Salient achievements of the last 50 years.

Crop Improvement

Maintenance, utilization and sharing of germplasm

• Systematic collection, maintenance, evaluation and characterization of germplasm were undertaken particularly at the main centres. Seventy-five wild accessions are being maintained at TNAU, Vridhachalam; PKV, Akola; and also at UAS, Dharwad.
• Thus far, 10472 cross-combinations involving different varieties of Arachis hypogaea as pistillate parents and various accessions of diploid wild species of the section Arachis ( villosa, A. cardenasii A. helodes, A. correntina, A. kempfmercodoi, A. duranensis and A. stenosperma) as pollen parents have been effected at a few AICRP-Groundnut centres. The progenies have been found to be triploid exhibiting partial fertility. These progenies were grown and observed for segregation of tetraploid types resembling the pistillate parent (A. hypogaea) while having enhanced resistance to pests and diseases similar to that is seen in the wild species. Through such type of interspecific hybridization, a large number of advanced generation material has been developed for breeding population with resistance/tolerance to major pests and diseases at the target locations.
• The first interspecific hybrid derivative, GPBD 4 which possesses tolerance to LLS, rust and also PBND, has been developed using the wild accession cardinasii followed by VRI Gn (6) using the same wild source.
• Besides wild germplasm, several advanced generation breeding lines having specific breeding values have been identified. Sharing of germplasm/breeding lines has been given due emphasis among the coordinating centres and this has paid rich dividends in the form of development of several high-yielding varieties.
• A large collection of working germplasm accessions (» 4000) is being maintained at different AICRP-G centres for Crop Improvement programme. Five high-yielding varieties, viz., GG 7 and GG 5 (at Junagadh, Gujarat); AK 159 (at Akola, Maharashtra); HNG 10 (at Hanumangarh, Rajasthan); and Raj Mungfali-3 (RG 559-3) have been developed and released from location specific selections from the breeding material supplied by DGR.
• To meet the diverse needs of both rainfed kharif and rabi-residual moisture production systems, several new varieties have been developed. In addition, several situation specific varieties with inbuilt tolerance /resistance to major insect pests and diseases, varieties suitable for acid and saline soils, high water-use and partitioning efficiency and large seeded types for export have been developed and released (Annexure I).
• Since the establishment of the AICRP-G centres in 1967-68, nearly 160 varieties have been developed and released for general cultivation in different production areas like rainfed kharif; rabi-residual moisture situation; irrigated summer and spring production systems, etc. Since introduction of this crop in India in 1901, there have been 199 varieties developed and released in India for location specific cultivation with specific traits including those of state release. Of these, there are several varieties endowed with inbuilt resistance/tolerance to major insect pests, diseases; soil acidity, and soil salinity. Several varieties with high water-use and partitioning efficiency have also been developed.
• Promising genotypes resistant to soil-borne (stem- and collar- rot) diseases (K 1812, JL 1176, CS-319, JL-977, JL-977, HNG-10, HNG-10, ICGV-86325, CS-19, GG-16) and earliness with fresh seed dormancy (TCGS 1157, TCGS 1694, VG 13127, VG 13149, VRI 8) were identified for further use.

 Varieties developed during last three years

 High yielding groundnut varieties developed

*Identified for release (to be notified shortly). These are first high oleic groundnut varieties developed having upto 78% oleic acid in the groundnut oil.

Production of Breeder Seed

Groundnut is a high-seed volume crop requiring a seed-rate of 150-160 kg seed pods/ha.  Production of breeder seed in adequate quantity is a real challenge due to its low seed multiplication ratio (1:8). During 1990-91 and 1991-92, the breeder seed production was to the scale of 5052 q and 6537 q, respectively, which was considered a record increase compared to 1428 q in 1984-85 (end of VII Plan). The total production during VIII plan period (1992-93 to 1996-97) was 17913.6 q while in IX plan period it was 13648.7 q. During the X plan period the total production rose to 23467.2 q. Subsequently, in XI plan, the production also shot up to a huge total of 67874.9 q. The number of varieties in these plan periods in the seed chain was 50-60. Altogether in the last 15 years (where DGR arranged the breeder seed production programme) there has been a total production of 1,16, 352 q. Such a high production was possible by the concerted efforts of the scientists of 22 AICRP-G centres and also for undertaking major production in rabi-summer season under assured irrigation. Produced 35,789.04 q of breeder seeds of 50 improved groundnut varieties during the period 2016-17 to 2018-19.