Vol. 12, Issue 5 (2023)

Author(s):
DL Parmar, Piyush Verma, SK Acharya and MK Sharma

Abstract:
Gene is basic unit of heredity, sequence of nucleotides in DNA. Plant breeding means the production of new crop varieties which are far better than existing ones in all aspects and improvement in the heredity of crop plant. Conventional breeding develops new plant varieties and seeks to achieve expression of genetic material which is already present within a species, through this unable to transfer only targeted genes and gene from micro-organisms. Advance method of breeding includes transgenic breeding, molecular marker breeding, gene splicing, use of recombinant DNA, forming of the monoclonal antibodies or PCR, combining multiple disease resistance (gene pyramiding), high yielding varieties and many more which can achieve through gene manipulation (genetic engineering). So it is important to know, How…? and What…? we can improve through gene manipulation. A plant in which a foreign gene from any organism has been artificially introduced through use of modern biotechnology or genetic engineering is called a transgenic plant which has desired traits and the gene is called Transgene. Molecular breeding may be defined in a broad-sense as the use of genetic manipulation performed at DNA molecular levels to improve characters of interest in plants. It also helps to make selection decisions before phenotypes are available. GM crops have been contributing to the reduction of CO₂ emissions by reducing use of pesticides spray, herbicide tolerant GM crops facilitate zero or no-till which results in saving of tractor and fossile fuel use. Most of the commercial vegetable crops have narrow genetic base in cultivated species. Therefore, in order to broaden their genetic base wide hybridization following biotechnological approaches should be used to generate genetic stocks with useful traits retrieved from wild relatives which could be employed for breeding desirable varieties/hybrids. Grouping of genotype based on genetic relationship, which may further used in development of improved cultivar.AVP₁-28 and AVP₁-31 are found to be resistant towards herbicide and drought, while BGAVP-18 and BGAVP-20 found to be resistant towards salt in bottle gourd. Papaya ring spot virus resistance in bottle gourd and Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus resistance in Luffa spp. identified towards particular disease.