Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(4): 1514-1537 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 04 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.804.177 Study on Cross Compatibility of Intergeneric Hybridization between Carica with Vasconcellea Species Deepa U. Pujar*, C. Vasugi1, D. Adiga2, M.K. Honnabyraiah3, H.S. Vageeshbabu1, J. Jayappa3 and Kanupriya1 1ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, India 2ICAR-DCR, Puttur, India 3COH, Bengaluru, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Intergeneric hybridization was carried out to know the cross compatibility between papaya varieties (Arka Prabhath, Arka Surya and Red Lady) with Vasconcellea species (V. K e yw or ds cauliflora, V. cundinamarcensis and V. parviflora). Arka Prabhath was found to be a good combiner with all the three wild species (V. cauliflora, V. cundinamarcensis and V. Papaya, intergeneric parviflora) which has recorded good fruit set (85.42, 78.13 and 84.38 % respectively), fruit hybridization, retention (98.96, 83.33 and 73.96 % respectively) and more mean number of fertile seeds Vasconcellea, per fruit (63.99, 70.82 and 28.14 respectively). Among male parents, Vasconcellea. compatibility cauliflora was found to be good combiner with all three female parents (Arka Prabhath, Article Info Arka Surya and Red Lady) which has resulted better fruit set (85.42, 85.42 and 76.04 % respectively), fruit retention (98.96, 19.79, 43.75 % respectively) and more mean number Accepted: of fertile seeds per fruit (63.99, 11.00 and 4.50 respectively). Hence Arka Prabhath with V. 12 March 2019 Available Online: cauliflora cross combination was found to be good for intergeneric hybridization which 10 April 2019 has resulted in more mean number of fertile seeds (heterotic combinations) which ultimately helps in generating more number of intergeneric population for screening of papaya ring spot virus (PRSV). Introduction Papaya is a polygamous species with three basic sex forms as male (staminate), female Papaya with its botanical name as Carica (pistillate) and hermaphrodite forms of papaya L. belongs to the family Caricaceae, is inflorescence (Storey, 1938; Singh, 1964). It one amongst the economically vital fruit is a diploid species with a small genome of crops of both subtropical and tropical zones of 372 Mbp/1C (Arumuganathan and Earle, the world. It is basically a tropical fruit crop 1991) and nine pairs of chromosomes and believed to have originated from Mexico (Bennett and Leitch, 2005). The fruit of to Panama (Nakasone and Paull, 1998). papaya has high nutritive and medicinal value 1514 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(4): 1514-1537 (Azad et al., 2012) especially vitamin A species viz., Vasconcellea cauliflora, V. (2020 IU/100g). The proteolytic enzyme parviflora, V. cundinamarcensis, V. ‘papain’ obtained from raw fruits of papaya is candicans, V. quercifoliaand V. stipulata used for meat tenderization, wool pre- (Badillo, 2000). shrinking, chewing gum preparation, removal of gum from natural silk and in preparation of The symptoms of PRSV can be observed as many cosmetics. Papaya has been chlorosis, mosaic, water soaked oily streaks successfully cultivated in India, USA, on the petiole and the upper part of the trunk. Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Jamaica, Nigeria, Shoe string like symptom which sometime China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Phillippines and due to distortion of young leaves which look Thailand. like the mite damage symptoms similar to stunting of infected plants and flower According to recent past data, papaya abortion. This will cause decreased cultivation with respect area has increasing production as well as quality of the fruit as tend but with respect to production is stagnant decrease in sugar level by 50 per cent or more or the consequent production has not (Purcifull et al., 1984; Gonsalves, 1994). observed. This might be due to several factors of biotic such as diseases caused by bacterial, For the control of the disease caused by fungal, viral and phytoplasma and many pest PRSV includes control measures such as attack and abiotic factors such as drastic rouging or removal of infected plants, for variation in temperature, humidity, soil some extent cultural practices, cross moisture and irregular rains. protection and planting of tolerant cultivars (Gonsalves, 1994). Though these methods are In recent years, throughout the world, papaya found to be not successful in controlling the ringspot virus (PRSV) type P Litz, (1984) is disease and its effects. Hence remaining and the most destructive disease of papaya which best method is the development of virus is a perfect poty virus from poty viridae tolerant/resistant cultivars through (Shukla et al., 1994). PRSV is grouped into conventional breeding which can be two types as PRSV-P and PRSV-W. The consistent tool for long-term disease control. infection level is differing for both types as In this perspective, very little work has been PRSV-P infects both papaya and cucurbits attempted using genus Vasconcellea, which where as PRSV cannot infect papaya has the desirable gene for PRSV resistance. (Gonsalves, 1998).The incidence of PRSV has been reported to be more than 90 per cent Work on intergeneric hybridization for PRSV in India (Hussain and Varma, 1994; Chandra tolerance or resistance was carried out by and Samuel, 1999) and rendering papaya several workers, viz., Muthulakshmi et al., orchards economically unviable. Almost all (2007), Chan (2004), Magdalita et al., (1997), cultivated varieties belong to the genus Manshardt et al., (1995), Zee (1985), Conover Carica are highly susceptible to PRSV. and Litz (1981), however complete success However, much effort is being spent to has not been achieved so far and still a variety introduce resistant genes from wild species resistant to PRSV for commercial cultivation even though the resistance appears to be is lacking. Hence, work on intergeneric variable and depend on the geographical hybridization using commercial cultivars viz., origin of the virus environmental conditions Arka Surya, Arka Prabhath and Red Lady (Gonsalves et al., 2004). Resistance against with wild species viz., Vasconcellea PRSV was identified in genus Vasconcellea cauliflora, V. cundinamarcensis and V. 1515 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(4): 1514-1537 parviflora (after overcoming the crossability Arka Surya barriers using 5 per cent sucrose, pollen germinating media) could help in the An advanced generation hybrid derivative generation of progenies tolerant/ resistant to from the cross of Sunrise Solo x Pink Flesh PRSV. Keeping this information as a Sweet released from ICAR-Indian Institute of baseline, an objective was set to know the Horticultural Research. It is gynodioecious in cross compatibility between two distant nature, with medium sized fruits weighing genera viz., Carica and Vasconcellea for about 600-800 g. The pulp is deep pink PRSV tolerance or resistance. colour, free from typical papaya odour with high TSS (12-13˚B) and small fruit cavity Materials and Methods (Plate 2). The experiment was carried out at the ICAR- Red lady Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bengaluru located at 13º 58’ It is a gynodioecious F1 hybrid. The plants are North latitude and 78º East longitudes and at semi-dwarf, good yielding, fruits are medium an altitude of 890 m above mean sea level. to big size, pulp deep orange-red in colour The soil is red sandy loam with a pH of 5.2- and sweet in taste (Plate 3). 6.4. The maximum mean temperature ranges from 27.00ºC to 35.00ºC with a mean of Vasconcellea cauliflora 31.00ºC while, the minimum mean temperature ranges from 10.00ºC to 21.00ºC It is a wild species native to Latin America with a mean of 15.50ºC. The mean relative and dioecious in nature. Plants are semi- humidity, mean wind speed and total rainfall dwarf, bearing small fruits weighing 34-35 g, were 65.00 per cent, 4.38 km per hr and oblong-shaped, ridged and on ripening attain 478.70 mm resp. yellow colour but are non-edible. Seeds are having prominent spiny hairy structures with This experiment was carried out using three light brown colour (Jimenez and Horovitz, gynodioecious cultivars like Arka Surya, 1958). Plants are reported (Badillo, 2000) to Arka Prabhath and Red Lady as female be resistant to virus disease (Plate 4). parents and wild species like Vasconcellea cauliflora, V. cundinamarcensis and V. Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis parviflora as male parents. The brief descriptions of the parents used in the study The mountain papaya is native to Andean are as follows (Plate 1-6). regions from Venezuela to Chile at altitudes between 6,000 and 10,000 ft (1,800-3,000 m). Arka Prabhath It occurs as both monoecious and dioecious forms (Badillo, 2000). It grows on mountains An advanced generation hybrid derivative in Ceylon and South India. The plant is stout from the cross of (Arka Surya x Tainung-1) x and tall but bears a small, yellow, five angled Local Dwarf released from ICAR- Indian fruit of sweet flavour. The fruit is edible but Institute of Horticultural Research. It is highly rich in papain for eating raw. It is gynodioecious in nature, with large sized cooked as vegetable and is canned for fruits of 900-1200 g and with smooth skin. domestic consumption and also for export. It The pulp is deep orange red in colour with is reported to be resistant to virus disease and good keeping quality and high TSS (12-13˚B) frost (Jimenez and Horovitz, 1958) (Plate 5). (Plate 1). 1516 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(4): 1514-1537 Vasconcellea parviflora Statistical analysis This is native to Tropical South America and The data on seed characters were subjected to grown widely in South America. It is an Fisher's method of analysis of variance evergreen shrub, dioecious small trees (ANOVA) as given by Sundarraj et al., growing up to 50-200 cm tall.