Genomics-assisted breeding for boosting crop improvement in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan).
Pigeonpea is an important pulse crop grown predominantly in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Although pigeonpea growing area has considerably increased, yield has remained stagnant for the last six decades mainly due to the exposure of the crop to various biotic and abiotic constraints. In addition, low level of genetic variability and limited genomic resources have been serious impediments to pigeonpea crop improvement through modern breeding approaches. In recent years, however, due to the availability of next generation sequencing and high-throughput genotyping technologies, the scenario has changed tremendously. The reduced sequencing costs resulting in the decoding of the pigeonpea genome has led to the development of various genomic resources including molecular markers, transcript sequences and comprehensive genetic maps. Mapping of some important traits including resistance to Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic disease, fertility restoration, determinacy with other agronomically important traits have paved the way for applying genomics-assisted breeding (GAB) through marker assisted selection as well as genomic selection (GS). This would accelerate the development and improvement of both varieties and hybrids in pigeonpea. Particularly for hybrid breeding programme, mitochondrial genomes of cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines, maintainers and hybrids have been sequenced to identify genes responsible for cytoplasmic male sterility. Furthermore, several diagnostic molecular markers have been developed to assess the purity of commercial hybrids. In summary, pigeonpea has become a genomic resources-rich crop and efforts have already been initiated to integrate these resources in pigeonpea breeding.
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India.
Lekha
L
Pazhamala
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India.
Rachit K
RK
Saxena
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India.
Vikas K
VK
Singh
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India.
C V
CV
Sameerkumar
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India.
Vinay
V
Kumar
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India.
Pallavi
P
Sinha
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India.
Kishan
K
Patel
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India ; African Centre for Crop Improvement, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Scottsville, South Africa.
Jimmy
J
Obala
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India ; African Centre for Crop Improvement, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Scottsville, South Africa.
Seleman R
SR
Kaoneka
African Centre for Crop Improvement, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Scottsville, South Africa.
P
P
Tongoona
African Centre for Crop Improvement, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Scottsville, South Africa.
Hussein A
HA
Shimelis
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Nairobi, Kenya.
N V P R
NV
Gangarao
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Nairobi, Kenya.
Damaris
D
Odeny
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India.
Abhishek
A
Rathore
Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences Gulbarga, India.
P S
PS
Dharmaraj
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University Hyderabad, India.
K N
KN
Yamini
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, India ; School of Plant Biology and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia Crawley, WA, Australia.
Rajeev K
RK
Varshney
genetic variability; genomic resources; genomic selection; genomics-assisted breeding; marker assisted selection; pigeonpea