Mango (Mangifera indica L.) field gene bank (FGB) in Gurudas College, Kolkata-54

Mitu De,Sayak Ganguli,Susanta Ray,Ankush Pal,Suchandra Dhar,Subhasree Dutta,Santi Ranjan Dey,Gautam Kumar Pahari,Malay Mandal

doi:10.52756/ijerr.2019.v18.002

Abstract

Many important varieties of field, horticultural and forestry species are conserved as Field Gene Banks (FGB). FGBs provide easy and ready access to conserved material for research as well as for use. Plant breeders are in need of a continuous supply of diverse and novel genetic diversity to produce new crop varieties able to cope with the impacts of changing cultivation conditions and climate change. FGB is one of the options of a complementary strategy for the conservation of germplasm of many plant species. Murshidabad and Malda, the once famous districts for Mango (Mangifera indica L.) diversity, districts of West Bengal are now facing tremendous genetic erosion of the mango germplasm. The Field gene bank will be an ex situ conservation approach. 25 (Twenty five) mango varieties were collected from Malda and Murshidabad districts and cuttings transferred to Gurudas College, Kolkata 700054 for conservation as Field Gene Bank. The mango germplasm accessions were collected with the assistance of the West Bengal Biodiversity Board (WBBB). Some of the valuable mango varieties viz. Bimli, Churmur, Dobani, Do Phala, Golap Bhog, Golap Khash, Molam Jam, collected from orchards of Malda and Murshidabad districts. As a field Gene Bank these varieties are readily accessible and useable for characterization and evaluation. These field gene banks will aid in documentation of the rich mango legacy of West Bengal and help in mango crop improvement.

Highlights

The Field Gene Bank is useful for characterization and evaluation of plants and makes utilization of the germplasms easy
The field gene bank should be made self-sustaining by integrating with commercial fruit sapling nurseries, so that income can be generated to meet the cost of its maintenance
Unless the mango germplasm is conserved it will be futile to study about the genetic diversity of extinct mango varieties

Summary

Introduction

The Field Gene Bank is useful for characterization and evaluation of plants and makes utilization of the germplasms easy. Detailed and well documented information about the available genetic material together with a broad, well maintained varietal diversity are essential for breeding efforts This should include local varieties (Subedi et al, 2005a), which may have a low market, but high breeding value. In spite of many valuable morphological traits, genetic diversity conserved in local mango cultivars and in its exotic germplasm has not been assessed fully in Murshidabad and Malda districts either by using morphological characters or DNA-based genetic markers. Initial DNA fingerprinting of the mango varieties have started with germplasm collected from their place of origin (Pal et al, 2017) This recent documentation of the mango diversity from these areas show that the traditional mango varieties which are in general are low yielding are being replaced by new high yielding hybrids. Brand development of mango is needed in such a way that it would lead to integrated growth of that crop (Banerjee, 2011)

Materials and methods

Conclusion