New Breeding Paradigms to Enhance Jute (Corchorus spp.) Production and Their Achievements | Chapter 4 | Agricultural Sciences: Techniques and Innovations Vol. 4

 

Jute (Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius), often known as the "golden fibre," is an essential natural bast fibre crop that is important for the environment and economy, especially in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Although it is valuable but it has its own difficulties like biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as the requirement for higher fibre yield and quality to stay competitive. The history of jute, its geographical distribution, important breeding goals, such as increasing fibre yield, improving fibre quality and creating resistance to pests, diseases, and environmental stresses like drought and waterlogging, are all covered in this chapter. Numerous successful jute varieties such as JRC 321, JRC 212, etc., have been developed with the help of conventional breeding techniques, which include mass selection, pedigree selection, bulk breeding, hybridisation, and mutation breeding. The emphasis is then shifted to more recent developments, such as the introduction of unique traits through genetic engineering, the use of molecular markers (such as SSRs and SNPs) for marker-assisted selection, and the potential uses of genomics, bioinformatics and breakthrough tools like CRISPR gene editing. The chapter also covers some of the achievements of jute improvement- from developing high-yielding, pest-resistant varieties to developing varieties that can withstand drought, waterlogging and other climate challenges.  In order to secure the sustainable and competitive future of this vital fibre crop, the chapter concludes by describing future directions of jute breeding, mainly focusing on developing climate-resilient varieties, improving fibre and implementing innovative methods like genomic selection and the study of wild relatives. The blend of traditional breeding methods and newer breeding advancements is shaping a stronger, more sustainable future for this crop.

Author(s) Details

Kumar Aryan
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-785013, Assam, India.

 

Bhaswati Saikia
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-785013, Assam, India.

 

Meghali Kutum
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-785013, Assam, India.

 

R G Phukan
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-785013, Assam, India.

 

P K Goswami
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-785013, Assam, India.

 

G C Bora
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-785013, Assam, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/asti/v4/6117