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Assignment on
Breeding of citrus and aonla

Course : FSC 506

Breeding of fruit crops
(2+1)
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Introduction:
 India ranks sixth in the production of citrus fruit in the world.
 Other major citrus producing countries are Spain, USA Israel,
Morocco, South Africa, Japan, Brazil, Turkey and Cuba.
 It occupies third position after mango and banana in the
production of fruits in India.
 Citrus fruits originated in the tropical and sub tropical regions
of South East Asia, particularly India and China. North East
India is the native place of juice many citrus species.
 It is of particular interest because of its high content of vitamin
C and refreshing Juice.
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Largest producer in the world in citrus spp.

Country Fruit crop

USA Grape fruit, Pummelo
China Mandarin
Brazil Sweet orange
India Acid lime
Italy Lemon
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BENEFITS AND USES OF CITRUS

 Contains high amount of flavor it helps to improve the
immune system fighting against forming of free radical
causes of tumor and cancer.
 Strengthens the small blood vessels, protects against
Rheumatoid arthritis and reduces the risk of cell
membranes being damage caused the forming of free radical
due to high amount of vitamin C.
 Reduces the risk of heart diseases and stroke as it lowers the
bad cholesterol.
 Citrus peels are rich in pectin, valuable in making jellies,
marmalades, candies, jams and pharmaceutical
preparations.
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Citrus
Sweet orange (Citrus ×
sinensis cultivar)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Subfamily: Aurantioideae
Tribe: Citreae
Genus: Citrus L.
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Centre of origin in citrus spp.

Origin Citrus spp.

China Sweet orange, Mandarin

India Kagzi lime
South- east Pummel, lemon
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Mandarin group
 Citrus reticulata
Loose skinned orange, though mandarin and tangerine are
names used more or less interchangeably to designate the whole
group, tangerine is applied more strictly to those varieties which
produce deep orange or scarlet fruits.
 Kinnow mandarin
It is a first generation hybrid between the king and willow
leaf mandarin and developed by H.B. Frost at the California
Citrus Experiment station in 1915. Tree is vigorous, large, top
erect, dense symmetrical with few scattered thorns. Fruit colour
resembles of king, deep yellowish orange, surface, smooth, glossy,
very shallow pitted, shape slightly oblate, size medium with
flattened base, rind thin, peel tough and leathery, segment 9-10
easily separable, seed 12- 24. It is a late variety.
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Lemon (C.limon)
 Eureka
It is a seedling selection of Sicilian lemons. Tree is medium,
spreading and thornless. Its fruit colour is lemon yellow, surface
rugose, pitted, shape obovate, size medium, apex round, rind
medium thin axis small, solid, segments 8-10, juice acidic with
excellent flavor and quality. Eureka is a heavy yielder and begins
bearing at early age. It has tendency of bearing in the terminal
end of the shoot.
 Lisbon
Its appearance and yield is superior to Eureka. It is resistant
to frost, heat and high wind velocity. Tree is large and vigorous
with spreading shoots. It has upright thorn growth, lemon yellow
fruit colour, smooth surface, medium size, pitted rind, small axis,
solid, 6-10 segments with 0-8 seeds.
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Acid lime
 Vikram
It was developed at MAU, Parbhani, fruit medium size, heavy
fruiting, fruit colour golden.
 Pramalini
It was developed at MAU, Parbhani, high yielder, golden fruit
colour, tolerant to canker.
 Sai Sarbati
Kagzi lime selection developed at Mahatma Phule Krishi
Vidhyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, Maharashtra. Fruit surface smooth,
fruits more uniform, good size, thin skin, high juice, TSS and acidity.
High yield potential and tolerant to canker and tristeza.
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 Tahiti lime Persian lime (C.latifolia)

It is large fruited acid lime. The plants are large, spreading, cold resistant, thornless,
fruit large in size, seedless triploid, and produce non-viable pollen. It is considered as
hybrid between lime and lemon. Fruit colour orange yellow, smooth surface, segments 8-
10. It is a late variety.
 Rangpur lime (C. limonica)

It is indigenous to India and is commonly used as root stock. Rangpur lime is

mainly grown for home consumption and ornamental purpose. It is also known as
Marmalade orange. It has loose rind, easily separable segments and pulp is light orange
yellow.
 Sweet lime (C.limetoides)
Generally, sweet lime is grown as a root stock for its non acidic fruits.
 Pummelo (C.grandis)
It is native of Polnasia and Malaysia and commonly grown in South China. Fruit is
pyriform, largest fruit size among citrus fruits, rind thick, juice is acid bitter, juice sacs
easily separable. Seeds are monoembryonic. Fruits are of two types (a) elongated pear
shaped with neck (b) Oblate or globose, flattened and neckless. In India there is
noimproved cultivar except Nagpur Chakotra.
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Grape fruit (C. paradisi)

Duncan

It was developed as chance seedling in Florida. It is the

hardiest variety, fruit colour yellow, surface smooth, shape
oblate to globose, size large, basal area depressed, apex round,
rind medium thick, firm, axis medium in size, segments 12-14,
seeds 25-50.
Foster

It belongs to pink or red pulp group and originated as bud

sport of Walters grape fruit by R.B. Foster in 1906-07. Fruit
colour is light yellow, surface smooth, oblate or globose shape,
size medium large, base rounded, apex round, rind medium
thick, segments 12-14, seeds 2-5. It is a late cultivar.
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Grapefruit Mandarin

Sweet Orange Bitter Orange Lime

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Lemon

Kinnow

Rough Lemon
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60% of citrus production is from Kinnow mandarin

King (♀) Willow leaf (♂)

(Kin) (ow)

The cross made by Dr. Introduction in Pakistan

Frost (USA) during 1925 1943-44
X
Kinnow
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Germplasm resources
 Exotic collection of citrus germplasm was started in 1940.
 Kinnow mandarin was one of the collections which is now a
leading cultivar in North – Western India.
 Besides, other exotic collections were Valencia Late, Washington
Navel, Jaffa, Malta Blood Red, Pineapple, Ruby orange, Satsuma,
Dancy Tangerine, Climentime, and Cleoptera wilking,
 More than 650 accessions are being maintained at CHES, Chethali,
Bangalore, CHES, Ranchi, RFRS, Abhor, NRC on citrus, Nagpur,
Horticultural Experiment Station, Bathinda, IARI, New Delhi,
MPKV, Rahuri, Citrus Improvement Project, Tirupati, Citrus
Experiment station, Nagpur, HC&RI, Periyakulam, and Citrus
Experiment Station, Tinsukia, Assam.
 During 1988 as a result of systematic exploration by NBPGR in
North-Eastern region, C. Indica and many endangered species were
collected for conservation.
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Problems in citrus breeding

 Prevalence of high generative sterility

 Polyembryony nature

 Self incompatibility and cross incompatibility

 Citrus being perennial in nature takes more time for

bearing
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Breeding objectives

 Producing early maturing citrus fruits with high yield and

fruit quality.

 Developing rootstocks having disease and nematodes

resistance, wider adaptability, etc.
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Floral biology
Flowering in citrus takes place during
February –April. In North India, sweet orange and
mandarins bloom only once in March. However, it
is reported that sweet oranges bloom twice in a year
under Bihar conditions i.e. February –March and
June -July.

Inflorescense in citrus species is of cymose

type. Generally anthesis takes place in the morning
between 9.00 am to 12.00 noon. Flowers on shaded
side of the tree have been observed to open later
than those exposed to sunshine.
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Approaches for crop improvement

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1.Introduction
 The mandarin variety ‘Santra’ is known to have been grown in India for
many centuries. It was introduced into the Central Provinces (now
Maharashtra) by Ranghojee Bhonsal II from Aurangabad in eighteenth
century.
 The present century has seen the introduction of a number of sweet
orange varieties including Washington Navel, Valencia, Jaffa, Blood
Red Malta and tangerines. The first two were introduced from America
and the others from the respective countries of their origin.
 Grapefruits were introduced from California and Florida, lemons from
China and Malta from USA and Italy.
 ‘Mosambi’ seems to have been introduced in Nagpur during the
beginning of the 20th century.
 The introduction of ‘Kinnow’ mandarin (King x Willow leaf) in 1947
showed great promise in North India. It was introduced in South India in
1958 and Punjab in 1959 and has performed extremely well in Punjab.
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2.Clonal selection
Exploitation of natural variability existing in a variety has resulted in
the isolation of some promising clones in Citrus.

1. ‘PKM 1 lime is a clonal selection from seedling progenies of kadayam

Type of Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

2. ‘Yuvaraj Blood Red’ is a seedless and early maturing clonal selection

from ‘Blood Red’ orange.

3. ‘Pramalini’ and ‘Vikaram’, the two kagzi lime varieties were developed
through clonal selection at Marathwada University.

4. ‘Chakradha’ is a thornless and seedless selection from Kagzi lime.

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3.Hybridization
 In India, very little work has been done on citrus improvement through
hybridization. At the PKV, Akola, hybridization work has been undertaken
to evolve hybrids of kagzi lime. As a result, Hybrid 2, Hyrbid 4 and N52
were found resistant to canker.
 Breeding for improvement of citrus rootstock was initiated in 1972 at the
Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Chethali, and IIHR, Bangalore.
Trifoliate orange was used as a donor source for Phytophthora and citrus
nematode resistance.
 Hybridization programme resulted in the production of 1183 hybrids from
16 different cross combinations. Of these, CRH.3, CRH.5 and CRH.41
resistant to citrus nematode have been evolved.
 A hybrid between Rangpur lime and trifoliate orange (Australia) having
high resistance to nematodes and Phytophthora, and highly polyembryonic
in nature is being evaluated for its suitability as rootstock for mandarin and
sweet orange.
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4. Mutation Breeding
 Selections of natural mutants have been successfully employed for
seedlessness (lyo tangor), season of ripening (Satsuma, Navel),
improvement of colour (Ray Ruby grapefruit) etc. in Citrus.
 Besides natural mutations, many induced mutants have been developed in
Citrus. For instance, ‘Star Ruby’ and ‘Rio Red’ varieties of grapefruit were
developed in Texas, USA through x ray and thermal neutron treatments of
seeds of cv. ‘Ruby red’ whose red flesh colour faded at harvest.
 The grapefruit clones like Thompson and Foster Pink arose as limb sports
on white grapefruit.
 Gamma irradiation of seeds and bud woods performed in Orlando, Florida,
resulted in Seedless fruits on certain trees of seeded cultivars like
Pineapple orange as well as Duncan and Foster grapefruit.
 In Israel, Shamouti trees of compact habit and early fruiting types and
seedlessness have been developed in Eureka lemon through irradiation of
bud wood with gamma rays.
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5. Polyploidy breeding
 The Hongkong wild kumquats, 10Fortunella hindsii may have been the
first reported tetraploid. Polyploid breeding seems to offer prospects to
obtain large sized fruit with dwarf plant types.

 Production of triploids by crossing tetraploid with diploids may be

useful in obtaining seedless varieties.

 The seedless lime (C. latifolia) a triploid. Triploids have favorable

characteristics and yield well but they are sterile.

 Polyploidy manipulation by crossing of tetraploids with diploids yielded

some valuable triploid varieties like ‘Oroblanco’ and ‘Melogold’.
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6. Biotechnology in improvement of citrus

 Transformation of fruit species by biotechnological tools is a potential approach

to develop disease resistant cultivars. Woody plants are known to be difficult to
work invitro than herbaceous plants but citrus is exceptional.
 Though nucellar embryony in citrus is of great value for producing vigorous,
uniform and virus free plants, it appears to be an obstacle in hybridization.
 Tissue culture has effectively been used in obtaining hybrid Poncirus plantlets
from polyembryonic citrus cultivars. Poncirus trifoliata not only carries a
genetic marker, but also possess resistance to tristeza, Phytophthora, nematode
and cold stress.
 Inter–generic hybridization with the aid of cell/tissue culture offers possibility
of incorporation of multiple desirable characters found in different genera for
improvement of citrus root stocks and scion cultivars.
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Future Goals
 CTV resistance gene in susceptible scions and rootstocks

 Phytopthora resistant, salt tolerant, high yielding

rootstocks

 Fruit- sweeter, seedless, longer shelf life

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Breeding Strategy for Texas

 Increase effort in transgenics development

 Increase emphasis on fruit quality and earliness for fresh

market expansion

 Increase research into genetic cold tolerance

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Introduction
 Aonla is one of the most important minor fruit of Indian
origin, which is predicted to be the 'fruit of 21 century'
even though it existed from time immemorial.
 It is also called as 'Indian gooseberry', 'amla', nelli,
amalaki, amali, ambala, and amalakam in different parts
of india.
 Aonla is very hardy, prolific bearer and highly
remunerative.
 Its juice contains 20 times as much vitamin C as orange
juice. Aonla is known for its pharmaceutical properties.
 The crop is also seen in srilanka, Malaysia, Pakistan and
china.
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 It's mineral and vitamin contents

include calcium, phosphorus, iron,
carotene, thiamine, riboflavin and
vitamin C. Its calorific value is 58 kcal.
 100 g of fruit provides 470 to 680 mg of
vitamin C.
 The dehydrated berry provides 2428 to 3470 mg of
vitamin C per 100 g.
 It is largely cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat,
Maharashtra and Karnataka.
 It has very good demand for the industries for the
preparation of various health care products also like
hair oils, dye, shampoo, face creams and tooth powders.
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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Phyllanthaceae
Tribe: Phyllantheae
Subtribe: Flueggeinae
Genus: Phyllanthus
Species: P. emblica
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Gemplasm rerources
 In Aonla variability existing in seedling population in
respect of fruit size, maturity period and yield per plant.
 Major center where germplasm resources maintain are
CIAH, Bikaner, NDUAT, Faridabad, AAU, Anand and
RBS College, Agra.
 In hill ecosystem of HP, where it was found that there is
ample scope for selection of frost tolerant type although
fruit size smaller than existing one.
 Chomu, Pushkar valley and Badighati region of
Rajasthan is hunting ground for Aonla variability.
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Breeding problems
 Since, aonla is highly heterozygous plant, therefore, large size
of population is required for selection.
 It has long generation cycle i.e. 2-8 years, depending upon sp.
and var.
 Lack of recombination.
 Long juvenile phase prohibiting early assessment of strain.
 Precedence of self incompatibility.
 Frost susceptibility.
 Lack of knowledge on inheritance pattern.
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Breeding objectives
I. To breed var. having wider geographic adaptability.
II. To develop var. suitable for export.
III. To breed var. resistant to frost.
IV. To breed var. resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses.
V. Exploitation of available hybrid vigour (heterosis) for yield
and quality.
VI. To breed var. having high yield with good quality fruits.
VII. Varieties with less fibre content.
VIII. Good pollinating var.
IX. Var. with high sex ratio with more number of female flowers.
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FLORAL BIOLOGY
 Flowers, unisexual, pale green,
4 to 5 mm in length, borne in
leaf-axils in clusters of 6 to 10.
 Staminate flowers, tubular at
the base, having a very small
stalk, gamosepalous, having 6
lobes at the top; stamens 1 to 3,
polyandrous, filaments 2 mm long.
 Pistillate flowers, fewer, having a gamopetalous corolla
and two-branched style.
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 Bearing Behavior: both staminate and

pistillate flowers are borne on the same
branch, but the staminate flowers
occur towards the apices of small
branches.
 Female flowers take about 72 hours to
open fully. Pedicel is very short.
 Disc is a lanceolate cup with 3 carpels.
Style is short, connate, twice bifid and
distally dilated.
 The new shoot emerge out during first
week of April. The flowering period
varied in different varieties from 17-26
days. Flowering period twice in a year
February-March and June-July.
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The percentage of
female flower varies
from 1.12 to 8.33
depending upon
varieties.

Fig:
1. Flowering twig.
2. Male flower.
3. Female flower.
4. Fruits
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Flowering at initial stage

Full bloom stage

Fruiting stage
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 Genetically: Cultivated forms of Emblica officinalis

have variable numbers ranging from 2n=98 to
2n=104. The vitamin C content was found to be
directly proportional to the size of the fruit and size of
the fruit is directly related to chromosome number.

 Fruit Dormancy: After successful pollination and

fertilization, the set fruits do not show any external
symptom of fruit growth for about four months
because the zygote and the endosperm nucleus rest for
this period of time.
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Anthesis

 Main period of anthesis in aonla have been recorded

between 6 AM to 4 PM with a peak period between 6
AM to 8 AM and minimum between 4-6 PM .

 Just after the anthesis, either dehiscence starts

immediately or after 10-15 minutes of anthesis .
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Mode of Dehiscence

 The dehiscence of anthers started just after opening of

flower. The anther lobes started bursting longitudinally.

 All the anthers of flower did not dehisce synchronously,

some of these start to dehisced just after opening of
flower whereas others did so later in the day, it took
about 10 to 15 minute for complete dehiscence.
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1.Introduction
 It is one of the oldest method for improvement of fruit
crops. It is bringing or exchange of germplasm / genetic
material from one place where it is not known previously.

 Presently, germplasm exchange is being done in different

crop through NBPGR, new Delhi.

 This method may be an important tool to bring exotic

materials from foreign country for further evaluation
and incorporation of specific gene lacking in indigenous
aonla.
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2. Selection
 While selecting new ideotypes, plant height, vigour, growth habit,
precocity, fruiting intensity, fruit size etc are kept in mind.
 There are sufficient variation in fruit size and number of fruit /
determinate shoots, which directly affect the fruit yield and provide
ample scope for selecting superior type.
 Major work done at
NDUAT, Faridabad (NA-4, 5, 6 ,7 10)
GAU (Anand-1, 2 and 3)
RBS, college, Agra (Balwant)
 Recently some coloured and cluster bearing genotypes have been
identified through exploitation in Rajasthan, which will be further
evaluated at national repository of aonla at CIAH, Bikaner.
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3. Polypoidy
 Exact ploidy level is not known in aonla but it is realized by
the scientists that aonla is characterized by polyploidy
behavior in composition of chromosome.

 The structural and numerical changes in chromosome can be

made through application of colchicines, which is found to be
useful for getting small seeded fruit or seedlessness.

 Keeping in view the usefulness of polyploidy breeding, these

principles may be applied in aonla to obtain desirable
economic attributes.
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4. Mutation
 Mutation is sudden heritable change in a character of
plant.

 In India, research work related to application of

mutation in aonla is almost negligible but there is
greater prospects to develop coloured varieties through
induced mutation and selection from bud sport.
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5. Biotechnological tools
 Incorporation of desirable gene in aonla is possible only with the
application biotechnological approach.

 In fact, there is absolute dearth of information on biotechnological

approaches.

 Tissue culture, cell culture and genetic manipulation through

molecular technique may be useful to get early result in varietal
improvement programme.

 This technique can also be helpful to modify particular traits and in

turn provide new avenue for improving both the colour and quality
of the fruit available for industrial and domestic uses.
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6. Hybridization
 Hybridization is crossing of two parents which are
genetically dissimilar. Not a single variety has been bred
so far through this method.

 Occurance of xenia effect between Chakaiya x Krishna,

Banarasi x NA-9, Francis x NA-7, kanchan x NA-6 and
NA-6 x NA-9 for fruit size and weight were reported
from crosses.
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