Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding (The)

A study was undertaken to transfer resistance to yellow vein mosaic (YVM) from related species, viz., Abelmoschus tetraphyllus, A. manihot and A. manihot ssp. manihot into cultivated okra, A. eseulentns cv. Pusa Sawani. Resistance in the related species is of symptomless carrier type. Screening for YVM was done under artificial epiphytotics in the field and also by bud graft transmission in the glasshouse. Approaches of growing straight generations, backccrossing and use of amphidiploidy were followed. Transfer of resistance from A. manihot was successful by two backcrosses followed by selection in the selfed generations while that from A. manihot ssp. manihot was successful by growing straight generations. Resistance to YVM in either species was controlled by a single dominant gene. Nine YVM resistant lines (in the BC2F5, BC2 F6 and F8 generations) were selected having fixation for agronomic traits and consumer qualities of the cultivar Pusa Sawani. in evaluation trials one of these resistant lines yielded as high as protected Pusa Sawani.