Seventy five years of research and development in cauliflower and cabbage: A journey from temperate to tropicalization and aristocrats to commoners

Cabbage and cauliflower are important vegetable crops in India and hold 5^th and 9^th positions in vegetable production in India, respectively. Cauliflower was introduced in 1822 at Saharanpur (UP) and thereafter has gone through substantial changes for adaptive traits and evolved a new type ‘Indian cauliflower’. The variability in the germplasm has been exploited in breeding of varieties/hybrids in both cabbage and cauliflower. The cabbage breeding is still confined to hill region due to chilling requirement. Significant number of varieties and hybrids have been released in different maturity groups of cabbage and cauliflower, predominantly from IARI, New Delhi and IARI RS, Katrain. Three different CMS systems (Ogura, Can and Tour) and SI system have been established in elite inbred lines for use in hybrid breeding. Good combiners for yield and quality traits were used in breeding hybrids. Resistant sources, genes for resistance and linked molecular have been reported against common diseases. Transgenics were also developed using Cry1 genes and prebreeding efforts could lead to develop advance populations for black rot, CMS trait and Alternaria leaf spot. Use of molecular tools, development of doubled haploids, breeding for quality traits, wider plasticity, climate resilient traits, disease resistance, widening germplasm through pre-breeding, genome editing etc. are priority areas in breeding of these crops. The present paper elaborates on research efforts made during past 75 years in cauliflower and cabbage breeding and production practices in India.