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-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 10 March 2007 17:32
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 18: Re: Marker-assisted selection for yield under water stress
I am P. Sathish Kumar, Consultant at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India working on marker-assisted selection for terminal drought tolerance in pearl millet. A team of physiologists here at ICRISAT dissected the drought tolerance in pearl millet and found that terminal drought tolerance will be the major factor for yield determination under drought prone rainfed conditions of semi-arid tropics. So the lesson learnt before initiating MAS programme will be to target the trait of interest, look for compatible marker system, evaluating them across environments. With this in mind, the consistent quantitative trait loci (QTLs) across mapping populations, in a particular niche are considered for the MAS programme.
I am interested to answer to Message 2 by N. Manikanda Boopathi:
1. Regarding the size of mapping population, I agree with Message 14 by PK Gupta and the type of mapping populations varied with mode of pollination of individual crops.
2. To look upon the marker systems, it depends on the type of mapping population of individual crops.
3. With relation to QTL x environment interaction, look for consistent QTLs across mapping locations and populations. In sum, look for consistent QTLs across target regions.
4. Best segments used in MAS will be QTLs associated with highly heritable characters and should be validated either through bulk segregant analysis (BSA) or through development of doubled haploids.
One caution, before using any software one should look for their methodology/validation of results across different mapping populations and crops.
I have a common query: How to substantiate with a single gene (like 'DREB' gene for drought tolerance, 'erecta' for water-use efficiency, Crt for beta-carotene and so on) for the whole pathway of genes involved in quantitative traits?
P. Sathish Kumar
Consultant
MS-Swaminathan Applied Genomics Laboratory,
ICRISAT, Andhra Pradesh-502 324,
India.
Office: +91-40-30713313
Res: +91-9866694107
Fax: +91-40-30713071; 30713072
Email: s.kumar (at) cgiar.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 10 March 2007 17:34
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 19: Re: Rhizobium strains
To Mamadou Gueye, it is nice to interact with you in this conference to share our knowledge regarding Rhizobium strains. First of all, I am to introduce myself to you. I am now a retired Professor from the School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. I was one the 9 founding Faculty members since 1975 to 2004. I was involved with control and management of environmental pollution (air, water and soil), recycling and utilisation of the wastes on land and management of the agricultural and industrial wastes formed a challenging task in my studies. Earlier, I was involved as a Technical Head of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) Project on "Microbial Decomposition of Agricultural Wastes on different Lands of Eastern India" in the Microbiology Dept of Bose Institute, Calcutta during 1973 to 1975. Most exciting work was use of dual innoculum on the Pea plants grown on Rajasthan (Desert) soils mixed with different proportion of Tailings (wastes from copper mine of Khettri). The dual innoculation consisted of (1) Rhizobium leguminosorum and treatment of Arbuscular Glomus mosse proved the utility of the wastes as well as improved the soil fertility status (availabilty of ntrogen, phosphorus, trace elements), apart from stabilising the ecosystem in the disturbed area of the mining place in desert area. I congratulate you on your excellent work. I shall be happy to share our past experiences in this subcontinent.
Dr. A.K. Bhattacharyya, Professor (Retired)
School Of Environmental Sciences
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi - 110067
India
(Address for Correspondence)
Pocket 40/5
Chittaranjan Park
P.O. New Delhi -110019
India
Tel No. 91-11-26293550
Mobile : 91-9871655840
asimjnu (at) yahoo.co.in