Advances in Breeding of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) | Chapter 7 | Food Science and Agriculture: Research Highlights Vol. 2

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally important oilseed crop, valued for its nutritional richness, high oil and protein content, role in food security and is an agronomically and economically important crop. The declining trend in cultivated areas under groundnut in India, over the years, brings to light the urgent need for the development of improved varieties, such as climate-resilient and high-yielding varieties, to restore farmers’ interest in its production and ensure sustainable yield. Therefore, setting clear and targeted breeding objectives is important for developing improved groundnut varieties encompassing desirable traits such as high yield, superior oil and nutritional quality, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and agronomic suitability. Traditional breeding methods such as introduction, pureline / mass selection, cross hybridisation, backcrossing, pedigree selection and line breeding, remain fundamental in groundnut improvement for the development of elite lines. Though traditional breeding methods have significantly contributed to groundnut improvement, these methods are time-consuming and labour-intensive. Breeding advances in groundnut, such as advancements in molecular breeding, have enabled targeted improvement of groundnut varieties by developing high-yielding, stress-resilient and nutritionally superior cultivars, thereby contributing to food security and the economic well-being of farmers. Integrating advanced breeding technologies with traditional methods is important for accelerating the breeding cycle and ultimately for faster development of improved varieties. The various advanced breeding methods in groundnut include Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS), Genomic Selection (GS), Genetic Engineering, Genome Editing, Speed Breeding, High-Throughput Phenotyping, Double Haploid production, Bioinformatics and Data Integration. Though modern breeding tools offer immense potential for sustainable groundnut improvement, their responsible use requires addressing environmental, ethical and regulatory concerns to ensure benefits for farmers, consumers and the ecosystem.

 

Author (s) Details

Bhaswati Saikia
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat – 785 013, India.

 

Meghali Kutum
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat – 785 013, India.

 

Kumar Aryan
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat – 785 013, India.

 

P K Goswami
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat – 785 013, India.

 

G C Bora
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat – 785 013, India.

 

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/fsarh/v2/5661