Major Interventions for Fruit-Crop Improvement and Production
1. Crop Improvement
1.a. Development and Exploitation of high yielding varieties
Temperate fruit crops have been commercially exploited in
Europe, America, Australia etc where the work on improvement is in very
advanced stage and they were able to evolve several high yielding
varieties having better quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Besides varieties, they also bread several rootstocks having short juvenile
phase and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Looking at changing
climatic scenario and consumers demand for diversified products, the new
superior varieties and root stocks from advance countries need to be
introduced and popularized besides having our strong breeding
programme for development of efficient varieties for yield, quality shelf life
tolerance etc for slowly replacing old varieties and bringing drastic
improvement in temperate fruit production, scenario.
1.b. Exploitation of rootstocks
In temperate fruits most of the plantations are of seedling origin
resulting in the low productivity. These seedling trees have long juvenile
period and start bearing after 7-8 years in pome and stone fruits and 10-
12 years in walnuts with the result, growers have to wait for long period
for their commercial bearing. But during last 4-5 decades a good number
of clonal rootstocks have been identified and developed in advanced
countries having very short juvenile period (2-3 Years) with resistant to
biotic and abiotic stresses in various crops. In view of the importance of
these clonal rootstocks, there to commercialization particularly for high
density orcharding and for overcoming biotic and abiotic stresses. Their
multiplication and distribution need to be given priority. In crops like
walnut, almond, apricot no standard rootstocks are available which need
to be identified for shortening juvenile period and bringing uniformity
under intensive high density cropping system.
1.c. Biotechnology in Crop Improvement
Although conventional plant breeding techniques have made
considerable progress in the development of improved varieties, they have
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1. Crop Improvement
1.a. Development and Exploitation of high yielding varieties
Temperate fruit crops have been commercially exploited in
Europe, America, Australia etc where the work on improvement is in very
advanced stage and they were able to evolve several high yielding
varieties having better quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Besides varieties, they also bread several rootstocks having short juvenile
phase and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Looking at changing
climatic scenario and consumers demand for diversified products, the new
superior varieties and root stocks from advance countries need to be
introduced and popularized besides having our strong breeding
programme for development of efficient varieties for yield, quality shelf life
tolerance etc for slowly replacing old varieties and bringing drastic
improvement in temperate fruit production, scenario.
1.b. Exploitation of rootstocks
In temperate fruits most of the plantations are of seedling origin
resulting in the low productivity. These seedling trees have long juvenile
period and start bearing after 7-8 years in pome and stone fruits and 10-
12 years in walnuts with the result, growers have to wait for long period
for their commercial bearing. But during last 4-5 decades a good number
of clonal rootstocks have been identified and developed in advanced
countries having very short juvenile period (2-3 Years) with resistant to
biotic and abiotic stresses in various crops. In view of the importance of
these clonal rootstocks, there to commercialization particularly for high
density orcharding and for overcoming biotic and abiotic stresses. Their
multiplication and distribution need to be given priority. In crops like
walnut, almond, apricot no standard rootstocks are available which need
to be identified for shortening juvenile period and bringing uniformity
under intensive high density cropping system.
1.c. Biotechnology in Crop Improvement
Although conventional plant breeding techniques have made
considerable progress in the development of improved varieties, they have
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