Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Innovative Technologies for Quality Seed Production and Vegetative Multiplication in Forage Grasses


Affiliations
1 Division of Seed Technology, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi 284 003, India
2 Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow 226 002, India
 

India is facing a shortage of green fodder, dry crop residues and concentrates. The increase in area under fodder crops seems difficult owing to competition from food crops. Hence, utilization of non-cultivable areas for pastures and introducing high biomass producing forages in cultivable lands appear as the viable option. However, the major constraint in revitalizing 85 m ha of denuded grasslands/forest wastelands is the availability of good quality seed and/or planting material. The present article describes the development of technologies for multiplication of seed and planting material in Bajra-Napier hybrid, Deenanath grass and Guinea grass. The in vitro ischolar_maining of stem cuttings and rapid multiplication of Bajra-Napier hybrid ischolar_mained slips using high-density stem cutting nursery were developed to reduce the time and space constraints for multiplication and transport of ischolar_mained slips. The innovative defluffing technique helps in extracting the caryopsis from the fluffy seed material of Deenanath grass and significantly reduces the volume. The naked seed so produced is good for pelleting and precise sowing. The in vitro maturation of panicles and application of indoleacetic acid during pre-anthesis stage in Guinea grass have resulted in increased seed set and germination respectively. All these innovative technologies are cost-effective, simple and can boost the grass seed and planting material production which otherwise is miniscule compared to the demand. These techniques are in way to solve the myriad problems of grass seed production and multiplication of planting material.

Keywords

BN Hybrid, Defluffing, Deenanath Grass, Guinea Grass, High Density Nursery, In Vitro Maturation.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Anon., Report of the working group on animal husbandry and dairying, 12th Five Year Plan (2012–17), 2011, p. 128.

  • Anon., IGFRI Vision 2050. Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, 2013, p. 25.

  • Parihar, S. S., Status of seed science research in tropical range grasses and future needs. Range Manage. Agrofor., 2010, 31, 79–86.

  • Malaviya, D. R., Vijay, D., Gupta, C. K., Roy, A. K. and Kaushal, P., Quality seed production of range grasses – a major constraint in revitalizing tropical pastures. Trop. Grassl.-Forrajes Tropic., 2013, 1, 97–98.

  • Anon., IGFRI Vision 2030. Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, 2011, p. 48.

  • Vijay, D., Vikas Kumar and Malaviya, D. R., Current status and future strategies for forage crop seed production. In Compendium of Lectures, Model Training Course on Fodder Crops for Climate Resilient Agriculture (eds Srivastava, M. K. et al.), IGFRI, Jhansi, 2013, p. 180.

  • International Rules for Seed Testing, International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), Zurich, Switzerland, 2011.

  • Snedecor, G. W. and Cochran, W. G., Statistical Methods, East-West Press Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, 1994, 8th edn, p. 503.

  • Techio, V. H., Davide, L. C. and Vander Pereira, A., Meiosis in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) (Poaceae, Poales) and their interspecific hybrids. Genet. Mol. Biol., 2006, 29, 353–362.

  • Vasil, V. and Vasil, I. K., Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from tissue cultures of Pennisetum americanum and P. americanum x P. purpureum hybrid. Am. J. Bot., 1981, 68, 864–872.

  • Bhat, R. S. and Kuruvinashetti, M. S., Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in hybrid Pennisetum. Karnataka J. Agric. Sci., 2000, 13(2), 436–438.

  • Faleiro, F. G., Kannan, B. and Altpeter, F., Regeneration of fertile, hexaploid, interspecific hybrids of elephant grass and pearl millet following treatment of embryogenic calli with antimitotic agents. Plant Cell Tiss. Org., 2016, 124(1), 57–67; doi:10.1007/s1124-0015-0874-4.

  • Khan, A. M. and Syed, E. A., Investigations on methods of propagation on Napier grass-bajra hybrid. W. Pakistan J. Agric. Res., 1970, 8, 152–156.

  • Tunwar, N. S. and Singh, S. V., Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards. The Central Seed Certification Board, Department of Agriculture, New Delhi, 1988, p. 388.

  • Bahukhandi, D., Malaviya, D. R. and Pandey, H. C., X-ray radiography a quick method for determining the seed filling in grasses. Range Manage. Agrofor., 2011, 32, 141–143.

  • Humphreys, L. R. and Riveros, F., Tropical Pasture Seed Production, FAO, Rome, 1998, p. 116.

  • Abad, M. and Monteiro, A. A., The use of auxins for the production of greenhouse tomatoes in mild-winter conditions: a review. Sci. Hort., 1989, 38, 167–192.

  • Cucinotta, M., Colombo, L. and Roig-villanova, L., Ovule development, a new model for lateral organ formation. Front. Plant Sci., 2014, 5, 117(1–2).

  • Wu Miin-Feng, Qing Tian and Jason, W. Reed, Arabidopsis microRNA167 controls patterns of ARF6 and ARF8 expression, and regulates both female and male reproduction. Development, 2006, 133, 4211–4218.


Abstract Views: 464

PDF Views: 138




  • Innovative Technologies for Quality Seed Production and Vegetative Multiplication in Forage Grasses

Abstract Views: 464  |  PDF Views: 138

Authors

D. Vijay
Division of Seed Technology, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi 284 003, India
C. K. Gupta
Division of Seed Technology, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi 284 003, India
D. R. Malaviya
Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow 226 002, India

Abstract


India is facing a shortage of green fodder, dry crop residues and concentrates. The increase in area under fodder crops seems difficult owing to competition from food crops. Hence, utilization of non-cultivable areas for pastures and introducing high biomass producing forages in cultivable lands appear as the viable option. However, the major constraint in revitalizing 85 m ha of denuded grasslands/forest wastelands is the availability of good quality seed and/or planting material. The present article describes the development of technologies for multiplication of seed and planting material in Bajra-Napier hybrid, Deenanath grass and Guinea grass. The in vitro ischolar_maining of stem cuttings and rapid multiplication of Bajra-Napier hybrid ischolar_mained slips using high-density stem cutting nursery were developed to reduce the time and space constraints for multiplication and transport of ischolar_mained slips. The innovative defluffing technique helps in extracting the caryopsis from the fluffy seed material of Deenanath grass and significantly reduces the volume. The naked seed so produced is good for pelleting and precise sowing. The in vitro maturation of panicles and application of indoleacetic acid during pre-anthesis stage in Guinea grass have resulted in increased seed set and germination respectively. All these innovative technologies are cost-effective, simple and can boost the grass seed and planting material production which otherwise is miniscule compared to the demand. These techniques are in way to solve the myriad problems of grass seed production and multiplication of planting material.

Keywords


BN Hybrid, Defluffing, Deenanath Grass, Guinea Grass, High Density Nursery, In Vitro Maturation.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi01%2F148-154