, Dr. Y. S. R. Horticultural University, Rajendranagar to assess the genetic diversity, variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and its components in the material. Multivariate analysis following Ward's minimum variance-method revealed distinct clustering pattern. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among all genotypes for all the studied traits indicating considerable variability among ecotypes for most of the measured parameters. There was significant variability for genetic potential of all genotypes for different traits under study. The highest variability at genotypic level was observed for stalk yield (73.95%) followed by leaf-stalk ratio (46.70%) and weight of tender shoot (41.25%). Low to high estimates of broad sense heritability were found in different traits. High estimates of heritability (>60%) coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean (>20%) for petiole length, internodal length, weight of tender shoot, stalk yield, leaf-stalk ratio and harvest index revealed that most likely the heritability is due to additive gene effects and selection may be effective.

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Ceylon spinach (Basella alba L.) is a traditional leafy vegetable of multiple virtues largely underutilized and underexploited in India. Currently, it is of increasing value and utilization necessitating extending its cultivation for increased production by identifying potential areas through crop modeling. Mapping the potential pockets is an iterative process and this study is the first attempt to model state-wise climate suitability for Ceylon spinach cultivation in India. Geographical information on the current cultivation sites of Ceylon spinach together with bioclimatic variables, the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model were used to analyze and predict its distribution and to develop preliminary habitat suitability map for Ceylon spinach in India. The results show that the MaxEnt model can be used to study the climatic suitability for Ceylon spinach cultivation. The most suitable area identified in this study is slightly southward which includes parts of Tamilnadu,

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