Development of PR genes panel for screening aphid-tolerant cultivars in Brassica juncea

Abstract

The exorbitant yield loss incurred by Indian farmers every year (10-90%) in rapeseed-mustard (Brassica juncea) is chiefly attributed to the progressive infestation of mustard fields by Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.), a major insect pest belonging to the family of Homoptera. Currently there are no successful tolerant cultivars developed by conventional means in Brassica juncea with systemic plant responses in the form of direct or indirect defenses against aphid attack. Lack of specific methods for screening large numbers of genotypes required in breeding for selection of tolerant cultivars in mustard is one of the main causes of slow progress in developing resistant varieties of Brassica juncea. Traditional phenotype-based breeding has to be augmented with recent molecular approaches for potential genotype selection and cultivar development in Brassica juncea. In current study a pathogen-responsive gene panel was developed which could be used for expression-assisted breeding program in mustard for selection of tolerant types against aphid infestation, minimizing the huge crop losses suffered by farmers every year.

Screening of Brassica genotypes against mustard aphid under northern Indian Shivalik hill conditions

“…Especially, in case of rapeseed-mustard, it has occurred as the most atrocious insect-pest in the regions such as tropical and subtropical including India (Koramutla et al, 2016). This pest brings damage to plants by covering the entire flower bud, shoot and pod surface (Raj et al, 2017) at various stages such as vegetative, flowering, and also in pod formation stage (Taghizadeh, 2019). Commonly, sucking pest relatively become severe from the seedling stage.…”