Current status of coconut genetic resources research in India
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Date
2007-02-08
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Abstract
In India coconut germplasm collection programme dates back to 1924, when some cultivars were introduced mainly from important coconut producing countries in Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands. These introductions formed the nucleus material for the crop improvement research programmes. Subsamples generated by collecting both open-pollinated and selfed seeds were assembled at Kasaragod in the forties which at present can be considered as the main germplasm holding.
In the early fifties, systematic introductions of exotic germplasm as well as indigenous collections were undertaken. The present holding of 86 exotic and 40 indigenous accessions planted at Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod and World Coconut Germplasm Centre, Andamans forms probably the largest collection in the world. These collections comprise 102 tails and 24 dwarfs, with two accessions classified as semi-tails and one MAW A hybrid introduced from Ivory Coast. While the introductions were limited to few seednuts in each accession, the exotic collection from South Pacific consisted of 100 seednuts each. A limited number of subsamples of germplasm accessions (distinct types) are also being maintained in Agricultural University Research Centres in different coconut growing states. Efforts were made to characterise the germplasm based on the fruit component analysis. Characterisation of indigenous tall types also enabled identification of distinct indigenous types both in respect of morphological characters and fruit components. Efforts made in evaluation indicated the possibility of identifying the elite types by correlating the initial years yield with the stabilised yield.
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In : Advances in Coconut Research and Development 1993 (Eds.)MK Nair, HH Khan; P Gopalasundaram ; EVV Bhaskara Rao, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. New Delhi, 759 p(International symposium on Coconut Research and Development (ISOCRAD*II), 26-29 November 1991, CPCRI, Kasaragod) 15-22