Exploring underutilized chow-chow in Mizoram

B K Singh, K A Pathak and S V Ngachan

Indian Horticulture 57 (5): 3-5, 2012

E-mail: bksinghkushinagar@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

The chow-chow, a member of Cucurbitaceous family, is most popular vegetables in Mizoram. It is cultivated for its fruits, tender shoots, young leaves and tuberous roots. These economic parts are widely available in markets for almost 10 months in a year. The high nutritional and low-calorific value of chow-chow fruits make it suitable for hospital diets where the fruits can be used to supplement potatoes for diabetic patients. Mostly it is being cultivated on hilly terrain and vines are trained on permanent bower system, and even the hills having >100 % slope, where cultivation is not possible, is also under chow-chow cultivation. Its cultivation promotes permanent agriculture, reduces runoff and soil erosion, and conserves the natural resources. Chow-chow is a promising vegetable crop. It has good potential in Mizoram. The attractive fruits of chow-chow are waiting for their commercial exploitation for socio-economic upliftment of the people.

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Effect of transplanting dates on plant growth, yield and quality traits of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) cultivars

B K Singh, K A Pathak, K A Sharma and Manju Thapa

Indian Journal of Hill Farming 23 (2): 1-5, 2010

E-mail: bksinghkushinagar@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

A field experiment was under taken with objective to examine the effects of different transplanting time on growth, yield and quality of various cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) varieties and hybrids in mild-tropical climate of Mizoram. All the parameters under study were significantly affected by both cultivars and transplanting dates. Maximum yield potential of various cultivars was realised by transplanting of cabbage seedlings on 1^st December. The most compact head was observed for INDAM-1299 followed by Golden Acre, NS-160, KGMR-1 and lowest in Ryozeki. The head compactness is very important parameter which is directly associated with the transportability, marketability, shelf-life and consumers’ preference. The cultivars KGMR-1 and Golden Acre (both bred by IARI Regional Station, Katrain, Himachal Pradesh) showed better head yield potential, while KGMR-1 and Ryozeki produced higher plant biomass which could be use during summer and rainy seasons especially for leaf production.

Key words: Cabbage, cultivars, date of transplanting, yield, Mizoram

Enhancing production of Naga chilli (Capsicum chinense) in Mizoram under polyhouse condition

                                                            B K Singh

Agricomplex Newsletter 25 (2): 2, 2010

Email: bksinghkushinagar@yahoo.co.in

Two genotypes of Naga chilli were transplanted in polyhouse during Mid January at inter- and intra-row spacing of 75 cm. The polyhouse is cladded with 6 mm poly-carbonated UV stabilized sheet, 40 mesh nylon side-net and roof shading with 50 % green colour shading-net. The plant height varied from 2.5-3.1 m and number of fruits ranged from 109-175/ plant for total cropping season of 8 months. The average green fruit weight varied from 4.103-4.390 g. The fruit yield performance in polyhouse was realized excellent, i.e. 19.5 kg from an area of 25 m² (78 kg/ 100 m²).

Solanum macrocarpon: Leafy vegetable of Mizoram

B K Singh, K A Pathak, Y Ramakrishna, V K Verma and B C Deka

ICAR News: A Science and Technology Newsletter 16 (3): 5, 2010

Email: bksinghkushinagar@yahoo.co.in

Solanum macrocarpon (African eggplant/ nightshade) commonly known as Satinrem in Mizo language, had originated from the wetter parts of tropical and subtropical Africa; where wild and cultivated forms occur. In Indonesia and Malaysia, it is being cultivated from the sea level to 600 m; and it has been somehow introduced in north-eastern states of India. It is a glabrous, erect, branched, herbaceous, reaching up to 1.5 m with blackish-violet stem that is woody at the base. Its flowers are complete, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite and perfect. Anthesis occurs at about 5-8 AM. Fruits are light-green when immature and are yellow-brown at maturity. It is traditionally used as a leafy vegetable by Mizo community. Young leaves are usually cooked and used in curry, meat and soup. Leaves are first harvested after 50-60 days of transplanting. Its fresh leaves have 4.3% protein, 0.6% fat, 1.4% crude fibres, 1.3% ash and 89.7% moisture. Morphologically and biologically Solanum macrocarpon is very close to brinjal (Solanum melongena). And this can be used as a genetic resource for improving agronomic traits in brinjal. 

Stress tolerance in cabbage

B. K. Singh, S. R. Sharma, Chandra Prakash, R. N. Barwal and M. R. Dhiman

ICAR News: A Science and Technology Newsletter 17 (2): 2-3, 2011

E-mail: bksinghkushinagar@yahoo.co.in

            Production of deleterious reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen (¹O₂), superoxide radical (^●O^-₂), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), hydroxyl ion (OH^-) and free hydroxyl radical (^●OH) is one of the reasons for poor productivity and quality of the harvest under stressful conditions in cabbage. Plants possess well-developed defense systems against deleterious ROSs by limiting their formation and by triggering for their removal. If ROSs are not neutralized, they damage cells, causing susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses, yellowing and senescence. Pre-mature senescence leads to loss of vigour, productivity and quality of produce. Antioxidant enzymes- superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT)- have touted as beneficial for mitigating effects of oxidative stresses induced by ROSs. SOD, localized in cytosol, chloroplast, mitochondria and peroxisomes, accelerates the dismutation of ^●O₂^- to H₂O₂. POX, an iron heme protein, catalyses H₂O₂ reduction with a concurrent oxidation of a substrate, mostly located in cell wall, and is involved in the oxidation of phenol compounds towards lignin synthesis. CAT also catalyses H₂O₂ reduction to water and molecular oxygen, and is localized in mitochondria and peroxisomes, and absent in chloroplast. This study determined variability for enzymes SOD, POX and CAT activities, and their inheritance was studied in the cabbage samples harvested at the fresh marketable stage, frozen immediately in liquid nitrogen and placed at -80 ⁰C for assay. Enzymatic antioxidant activities showed 1.6, 12.8, and 18.2-fold difference for SOD, POX and CAT, respectively. Red Cabbage, 83-2, KIRC-1-1, ARU Glory, Kinner Red, MR-1, AC-208, Red Rock Mammoth, KIRC-8 and KIRC-1A showed higher activity of antioxidant enzymes. All enzymatic antioxidants expressed high heritability along with low genetic advance as percentage of mean indicated the predominance of non-additive genes, and provide good prospects for hybridization and hybrid breeding. The results indicate that breeding of antioxidant potential cultivars will enhance the stress tolerance ability of cabbage and will result in healthy plant stand, and thus eventually mitigate climate change effects in cabbage cultivation.

Genetic combining ability for concentration of mineral elements in cabbage head (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.)

B. K. Singh, S. R. Sharma and B. Singh

Euphytica 184 (2): 265-273, 2012

E-mail: bksinghkushinagar@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

Brassica vegetables are important source of dietary nutrition. However, information on the genetic combining ability of mineral elements such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, potassium and calcium or their types of genetic effects (i.e. additive or non-additive) is scarce but important as it influences the selection of parents and breeding approaches to be adopted for improvement of nutritional quality of cabbage. Therefore, an attempt was made to estimate combining ability in a line × tester (5 × 11) mating design for minerals. Significant mean square for line × tester interaction was observed for all minerals under study indicating the prevalence of non-additive variance; while less than unity value of σ²_gca /σ²_sca ratio for iron, zinc, manganese, potassium and calcium accumulation indicate predominance of non-additive gene action. The parents 83-2, Pride of Asia, Pusa Mukta, Red Cabbage and MR-1 were found good general combiners for four mineral elements. The general combining ability effects of the parents for various minerals revealed that none of the parents excelled for all the minerals suggesting the need for multiple crossing approaches. The cross 83-1 × AC-1019 (Poor × Poor general combiner) exhibits desirable significant specific combining ability effects for all six minerals might be due to presence of high magnitude of non-additive especially complementary epistatic effects which can be utilize for commercial exploitation of heterosis. This study shows clearly that specific combining ability is more important than general combining ability for predicting hybrid combinations for high mineral content in cabbage head.

Key words: Brassica, micronutrient, macronutrient, human health, biofortification. 

Combining ability for antioxidants and economic traits in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L)

B. K. Singh, S. R. Sharma and B. Singh

Indian Journal of Horticulture 68 (4): 490-497, 2012

bksinghkushinagar@yahoo.co.in

ABSTRACT

Fifty-five cross combinations along with their sixteen parents were transplanted in randomized block design to generate information on combining ability of antioxidants and economic traits in cabbage. The significance of mean squares of parents and line x tester interactions revealed the pervasiveness of additive and non-additive variance. Non-additive gene action was found to be predominant for carotenoid content, early maturity, frame spread, gross plant weight, net head weight, core length, harvest index, and head compactness, nevertheless additive genes were responsible for synthesis of ascorbic acid and expression of non-wrapper leaves in desirable direction. Golden Acre was found to be good combiner for seven economically important traits viz., carotenoid, earliness, net head weight, number of non-wrapper leaves, polar and equatorial diameter, and core length. Among 55 cross combinations, Pride of Asia × Red Cabbage, CMS-GA × AC-1019, CMS-GA × EC-490192, and Golden Acre × AC-1021 were most outstanding as indicated by respective high SCA effect. Majority of the cross combinations exhibited desirable SCA effects for various traits and involved at least one of the parents as poor general combiner, which signifies the greater importance of SCA than GCA in predicting hybrid combinations for desirable traits and scope for heterosis breeding for improving the traits of nutrition and economic importance.

Key-words: Carotenoid, ascorbic acid, cabbage, nutrition, GCA, SCA.