TECHNOLOGY MISSION ON COTTON MINI MISSION -I

MM1.6: Exploitation of apomixis and utilization of TGMS system in Cotton hybrid Seed Protection

Apomixis is the formation of sexual seeds without meiosis and fertilization of the egg cells. Understanding the phenomenon of apomixes and its application to crop plants is important and has great potential benefit for international agriculture. It is widely recognized that the transfer of apomixes to crop plants would allow for the fixation of hybrid vigor thereby promoting the efficiency of multiplication of hybrid seed from one generation to the next. Molecular mechanism underlying apomixes remain essentially unknown and no genes involved in apomixes have yet been identified from natural apomicts. Similarly discovery of environmental sensitive genetic male sterility in rice laid the foundation for replacing the three line system of hybrid seed production with two line system. This helps to overcome the problems of crossing for maintenance of parental lines, linkage drag due to transfer of sterile cytoplasm and low restoration. In cotton, genetic male sterile lines of G.arboreum sensitive to low temperature have been identified which need to be stabilized so that parental lines of popular hybrids can be converted. The present project is aimed at studying the phenomena and stabilizing apomixes and thermo-sensitive genetic male sterility.

OBJECTIVES

To confirm and study apomixis in tetraploid Cotton.
To stabilize apomixis in promising genotypes of Cotton.
To utilize apomixis for fixing heterosis.
To confirm and study TGMS system in diploid & tetraploid Cotton.
To stabilize TGMS lines.
To utilize TGMS in Hybrid seed production in cotton
Molecular analysis of TGMS plants.

Name of the Lead Center: CICR, Nagpur

Co-operating Centers: MAU, Nanded, UAS, Dharwad, NRCPB, Delhi, ANGRAU, Mudhol