Browsing by Author "Devadas, K."

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    Diversity in Mohachao Narel, a Sweet Endosperm Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Population from Maharashtra, India
    (2013-06) Samsudeen, K.; Rajesh, M.K.; Nagwaker, D.D.; Reshmi Raghavan; Ajith Kumar, P.; Devadas, K.; Anitha Karun
    Mohachao Narel, a coconut variant characterized by sweet and soft kernel with less fibre content, has been reported from Guhaghar taluk of Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra State in India. Farmers of the area get a premium price for sweet endosperm nuts and the sweet kernel is mainly consumed directly. A total of 28 mother palms possessing nuts with sweet kernel have been identified in these areas. The number of nuts with sweet endosperm per bunch varies from 10 to 77 percent in these 28 palms. In this study, 12 palm characters including vegetative as well as reproductive characters, 14 fruit characters and 14 SSR loci, distributed uniformly throughout the coconut genome, were used to assess the genetic diversity of these palms. Palms exhibited 18 and 33 % coefficient of variation in vegetative and reproductive characters respectively. In the case of vegetative characters, highest variation was detected in plant height followed by number of leaf scars per meter. Among the reproductive characters, number of female flowers per bunch possessed highest amount of variation followed by number of nuts per bunch. Among the 14 fruit characters studied, high variation was observed in the weight of embryo, husk weight, copra weight and oil content. The 14 SSR loci detected a total of 35 alleles with an average of 2.5 alleles per primer. All the primers were 100 % polymorphic. The analysis microsatellite revealed that palms of sweet kernel type had only 45 % similarity among them indicating the existence of a high level of genetic diversity between the palms. The results can pave the way for devising strategies for conservation and management of the sweet kernel coconut population and their use in future breeding programmes.
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    In situ approach for rapid characterization to aid on farm conservation of coconut germplasm - A case study of two ecotypes from West coast of India
    (2013-12) Samsudeen, K.; Thamban, C.; Niral, V.; Augustine Jerard, B.; Rajesh, M.K.; Manjula, C.; Devadas, K.; Anitha Karun
    Characterization and evaluation of coconut germplasm have conventionally been undertaken in ex situ gene banks, which take a minimum duration of fifteen years. On the other hand, utilization of coconut populations in situ can effectively reduce the time required for characterization of the populations. Hence, a concept to make a paradigm shift in the existing approach of coconut germplasm characterization is advocated in this study with a view to broaden the conservation base and facilitate inclusion of identified diverse ecotypes. The methodology has been applied to identify, locate and characterize two tall coconut ecotypes viz., Bedakam and Kuttiyadi, from northern Kerala. Agronomic traits, viz., higher number of nuts per palm, higher copra content and better performance under marginal management conditions along with adaptation to the environment, were the major reasons for preference of these ecotypes among the farmers. Comparison of the two ecotypes revealed that the traits, trunk girth, length of internode, number of leaves, number of bunches with nuts, number of nuts, shell weight, husked fruit weight and fruit weight were higher in Kuttiyadi than in Bedakam ecotype. On the other hand, number of leaf scars per meter, length of inflorescence, fruit breadth, husk weight, nut cavity volume and copra weight were higher in Bedakam compared to Kuttiyadi ecotype. Relevance, utility and importance of the study are discussed from the perspective of effective utilization of the coconut diversity in situ and their possible further use in coconut improvement efforts through conservation strategies.
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    Popular Coconut Cultivars of Goa
    (2000) Ratnambal, M.J.; Krishnan, M.; Devadas, K.
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    A study on sprouting, sprout elongation rates and seedling characters in selected coconut varieties
    (2012-11) Yashashwini, N.; Niral, V.; Augustine Jerard, B.; Samsudeen, K.; Devadas, K.