Sources of Biotic Stress Resistance in Vegetable Crops: A Review

Development of biotic resistant cultivars has been a part of the plant breeder's tool since long time. Cultivation of resistant or tolerant cultivars is one of the best options to minimize the losses due to disease/insect occurrence. This is especially at this juncture, when there is growing public sensitivity about the environmental pollution and residual effects on produce due to the indiscriminate use of hazardous chemicals and emergence of new races/biotypes. For the development of resistant varieties and pre-breed lines, sources of resistance are the prerequisite and backbone of breeding programme. Such sources may be present in the indigenous cultivars, land races, folk cultivars, semi-wild relatives and allied species of the vegetable crops. This review highlights the resistant sources of different vegetable crops against major diseases and insect pest which will be useful forthe vegetable breeders for his future breeding programme.