1. KAUTIR (Kerala Agricultural University Theses Information and Retrieval)
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Item DNA barcoding in Abelmoschus spp.(Malvaceae)(Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture,Vellanikkara, 2025) Oliviya Regi.; Deepu MathewThe genus Abelmoschus, a member of the Malvaceae family, is reported to have 14 species worldwide. Of these, twelve viz., A. esculentus (L.) Moench, A. moschatus Medik., A. ficulneus (Linn.) Wight & Arn., A. manihot (L.) Medik., A. tetraphyllus (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Borss., A. crinitus Wall., A. tuberculatus Pal & Singh, A. caillei (A. Chev.) Stevels, A. angulosus Wall. ex Wight & Arn., A. enbeepeegeearensis, A. palianus and A. odishae, are reported in India, either as native or introduced species. The A. esculentus and A. callei are cultivated for edible pods whereas A. manihot is primarily grown for its consumable leaves, and A. moschatus is valued for the muskscented seeds. Taxonomic classification and species identification in this genus is often challenging due to their polyploid nature, morphological plasticity and intermediate crossability, all resulted through long cultivation and global dispersion. Accurate identification of species is extremely important in crop breeding programmes. DNA barcoding accurately differentiates the closely related taxa based on the nucleotide polymorphisms characteristically conserved for each in the candidate locus. The matK is one of the most extensively studied loci in plants, and has been shown efficient in many horticultural crops including Momordica, Luffa, and Mangifera. This study, "DNA barcoding in Abelmoschus spp. (Malvaceae)" was conducted at Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Kerala Agricultural University, and ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Thrissur, with the objective of generation of characteristic barcodes for different species in genus Abelmoschus using identified chloroplast genomic locus/ loci. The study included eighteen Abelmoschus accessions representing six species: A. esculentus, A. caillei, A. tetraphyllus, A. tuberculatus, A. moschatus, and A. enbeepeegeearensis. Morphological traits of each accession were also studied in detail to support the species identifications. The accessions were raised in the open field at ICAR-NBPGR, Regional Station, Thrissur during from mid-August 2023 to February 2024. Morphological characterization of six Abelmoschus species, using seventeen traits, revealed diversity in leaf area, pod length, trichome density, seed characteristics, and epicalyx persistence. These traits, assessed using IBPGR descriptors, provided insights into species differentiation and relationships within the genus. Among the species, A. caillei had the largest leaf area, while A. enbeepeegeearensis had the smallest leaves. The A. esculentus and A. caillei produced larger pods, contrasting with A. tetraphyllus and A. tuberculatus, which had shorter pods of less than 7 cm length. Trichome characteristics varied: A. esculentus and A. caillei had pubescent fruit trichomes, while they were short and prickly in A. moschatus, A. tuberculatus, and A. tetraphyllus, and soft and medium in A. enbeepeegeearensis. Seed morphology was distinctive in A. tuberculatus due to trichomes. The epicalyx was non-persistent in A. esculentus, A. caillei, and A. tetraphyllus, adding further differentiation. DNA obtained through manual extraction protocols has failed to amplify the matK gene in PCR reactions and hence good quality DNA was extracted from the tender leaves and seeds using commercial kit (CTAB plant DNA extraction kit). The matK gene from all the accessions was PCR amplified using a universal primer combination designed in this study. PCR products were cleaned up and paired-end sequenced on Sanger platform, sequence contigs generated using CAP3, submitted to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and barcodes were generated. Alignment of the sequences using MAFFT has shown species-specific nucleotide polymorphisms, with unique variations observed in A. enbeepeegeearensis and A. tetraphyllus. In A. enbeepeegeearensis, all the accessions had specific base substitutions at two positions: adenine (A) replacing thymine (T) at position 54, and cytosine (C) substituting for adenine (A) at position 289. Similarly, A. tetraphyllus exhibited a consistent variation at position 154, where C was replaced with A. These unique polymorphisms in these species are keys to precisely identify them, highlighting their genetic distinction, contributing valuable data to support future taxonomic and conservation efforts. To identify the unique barcodes to differentiate the remaining species of Abelmoschus, alternate chloroplast genes have to be studied. This is the first study on DNA barcoding in this genus and the findings have contributed to its taxonomic resolution. The findings underscore the utility of combining morphological and DNA barcoding methods for accurate species identification and conservation planning.Item DNA barcoding in Abelmoschus spp.(Malvaceae)(Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture,Vellanikkara, 2025) Oliviya Regi.The genus Abelmoschus, a member of the Malvaceae family, is reported to have 14 species worldwide. Of these, twelve viz., A. esculentus (L.) Moench, A. moschatus Medik., A. ficulneus (Linn.) Wight & Arn., A. manihot (L.) Medik., A. tetraphyllus (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Borss., A. crinitus Wall., A. tuberculatus Pal & Singh, A. caillei (A. Chev.) Stevels, A. angulosus Wall. ex Wight & Arn., A. enbeepeegeearensis, A. palianus and A. odishae, are reported in India, either as native or introduced species. The A. esculentus and A. callei are cultivated for edible pods whereas A. manihot is primarily grown for its consumable leaves, and A. moschatus is valued for the muskscented seeds. Taxonomic classification and species identification in this genus is often challenging due to their polyploid nature, morphological plasticity and intermediate crossability, all resulted through long cultivation and global dispersion. Accurate identification of species is extremely important in crop breeding programmes. DNA barcoding accurately differentiates the closely related taxa based on the nucleotide polymorphisms characteristically conserved for each in the candidate locus. The matK is one of the most extensively studied loci in plants, and has been shown efficient in many horticultural crops including Momordica, Luffa, and Mangifera. This study, "DNA barcoding in Abelmoschus spp. (Malvaceae)" was conducted at Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Kerala Agricultural University, and ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Thrissur, with the objective of generation of characteristic barcodes for different species in genus Abelmoschus using identified chloroplast genomic locus/ loci. The study included eighteen Abelmoschus accessions representing six species: A. esculentus, A. caillei, A. tetraphyllus, A. tuberculatus, A. moschatus, and A. enbeepeegeearensis. Morphological traits of each accession were also studied in detail to support the species identifications. The accessions were raised in the open field at ICAR-NBPGR, Regional Station, Thrissur during from mid-August 2023 to February 2024. Morphological characterization of six Abelmoschus species, using seventeen traits, revealed diversity in leaf area, pod length, trichome density, seed characteristics, and epicalyx persistence. These traits, assessed using IBPGR descriptors, provided insights into species differentiation and relationships within the genus. Among the species, A. caillei had the largest leaf area, while A. enbeepeegeearensis had the smallest leaves. The A. esculentus and A. caillei produced larger pods, contrasting with A. tetraphyllus and A. tuberculatus, which had shorter pods of less than 7 cm length. Trichome characteristics varied: A. esculentus and A. caillei had pubescent fruit trichomes, while they were short and prickly in A. moschatus, A. tuberculatus, and A. tetraphyllus, and soft and medium in A. enbeepeegeearensis. Seed morphology was distinctive in A. tuberculatus due to trichomes. The epicalyx was non-persistent in A. esculentus, A. caillei, and A. tetraphyllus, adding further differentiation. DNA obtained through manual extraction protocols has failed to amplify the matK gene in PCR reactions and hence good quality DNA was extracted from the tender leaves and seeds using commercial kit (CTAB plant DNA extraction kit). The matK gene from all the accessions was PCR amplified using a universal primer combination designed in this study. PCR products were cleaned up and paired-end sequenced on Sanger platform, sequence contigs generated using CAP3, submitted to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and barcodes were generated. Alignment of the sequences using MAFFT has shown species-specific nucleotide polymorphisms, with unique variations observed in A. enbeepeegeearensis and A. tetraphyllus. In A. enbeepeegeearensis, all the accessions had specific base substitutions at two positions: adenine (A) replacing thymine (T) at position 54, and cytosine (C) substituting for adenine (A) at position 289. Similarly, A. tetraphyllus exhibited a consistent variation at position 154, where C was replaced with A. These unique polymorphisms in these species are keys to precisely identify them, highlighting their genetic distinction, contributing valuable data to support future taxonomic and conservation efforts. To identify the unique barcodes to differentiate the remaining species of Abelmoschus, alternate chloroplast genes have to be studied. This is the first study on DNA barcoding in this genus and the findings have contributed to its taxonomic resolution. The findings underscore the utility of combining morphological and DNA barcoding methods for accurate species identification and conservation planning.Item Nutrient profiling of cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub] genotypes(Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2025) Chougule Shraddha Dileep.; Sarada, SThe present investigation entitled “Nutrient profiling of cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub] genotypes” was conducted at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, during 2022- 2024. The study aimed to analyze the nutrient composition in green pods of cluster bean genotypes and to identify the best genotype based on nutrient content. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with two replications comprising of twenty genotypes of cluster bean. Analysis of variance revealed significant difference across all the characters studied among the twenty cluster bean genotypes. The highest pod length, pod girth and pod weight was recorded in VRCB-10 (14.65 cm, 3.45 cm and 5.47 g respectively). IC-11463 was statistically on par with VRCB-10 for pod girth (3.40 cm). The highest number of pods per plant was recorded in IC-39986 (245.32). The highest yield per plant and yield per plot was recorded in KAU Suruchi (384.42 g and 7.72 kg), being on par with IC-39986 (376.36 g and 7.71 kg). The maximum crop duration was recorded in KAU Suruchi (152.50 days), which was statistically on par with IC-11463 (150 days) and IC-39986 (147.50 days). The maximum shelf life was recorded in IC-39980 (4.21 days). The highest moisture content of 86.49% was recorded in VRCB-10, which was statistically on par with IC-11463 (85.66 %) and GP-4 (85.49 %). The highest fat content of 2.62 % was recorded in Sikar. The highest carbohydrate content of 89% was recorded in IC-11463, being on par with IC-39981 (87%). VRCB-57 recorded the highest ash content of 7.77%. The highest crude fibre content of 15.71% was observed in IC-39984. The highest crude protein content of 22.78 % was recorded in VRCB-87, which was statistically on par with GP-8 (21.84 %), VRCB-10 (21.81 %) and IC-11463 (21.68 %). GP-4 recorded the highest β-carotene content of 59.50 μg 100 g-1. The highest vitamin B1 content was recorded in Pusa Navbahar (0.57 mg 100 g-1), which was statistically on par with KAU Suruchi (0.53 mg 100 g-1) and VRCB-10 (0.52 mg 100 g-1). 92 160 The highest vitamin B2 content was recorded in Pusa Navbahar (0.40 mg 100 g-1), which was statistically on par with VRCB-87 (0.38 mg 100 g-1) and GP-20 (0.36 mg 100 g-1). The highest vitamin B3 content of 8.22 mg 100 g-1 was recorded in KAU Suruchi, being on par with IC-39985 (8.14 mg 100 g-1). Pusa Navbahar (50.07 mg 100 g-1) recorded the highest amount of vitamin C content. The highest potassium content of 1.95% was recorded in VRCB-10 and KAU Suruchi. The highest phosphorus content of 0.20 % was recorded in IC-39983. IC-39981 (0.25 %) recorded the highest sodium content. The highest calcium content was recorded in IC-39980 (1.60 %). The highest magnesium content was recorded in GP-14 (1.69 %), which was statistically on par with GP-4 and VRCB-47 (1.68 %). GP-12 recorded the highest iron content of 503.50 ppm. The highest zinc content was recorded in IC-39981 (52.50 ppm). The lowest phytic acid content of 2165 mg 100 g-1 was recorded in IC-39983 and IC-11463. The lowest tannin content was recorded in GP-4 (119.58 mg 100 g-1), which was statistically on par with GP-20 (120.79 mg 100 g-1) and GP-19 (123.09 mg 100 g-1). Among the twenty cluster bean genotypes, VRCB-10 ranked first for appearance (8.91), texture (8.91) and overall acceptability (8.65). The highest mean score for the parameter colour (8.87) was observed in Pusa Navbahar. The highest mean score for flavour (8.79) and taste (8.89) was recorded in IC-11463. High genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were recorded for pod length, pod weight, pods per plant, yield per plant, yield per plot, fat, vitamin B2, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron and tannin. High heritability estimate was observed for all characters except sodium, i.e. pod length, pod girth, pod weight, pods per plant, yield per plant, yield per plot, crop duration, shelf life, moisture content, fat, carbohydrate, ash, crude fibre, crude protein, β-carotene, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phytic acid and tannin. High genetic advance values were recorded for several traits, including pod length, 161 pod weight, pods per plant, yield per plant, yield per plot, crop duration, shelf life, fat, carbohydrate, ash, β-carotene, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and tannin. Cluster bean genotypes were evaluated and ranked based on selection index score across 11 characteristics viz., carbohydrate, crude fibre, crude protein, β-carotene, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, potassium, calcium, iron and phytic acid. IC-11463 received the highest rank with a score of -1599.790, followed by IC-39983 (-1639.237) and Pusa Navbahar (-1716.217). Selection index was also calculated based on vitamin content, including β-carotene, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and vitamin C. KAU Suruchi ranked first with a score of 112.906, followed by Pusa Navbahar (107.798) and GP-4 (105.598). Selection index was also calculated based on mineral content (potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc). GP-12 ranked first with a score of 550.634, followed by Pusa Navbahar (528.024) and IC-39981 (414.179).Item Screening of Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) genotypes for resistance to powdery mildew disease(Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2025-05-17) Chethan, S V; Prasanth, KItem Evaluation of Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) genotypes for yield, bacterial wilt and leaf curl virus incidence(Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture , Vellanikkara, 2024-05-21) Suvarna, K; Anitha, PChilli is one of the important vegetable spice cultivated worldwide and is commonly referred to as red pepper or hot pepper. It is a crucial commercial crop utilized as a vegetable, spice, condiment and culinary flavour enhancer. Chilli is mainly used as culinary supplement to add flavour, colour and pungency. Chilli is an abundant source of vitamin A and C. Capsaicin and its related compounds present in the placental tissue of its fruits is used in pain relieve balms and vapour rubs. The green fruits of chilli stand out as one of the most plentiful sources of antioxidants. Despite its considerable nutritional value, widespread acceptance among consumers and extensive genetic diversity, achieving optimal productivity in chilli production remains a challenge due to lack of high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties or hybrids. In addition, diseases like chilli leaf curl virus and bacterial wilt are the most two important diseases affecting chilli production. In this context, the current study was initiated with the objective of assessment of morphological traits of chilli genotypes for yield to identify high yielding ones and to simultaneously evaluate these genotypes against bacterial wilt and leaf curl virus incidence. The present study was conducted in the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara during January 2023 to May 2023, using 31 chilli genotypes. The analysis of variance among the 31 genotypes of chilli revealed significant variations across all the traits. Genetic parameters such as Genotypic Coefficient of Variation (GCV), Phenotypic Coefficient of Variation (PCV), heritability and Genetic Advance (GA) were computed to assess the extent of variability. High GCV and PCV were exhibited by the characters like plant height, fruits per plant, average fresh fruit weight, average dry fruit weight, fruit length, fruit girth, pedicel- fruit ratio, yield per plant, bacterial wilt incidence, incidence of leaf curl virus, oleoresin content, capsaicin content, ascorbic acid content. The results indicated that the presence of a broad genetic base which will be useful in further selection. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was reported in most of the morphological and quality characters indicating that these characters are under the influence of additive gene action. Therefore, it is feasible to apply direct selection for improving these traits. Correlation studies indicated that fruit yield per plant was significantly and positively correlated with plant height, primary branches per plant, fruits per plant, average fresh fruit weight, average dry fruit weight, fruit length, pedicel length, oleoresin content, capsaicin content and ascorbic acid content. Interrelationships among plant traits is crucial for enhancing both yield and quality. Hence, simultaneous selection for these characters would be advantageous for enhancing chilli yield. Path coefficient analysis among yield and its constituent traits indicated that the fruits per plant, average fresh fruit weight, days to harvest, pedicel length, fruit girth and plant height showed direct positive influence on yield. Path analysis reveals whether the correlation between yield-related traits and yield is having direct effect, in which case direct selection for improvement is possible. From the present study, based on the path coefficient and correlation results the genotypes CA 1, CA 3, CA 6 and Ujwala were recognized as promising or advantageous. The 31 chilli genotypes were categorized into eleven clusters using Mahalanobis D2 statistic. Cluster I contained the largest number of genotypes (21), followed by cluster II, cluster III, cluster IV, cluster V, cluster VI, cluster VII, cluster VIII, cluster IX, cluster X and cluster XI which had one genotype each. The intra-cluster distance was the highest in cluster I, while the inter-cluster distance was the greatest between cluster IV and cluster IX. Hence, selecting genotypes for hybridization or developing hybrids, genotypes from these two clusters should be prioritized. The selection index for chilli was established based on the characters including fruit yield per plant, fruits per plant, average fresh fruit weight, incidence of leaf curl virus and bacterial wilt incidence. Among the genotypes evaluated, CA 3, CA 6, CA 1 and Ujjwala were identified as the top performers. Notably, genotypes CA 3, CA 6 and CA 1 exhibited superior performance in terms of yield and leaf curl virus resistance when compared to Ujwala.Item Standardisation of operational procedures for pro-tray seedling production of vegetables(Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture , Vellanikkara, 2022-01-29) Arya, S; Dicto Jose ,MHealthy seedlings are the most important prerequisite for any vegetable crop to reach its full output potential. As a result, large-scale seedling production is becoming a profession and a commercial activity. Farmers used to generate seedlings at a reasonable cost in nursery beds in the past. However, due to some drawbacks like poor germination, higher pest and disease incidence, poor field establishment etc. in traditional nurseries, many progressive farmers and agriculture entrepreneurs have turned their attention to the commercial production of quality seedlings utilising seedling trays or pro-trays. In this background, the present study entitled ‘Standardisation of operational procedures for pro-tray seedling production of vegetables’ was undertaken with the objective of standardising best growing media, pre-sowing seed invigoration, and evaluating the effect of biofertilizer on pro-tray seedling production of vegetables. The present study was carried out at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara as three experiments during 2020-21. All three experiments were conducted in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. In the first experiment seeds of tomato var. Anagha, chilli var. Anugraha, cucumber var. Heera, and okra var. Salkeerthi collected from the Department of Vegetable Science were sown in seventeen different media that were initially analysed for various physicochemical properties. The growth parameters of the seedlings raised in the poly house were assessed at the stage of commercial sale of each crop i.e., 15 days after sowing (DAS) in cucumber and okra and 30 DAS in chilli and tomato. The results showed that T13 (cocopeat: vermiculite: perlite - 1:1:1) and T17 recorded comparatively minimum bulk density, maximum water holding capacity and porosity which are desirable physical properties for good seedling growth. T17 (coir pith compost: vermiculite: perlite - 3:1:1) was found to be the best soil-less media for all four crops based on growth parameters and cost analysis. Among soil containing media T6 having soil and dried powdered cow dung in equal proportion and T10 having soil, cocopeat and dried cow dung exhibited a higher benefit cost ratio and was found to be on par with T17 for most of the growth parameters. Farmers do not have easy access to vermiculite and perlite, and they are costly. In this context, soil, cocopeat and dried powdered cow dung in equal proportion is found to be an alternate media comprising locally available inputs and affordable by the farmers. The best media from the first experiment was chosen for further trials. The second trial comprised of nine different seed treatments including various concentrations of KNO3 and Pseudomonas. Pre-sowing seed invigoration with 0.5% KNO3 in combination with 1% Pseudomonas was found to be highly effective in improving germination and growth parameters viz., germination percentage, plant height, root length, vigour index Ⅰ & Ⅱ and chlorophyll content of seedlings of tomato, chilli, cucumber and okra. This combination has the dual advantage of providing potassium and nitrogen to the seedlings and imparting resistance from diseases especially damping off. So, these treatments can be effectively utilized for producing healthy and vigorous vegetable seedlings. The third experiment included nine treatments in which different biofertilizers viz., PGPR Mix-1, Pseudomonas fluorescense, Trichoderma asperellum and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were inoculated in the media individually and in combination. Evaluation of the effect of biofertilizers showed that higher growth parameters like plant height, root length, leaf area, collar girth, vigour index Ⅰ and vigour index Ⅱ are comparatively higher in the treatment containing PGPR, AMF and along with either Pseudomonas or Trichoderma. In the above three experiments the best treatments were identified by ranking based on an index derived from principal component analysis. The characters viz., number of leaves, leaf area, collar girth, vigour index Ⅰ & Ⅱ and total chlorophyll content was used for performing PCA. The loadings of principal component having Eigen value more than one was taken as weightage. Using weightage, an index was derived and the treatments having higher index was ranked higher. The best media obtained include cocopeat: vermiculite: perlite (3:1:1) and soil: cocopeat: cow dung (1:1:1). A combination of 0.5% KNO3 and 1% Pseudomonas was the best seed invigoration treatment. Among different biofertilizers evaluated the combination of AMF, PGPR Mix-1 and Pseudomonas was found to be the best. Based on the insights of the above three trials, standard operational protocol for seedling production of tomato, chilli, cucumber and okra is generated for use by farmersItem Evaluation of cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. var cerasiforme) genotypes for growth yield and quality under protected condition(Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture,Vellayani, 2023-12-26) Naveen Kumar, M B; Nisha, S KThe study entitled ‘Evaluation of cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme) genotypes for growth, yield and quality under protected condition’ was carried out at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, from November 2022 to June 2023. The objective of the study was to identify cherry tomato genotypes with high yield and quality under protected condition. The experimental material consisted of twenty nine cherry tomato genotypes collected from different parts of India. Pusa Cherry Tomato-1 was used as standard check. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with two replications. Analysis of variance revealed significant difference among the twenty nine genotypes for all the characters studied. The highest plant height at 120 DAT was recorded in Pusa Golden Cherry Tomato-2 (257.17 cm) which was on par with Punjab Kesar Cherry (248.50 cm), Punjab Sona Cherry (244.33 cm), SLc-20 (242.33 cm), Punjab Red Cherry (239.33 cm), EC-549819 (238.67 cm), Pusa Cherry Tomato-1 (236.83 cm) and SLc-27 (235.67 cm). Lowest plant height (120 DAT) was observed in IIHR-2861 (109.67 cm) which was on par with IIHR-2857 (111.50 cm). The genotype EC-549819 recorded the highest number of primary branches per plant (15.00) and was on par with SLc-20 (14.00). IIHR-2857 was the earliest to 50 per cent flowering (20.00 days) which was on par with Punjab Kesar Cherry (21.00 days), SLc-22 (21.50 days), SLc-25 (21.50 days) and SLc-20 (22.00 days). The highest number of flower clusters per plant was observed in EC-549819 (47.17) which was on par with SLc-14 (45.84), SLc-16 (44.50) and SLc-20 (42.67). The check, Pusa Cherry Tomato-1 exhibited highest number of flowers per cluster (113.17). The highest number of fruits per cluster was recorded in Punjab Red Cherry (18.00) which was on par with the check, Pusa Cherry Tomato-1 (17.00). Punjab Kesar Cherry was the earliest to harvest (59.50 days) which was on par with IIHR-2857 (61.00 days), SLc-17 (61.00 days), IIHR-2859 (61.50 days), IIHR-2860 129 (62.00 days), SLc-25 (66.00 days), SLc-21 (67.00 days), SLc-14 (69.50 days), SLc 28 (70.00 days), Pusa Cherry Tomato-1 (70.00 days) and SLc-2 (70.50 days). The highest number of fruits per plant was observed in Punjab Red Cherry (173.00). IIHR-2862 recorded the highest fruit length of 4.40 cm, which was on par with SLc-18 (4.38 cm) and IIHR-2863 (4.27 cm). SLc-18 recorded the highest fruit girth of 4.58 cm. The highest fruit weight of 33.17 g was recorded in SLc-18 followed by IIHR-2861 (22.33 g) and SLc-27 (19.41 g). The lowest number of locules per fruit (2.00) was observed in EC-549819, Punjab Kesar Cherry, SLc-14 and the check, Pusa Cherry Tomato-1. The highest pericarp thickness was observed in IIHR-2863 (3.60 mm) which was on par with IIHR-2861 (3.55 mm). SLc-25 exhibited the highest 100 seed weight of 0.35 g. The highest number of days for final harvest was observed in Punjab Red Cherry (164.00 days). The highest yield per plant was recorded in IIHR-2863 (1.24 kg) which was on par with IIHR-2861 (1.21 kg). The number of fruits per kg was highest in EC-549819 (1605.67). The highest TSS of 7.35 0Brix was recorded in IIHR-2857 followed by Punjab Kesar Cherry (6.85 0Brix), Punjab Red Cherry (6.35 0Brix), IIHR-2866 (6.25 0Brix) and Pusa Golden Cherry Tomato-2 (6.20 0Brix). Lycopene content was highest in IIHR-2861 (9.51 mg 100g-1). The highest ascorbic acid content was recorded in IIHR-2863 (38.58 mg 100g-1). The highest reducing sugars was recorded in IIHR-2857 (5.92 per cent) which was on par with Punjab Kesar Cherry (5.63 per cent). Non reducing sugar content was the highest in SLc-2 (1.56 per cent). The estimates of PCV and GCV were high for plant height at 30 DAT, primary branches per plant, flower clusters per plant, flowers per cluster, fruits per cluster, fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit girth, fruit weight, locules per fruit, pericarp thickness, 100 seed weight, yield per plant, fruits per kg, lycopene content, ascorbic acid, reducing sugars and non reducing sugars. Moderate PCV and GCV were observed for plant height at 90 and 120 DAT, days to 50 per cent flowering, days to first harvest, days to final harvest and TSS. High estimates of heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean were recorded for all the yield components. Yield per plant exhibited significant positive correlation at genotypic and phenotypic levels with pericarp thickness, fruit length, fruit girth, fruit weight and fruits per cluster. Path coefficient analysis revealed that fruit length exerted highest positive direct effect on yield per plant followed by pericarp thickness, number of fruits per plant, flower clusters per plant, flowers per cluster and fruit weight. Sensory analysis revealed that Punjab Kesar Cherry ranked first for appearance and colour, whereas IIHR-2857 exhibited the highest mean score for flavour, taste, texture and overall acceptability. Based on the yield, quality and sensory evaluation, the genotypes IIHR 2857, IIHR-2863, Punjab Red Cherry, SLc-2 and IIHR-2862 were found best performing and suitable for growing under protected condition.Item Breeding for multiple resistant hybrids in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) against leaf curl viral disease and bacterial wilt(DEPARTMENT OF VEGETABLE SCIENCE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE VELLANIKKARA, THRISSUR, 2024-12-30) Divya, K Lekshmanan.; T, PradeepkumarChilli (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most economically important vegetable crops cultivated in warm humid tropics of India, but its production is hindered by various biotic stresses, particularly the diseases such as chilli leaf curl viral disease and bacterial wilt. These diseases are potential enough to drastically reduce both the yield as well as the quality of produce. The management measures are often ineffective in controlling the disease as the pathogen survives in the alternative host, plant debris or in the soil. Therefore, utilizing host plant resistance is the most viable and sustainable approach to manage these diseases. In this context, the present investigation entitled Breeding for multiple resistant hybrids in chilli (Capsicum annum L.) against leaf curl viral disease and bacterial wilt" was carried out at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, with the objective of identifying high yielding disease resistant parental lines and developing hybrids with resistance to both chilli leaf curl viral disease and bacterial wilt. The study was conducted in three experiments viz., evaluation of parental genotypes, development of F hybrids and evaluation of Fi hybrids for yield and resistant characters. Ninety-two chilli genotypes were evaluated along with the check varieties Anugraha and Ujwala for their resistance to leafcurl viral disease and bacterial wilt as well as for their yield potential. The genotypes studied exhibited significant variation for all the traits observed and some ofthe promising genotypes identified were LC 84 (plant height), AVPP 0512 (fruit set percentage), IC 363993 (days to first flowering and fruiting), EC 628901 (days to maturity of fruit), IC 561626 (fruit length), LC 111 (I) (fruit width), AVPP 905 (fruit weight), LC 10/2 (fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant) and LC 23 (dry matter content). High genotypic coefficient ofvariation and phenotypic coefficient of variation was observed for several traits, including fruit width, fruit wall thickness, fruit length, fruit yield per plant, fruit weight, fruits per plant, fruit set percentage, dry matter content, fruit bearing period, ascorbic acid content, capsaicin and oleoresin. Traits such as days to first flowering, days to fruiting, fruit width, fruit wall thickness, fruit bearing period, days to fruit maturity, fruit length, fruit width, fruit number, fruit yield, fruit set percentage, ascorbic acid, capsaicin and oleoresin exhibited both high heritability and high genetic advance. Hence, these chara cters can be im pro ved by selection as it show ed additive inherita nce. T he chara cters nam ely fru its pe r plant, fru it beari ng pe riod , fru it w eight, plan t heigh t and fru it set percentage show ed a signi fi cant positive dir ect infl uence on fru it yield per plant and sign ifi cant po sitive corr elation at the genotyp ic level. T herefo re, selectin g the genotyp es based on these tr aits w ould be effective in cro p im pro vem ent pro gr amm es targeting the yield. T he genetic diversity ana lysis identifi ed nin e distinct cl usters am ong the 94 genotyp es. C luster VIll , w ith 20 genoty pes, w as the largest and the sm allest w as cl uster IX w ith tw o genotyp es. T he sm allest inter cluster distance w as fo und betw een the clusters V II and vm, indicating close genetic relationships. The largest inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters V and IX, suggesting that genotypes from these clusters might provide valuable genetic diversity for breeding programs aimed at heterotic progeny. The genotypes were also ranked based on the economic characters to identify the best performers. In the field evaluation, twelve genotypes were found resistant to leaf curl virus and thirty-four genotypes showed moderate resistance to leaf curl virus. Whereas, for bacterial wilt, most of the genotypes were found resistant, it may be due to the lack of bacterial inoculum in the soil. Further, the genotypes identified from the parental screening were tested under artificial inoculation conditions to assess their reaction to both diseases. In the artificial screening, five genotypes were found resistant and five were found moderately resistant to bacterial wilt. With respect to leaf curl virus, ten genotypes were found moderately resistant, eight were moderately susceptible, and sixteen were classified as susceptible. Accordingly, the high yielding genotypes namely LC 10/1, LC 10/5, AVPP 0105, Ujwala, Chivar I and EC 566920 that got favourable ranking and demonstrated resistant reactions were selected as parents for subsequent hybridization programme. Eighteen F, hybrids were developed by crossing the bacterial wilt resistant lines vi:::., Ujwala, Chivar 1 and EC 566920 and moderately resistant leaf curl genotypes, LC 10/5, LC 10/1 and AVPP 0105 in partial diallel design and the hybrids were evaluated in open field and rain shelter for vegetative traits, yield, and disease resistance. Based on the per se performance in open field, several hybrids showed superior agronomic traits, such as Ujwala x AVPP 0105 for plant height, Chivar I x LC 10/1 for days to first flowering, AVPP 0105 x Ujwala for fruit length, EC 566920 x AVPP 0105 for fru it w idth, C hivar 1 x LC 10 /5 fo r fru its per plant and A VP P O 10 5 x EC 566920 fo r fruit weight and yield per plant. On estimation of heterosis in field evaluation, high estimates of Standard Heterosis (SH) and Heterobeltiosis (HB) was exhibited by the hybrids AVPP 0105 x Ujwala for fruit length, EC 566920 LC 10/5 for fruit wall thickness and Chivar 1 x LC 10/5 for fruit number. A high estimate of all the three heterosis was found in the hybrids, AVPP O 105 x EC 566920, LC 10/5 x Ujwala and LC IO /I x Chivar I for fruit weight and the AVPP 0105 EC 566920 exhibited highest heterosis for yield per plant. In rain shelter, the best hybrid found was Chivar l x LC IO/I for plant height, EC 566920 AVPP 0105 for fiuit set percentage, LC 10/5 EC 566920 for fruit length, EC 566920 x AVPP O I 05 for fruit width, LC I 0/5 x Chivar I for fruit weight, LC 10/5 EC 566920 for fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant. A high estimates of SH for fruit length, fruit number and fruit yield were exhibited by the hybrid LC 10/5 x EC 566920. While the hybrids LC 10/5 Chivar I exhibited high estimates for three types of heterosis for fruit weight. Combining ability analysis revealed that in open field, Ujwala and LC 10/5 were good combiners for fruit yield and fruit number per plant. Other good combiners included EC 566920 for fruit length and LC I 0/5 for fruit weight. In rain shelter, the parent LC 10/5 was identified as good combiner for fruit yield and fruit weight, LC 10/5 and Ujwala for fruits per plant, EC 566920 and AVPP 0105 were found to be good combiners for fruit length. The specific combining ability of the hybrids showed that significant positive SCA effects for fruit yield per plant was exhibited by the hybrid AVPP 0105 x EC 566920 (135.93) being the highest followed by Chivar 1 x LC 10/5 (72.42), AVPP 0105 Ujwala (57.49), LC 10/5 Chivar 1 (16.25) and LC 10/1 Chivar 1(15.54) in open field. While, the cross LC 10/1 x Ujwala showed the highest significant SCA for fruit yield per plant (70.49) followed by the crosses Chivar 1 x LC 10/5 (60.90), LC 10/5 x EC 566920 (57.67), Ujwala x AVPP 0105 (47.19), AVPP 0105 x EC 566920 (15.99) and Chivar I x LC 10/1 (14.91) in rain shelter. Four crosses namely AVPP 0105 x EC 566920 (21.46), Chivar 1 x LC 10/5 (17.25), AVPP 0105 x Ujwala (4.95) and LC 10/5 x EC 566920 (2.86) showed significant positive SCA for the trait fruit number per plant in open field condition and the crosses LC 10/5 EC 566920 (17.58), Chivar 1 x LC 10/5 (15.38), Ujwala x AVPP 0105 (10.54), AVPP 0105 x EC 566920(6.56), LC 10/1 x Ujwala (5.81) and Ujwala x 10/5 (5.55) showed significant positive SCA for fruit number in rain shelter condition The performance ofhybrids towards bacterial wilt resistance showed that three hybrids (LC 10/5 x Ujwala, AVPP 0105 x Ujwala and AVPP 0105 x EC 566920) were found resistant and five hybrids viz., Ujwala LC 10/5, Chivar I LC 10/5, Chivar I x AVPP 0I05, EC 566920 x AVPP 0105, LC IO /1 x EC 566920 were moderately resistant. No hybrids showed resistance to leaf curl virus but seven hybrids namely Ujwala LC 10/5, Ujwala LC 10 /1, Ujwala AVPP 0105, Chivar 1 LC 10 /I, Chivar I x AVPP 0105, LC IO /I x Ujwala, LC IO /I x Chivar I exhibited moderate susceptibility in both field and rain shelter evaluations to leaf curl resistance. Molecular characterization of the hybrids for disease resistance was done with the reported SSR marker CAMS 451 for bacterial wilt resistance and SSR markers viz., CA 516044 and PAU-LC-343-1 for leaf curl virus resistance after its validation in parental lines. The bacterial wilt marker was found positive in the hybrids Ujwala x LC 10/5, Ujwala x AVPP O I 05, Chivar I x LC 10/5, Chivar I x AVPP 0105, LC 10/5 x Ujwala, LC 10/5 Chivar I, LC 10/5 x EC 566920, AVPP 0105 Ujwala, AVPP 0105 Chivar I and AVPP 0105 EC 566920. The leaf curl virus marker PAU-LC-343-1 only showed polymorphism between resistant and susceptible parental lines and it was found positive for the hybrids AVPP 0105 Ujwala, Ujwala LC 10/5, LC 10/5 Ujwala, Chivar 1 Ujwala, LC 10 /1 Ujwala, Chivar 1 LC 10/5, LC 10/5 EC 566920, Ujwala x Chivar I, Ujwala AVPPO I 05, LC 10/5 Chivar t, LC I 0/5 x EC 566920 which indicated the presence of the leaf curl virus resistant gene though they were found moderately susceptible in phenotypic evaluation. Out of the eighteen hybrids evaluated, seven hybrids viz., Ujwala x LC 10/5, Ujwala x AVPP 0105, Chivar l x LC 10/5, LC 10/5 x Ujwala, LC 10/5 Chivar 1, LC 10/5 x EC 566920 and AVPP 0105 x Ujwala showed positive results for both bacterial wilt and leaf curl virus markers, indicating the presence of the respective resistant genes. In addition to their disease resistance, these hybrids also demonstrated superior field performance, making them promising candidates for further development. Therefore, the present study could identify high-yielding hybrids with improved resistance to bacterial wilt and leaf curl virus resistance. Several hybrids demonstrated high levels of heterosis for fruit yield which explains the dominant gene action prim ari ly infl uences th is tr ait. T he G C A an d SC A variances w ere signi fi can t fo r all the char acters exam in ed in the stu dy. T his highl ights the signi fi cance of both additive and non-additive vari ance in expressing these tra its, suggestin g tha t integr ated breedin g stra tegies such as hybrid developm ent and pur e lin e breeding should be em ployed to effectively harn ess bo th typ es of genetic variability . Th e pro mi sing parents identifi ed in the stu dy w ill se rve as valuable genetic resour ces fo r tra it-specifi c cro p im pro vem ent pro gra m m es in chili. T he identifi ed hybri ds can be fu rt her advanced to success ive genera tions to validate resistance and the supe rior hybri ds can be selected fo r advanced yield trials.Item Standardization of spacing and evaluation of nano nitrogen for yield and quality of cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.](Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture,Vellayani, 2024-03-02) Hrudya Ann Joy.; Sarada, SThe study entitled “Standardization of spacing and evaluation of nano nitrogen for yield and quality of cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.]” was carried out at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, during 2021 - 2023. The objective of the study was to optimize the spacing and foliar application of nano nitrogen in cluster bean variety KAU Suruchi for enhancing yield and quality. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with four replications. The treatments consisted of six spacings (S1 - 45 cm x 20 cm, S2 - 45 cm x 30 cm, S3 - 45 cm x 45 cm, S4 - 60 cm x 20 cm, S5 - 60 cm x 30 cm and S6 - 60 cm x 45 cm) in the main plot and four levels of nitrogen (i.e. N1 - soil application of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen, N2 - soil application of ½ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen, N3 - soil application of ¾ dose of RDN + 0.4% foliar spray of nano nitrogen and N4 – control) in the subplot. Observations on growth, yield, quality and microbial characters were recorded. Analysis of variance revealed significant difference among all characters except internodal length, node to first inflorescence, pod girth, shelf life and total sugar. The plant spacing of 60 cm x 45 cm (S6) and soil application of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N1) individually and in combination recorded the highest growth characters such as plant height, leaves per plant, nodes per plant and leaf area at 30 DAS, 60 DAS, 90 DAS and 120 DAS. The earliest flowering was observed in 60 cm x 20 cm spacing (S4) (25.37 days), which was on par with 45 cm x 20 cm (S1) (25.42 days), 45 cm x 30 cm (S2) (25.48 days) and 45 cm x 45 cm (S3) (25.54 days), and in soil application of ½ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N2) (24.67 days), which was on par with control (N4) (24.81 days) and in combination, in S4N2, ie. 24.33 days, which was on par with S1N2 (24.67 days), S1N4 (24.42 days), S2N2 (24.67 days), S3N2 (24.59 days), S5N4 (24.83 days), S6N2 (24.84 days) and S6N4 (24.67 days). 119 The plants spaced at 60 cm x 30 cm (S5) recorded the longest pod of 13.44 cm, which was on par with 60 cm x 45 cm (S6) (13.25 cm). Soil application of ¾ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N3) recorded the longest pod, measuring 12.74 cm, which was on par with soil application of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N1) (12.65 cm). Among interactions, S5N3 exhibited the longest pod of 13.90 cm, which was on par with S5N1 (13.41 cm), S5N2 (13.59 cm) and S6N3 (13.85 cm). 60 cm x 30 cm spacing (S5) and soil application of ¾ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N3) exhibited the highest pod weight of 5.50 g and 5.07 g respectively. The treatment combination S5N3 recorded the highest pod weight of 5.80 g, which was on par with S5N2 (5.69 g) and S6N3 (5.67 g). The highest number of pods per plant was recorded in 60 cm x 45 cm spacing (S6) (134.16), which was on par with 60 cm x 30 cm (S5) (134.09). Soil application of ¾ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N3) exhibited the highest number of pods per plant (116.29), which was on par with soil application of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N1) (113.22). Among the different treatment combinations, the highest number of pods per plant of 148.38 was recorded in S6N3 which was on par with S5N3 (148.07), while the highest number of pods per cluster of 10.83 was recorded in S4N3, which was on par with S5N1 (10.51) and S5N3 (10.76). The highest yield per plant and yield per plot was recorded in 60 cm x 30 cm spacing (S5) (423.81 g and 8.48 kg respectively), which was on par with 60 cm x 45 cm (S6) (420.08 g and 8.40 kg respectively). Soil application of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N1) recorded the highest yield per plant and yield per plot of 384.78 g and 7.70 kg respectively, which was on par with soil application of ¾ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N3) (383.74 g and 7.68 kg respectively). The treatment combination of S5N3 recorded the highest yield per plant of 452.63 g and yield per plot of 9.05 kg. The maximum number of harvests and the earliest harvest was observed in 45 cm x 20 cm (S1) which was on par with 45 cm x 30 cm (S2), 45 cm x 45 cm (S3) and 60 cm x 20 cm (S4). The earliest harvest was observed in soil application of ½ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N2) which was on par with control (N4). Among the treatment combinations, S6N2 120 recorded the highest number of harvests which was on par with S1N2, S1N4, S2N4, S3N2, S3N4 and S4N3. The maximum number of seeds per pod was recorded in 60 cm x 30 cm spacing (S5) (9.55), which was on par with 60 cm x 45 cm (S6) (9.38). Soil application of ¾ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N3) recorded the highest number of seeds per pod (9.62). Among different interactions, S5N3 recorded the maximum number of seeds per pod (10.02), which was on par with S6N3 (9.76), S5N2 (9.71) and S4N3 (9.71), while S4N3 recorded the highest value of 4.56 g for 100 seed weight which was on par with S1N3, S2N3, S3N2, S4N2 and S4N4 (4.56 g, 4.51 g, 4.49 g, 4.50 g and 4.44 g respectively). The treatment combination S6N4 recorded the highest ascorbic acid content of 48.99 mg 100 g-1, which was on par with S5N4 (48.45 mg 100 g-1) and S6N2 (48.30 mg 100 g-1). The plant spacing of 60 cm x 45 cm (S6), soil application of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N1) and their interaction recorded the highest crude protein content (26.37 %, 24.92 % and 27.92 % respectively), while S6N2 recorded the highest crude fibre content of 43.62 %, which was on par with S3N4 (43.28 %), S4N2 (42.98 %), S4N4 (43.26 %), S5N3 (43.46 %), S5N4 (43.02 %) and S6N4 (43.50 %). Among the interaction treatments, S6N4 recorded the more bacterial population (8.15 log cfu g-1), which was on par with S2N4 (8.14 log cfu g-1). The plant spacing of 45 cm x 20 cm (S1), soil application of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N1) and their interaction recorded the maximum fungal population (6.56 log cfu g-1, 6.53 log cfu g-1 and 6.80 log cfu g-1 respectively). The actinomycetes count was maximum in the rhizosphere soil of plants spaced at 45 cm x 45 cm (S3) and soil application of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N1) (6.61 log cfu g-1 and 6.54 log cfu g-1) and their combination (S3N1) (6.77 log cfu g-1). Soil application of ½ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen (N2) recorded the highest number of root nodules and effective root nodules per plant (17.17 and 14.67 respectively). Among the treatment combinations, S5N4 recorded the highest number of root nodules and effective root nodules per plant (27.25 and 24.75 respectively). 121 The results of this experiment suggests that plant spacing of 60 cm x 30 cm and soil application of ¾ dose of RDN + 0.4 % foliar spray of nano nitrogen is the best treatment combination for high yield and quality in cluster bean cultivation.Item Evaluation of F2 segregating population of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) for yield and resistance to leaf curl virus(Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2022-06-20) Archa, P S; Lekshmi, S LThe project entitled “Evaluation of F2 segregating population of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) for yield and resistance to leaf curl virus” was carried out at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, during summer 2021 to evaluate the F2 segregants of chilli crosses for yield and leaf curl virus resistance. In the present study two crosses viz., CHIVAR-6 x Sel-4 and CHIVAR-10 x Sel-3 were selected from the previous PhD research study conducted at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani. The F2 population comprising of 200 segregants from the two crosses along with their parents were raised and evaluated for various characters and incidence of leaf curl virus. The results revealed variability among the segregants for various characters studied. Among the segregants maximum plant height was exhibited by C-2-182 (146.00 cm). The segregants of first cross, C-1-19, C-1-37, C-1-49, C-1-111, C-1-125, C-1-127, C-1-130, C-1-140 and C-1-163 were the earliest to flower (32.00 days).The days to harvest ranged from 51 days to 58 days among the segregants of the first cross and 52 days to 58 days in the second cross. The fruits per plant was highest in the segregant C-2- 161 (160) and C-1-149 (103) from both populations. Among the segregant population, maximum fruit length was noticed in the segregant C-2-42 (10.16 cm) of cross 2 whereas maximum fruit girth was noticed in C-1-145 (5.03 cm) of cross 1. Fruit pedicel length was highest in the segregant C-2-68 (4.49 cm). C-1-70 recorded the highest fruit weight (6.21 g) among the segregant population of the two crosses. C-2-70 had the maximum number of seeds per fruit of 119.00. Among the F2 population, the highest fruit yield per plant was exhibited by the segregant C-2-161 (518.79 g) followed by C-2-168 (420.40 g), C-1-117 (374.18 g) and C-1-151 (363.00 g). The ascorbic acid content ranged from 36 mg 100 g-1 to 144.00 mg 100 g-1 among the segregants. The highest carotenoid content was observed in C-1-196 and C- 2-112 (275.67 mg 100 g-1). In the present study, the scoring for chilli leaf curl virus was done and based on the scoring the segregants were categorized into highly resistant, resistant, moderately resistant, moderately susceptible, susceptible and highly susceptible. The coefficient of infection revealed that both the F2 segregants and their parents displayed highly resistant reaction to leaf curl virus. Enzyme analysis assay for peroxidase activity ranged from (12-37) unit activity1min-1 g -1 among the population of the cross 1 and in cross 2, it ranged from (11-47) unit activity-1min-1 g-1. Phenylalanine ammonia activity ranged from (15.3 µg-1 g-1min-1) to (28.2 µg-1 g-1min-1) and from (12.6 µg-1 g-1min-1) to (15.4 µg-1 g-1 min-1) in cross 1 and cross 2 respectively. Polyphenol oxidase activity of the segregant population of cross 1 ranged from 19-32 unit activity-1 min-1 g-1 and in the segregant population of cross 2 it ranged from 14-23 unit activity-1min-1 g -1 . The highest percentage of positive segregants in the F2 population of the cross CHIVAR-6 x Sel-4 was observed for days to first flowering (78 %), yield per plant (52 %), fruits per plant (40.5 %) and seeds per fruit (34.5 %). In the cross CHIVAR-10 x Sel3, highest positive segregation percentage was observed for plant height (81.5 %), yield per plant (69.5 %) and fruits per plant (56.5 %). Principal component analysis was carried out for the quantitative characters. Out of the thirteen principal component axes (PCA)s extracted, six PCAs with eigen values greater than one were retained for both the cross which accounted for total variation of 64.07 per cent and 67.31 per cent in the cross 1 and cross 2 respectively. The first two principal components contributed major part of the variation with a proportion of 16.78 per cent and 11.79 per cent in cross 1. In the second cross first two components contributed 18.95 per cent and 12.66 per cent respectively. Based on simple correlation study for various characters with yield per plant it was observed that for the F2 population of CHIVAR-6 x Sel-4 significant positive correlation was observed for fruits per plant (0.718), plant height (0.292), fruit weight (0.286) and fruit girth (0.16). F2 population of CHIVAR-10 x Sel-3 exhibited significant positive correlation for fruits per plant (0.818), plant height (0.286) and fruit length (0.184) with yield per plant. In case of the parents of cross 1 significant positive correlation was shown for fruits per plant (0.406). The chi-square analysis for goodness to fit to various gene interaction ratios revealed that the segregating population of cross 1 fitted to the ratio 12:3:1 for fruit surface. The segregants of the cross 2, fitted for the ratio 3:1 for fruit shape at pedicel attachment, 9:6:1 for fruit shape at blossom end and 9:3:4 for fruit surface character. The chi-square analysis for leaf curl virus resistance revealed that the observed ratio in the segregants holds a good fit to the ratio 3:1. The test results shows that the genetics of resistance is governed by a single dominant gene in both the crosses. Based on the yield and leaf curl virus incidence, the segregants C-2-161, C-2-168, C-1- 117, C-2-10, C-2-154 and C-1-151 were found to be superior and are suitable for further segregation studies.