Current genetic research on groundnut in India

Abstract

The progress in genetic improvement of groundnut in India during the last five decades has been possible largely due to understanding and utilizing the information generated on the genetics of various characters of the plant. The current genetic studies on groundnut in India are carried out both on qualitative and agronomically important quantitative characters. Research accomplishments which are noteworthy in these areas have been reported in this paper. However, the genetics of several characters of economic importance has not been analyzed so far. Efforts to incorporate resistance to abiotic and biotic factors have gained momentum and a large number of resistant sources have been identified for each of these constraints. Additional efforts are expected to be made on gaining insight into the genetics of resistance to abiotic stresses and insect pests among biotic stresses, where the available information is meagre. Future studies are also expected to concentrate on unravelling the relationship of economic yield with various other characters, including the physiological and biochemical ones. Molecular marker techniques hold promise for genetic analysis of groundnut, as in other crop plants.