Characterization of Okra Species, Their Hybrids and Crossability Relationships among <i>Abelmoschus</i> Species of the Western Ghats Region
Nanjundappa Sandeep,
Banur Marulasiddappa Dushyanthakumar,
Shankarappa Sridhara,
Lakshmana Dasaiah,
Kundur Mahadevappa Satish,
Ahmed M. El-Shehawi,
Mohammed M Althaqafi,
Salman Aloufi,
Hanoor Sharma,
Abdullah Alaklabi,
Hosam O. Elansary
Affiliations
Nanjundappa Sandeep
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Shivamogga, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga 577 201, Karnataka, India
Banur Marulasiddappa Dushyanthakumar
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Shivamogga, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga 577 201, Karnataka, India
Shankarappa Sridhara
Center for Climate Resilient Agriculture, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga 577 201, Karnataka, India
Lakshmana Dasaiah
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Shivamogga, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga 577 201, Karnataka, India
Kundur Mahadevappa Satish
Department of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shivamogga, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga 577 201, Karnataka, India
Ahmed M. El-Shehawi
Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed M Althaqafi
Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Salman Aloufi
Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Hanoor Sharma
Microbiology and Immunology Department, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 3640, USA
Abdullah Alaklabi
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Bisha, P.O. Box 551, Bisha 61922, Saudi Arabia
Hosam O. Elansary
Plant Production Department, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Wild relatives of okra represent a good source of variation for breeding programs, particularly for traits related to biotic and abiotic stresses and fruit quality. However, wild species remain largely unexploited for okra breeding. The cultivated okra accession Abelmoschus esculentus cv. ‘Arka Anamika’ was crossed with three wild accessions: Abelmoschus manihot, Abelmoschus ficulens and Abelmoschus moschatus. The crossability was estimated based on fruit set, seed set and germination rate. The results of cross compatibility studies revealed that the crosses are compatible only when cultivated A. esculentus is used as a female, and reciprocal crosses were not successful in any of the three wild species. Higher fruit set (87.2%) and seed germination (92%) were obtained from the crosses ‘Arka Anamika’ × Abelmoschus manihot. The interspecific F1s exhibited normal growth, flowering and fruit formation, but the hybrids were completely sterile on selfing due to abnormal meiosis. Characterization of the parents and interspecific hybrids revealed that the interspecific hybrids were generally more vigorous than the parents and displayed greater alliance towards their wild parent. The sterile F1s were further treated with 0.1% colchicine to restore fertility. The three interspecific crosses showed considerable differences in mean performance and heterosis over mid parent and better parent. The cross ‘A. Anamika’ × A. manihot displayed positive heterosis over mid parent and better parent for the yield traits, viz., fruit yield per plant, number of fruits per plant, number of primary branches per plant and plant height. The information obtained in the study on crossability relationship, phenotypic characterization and heterosis in interspecific hybrids will assist breeders in the development of prebreeding material.
