干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Eight Abelmoschus species occur in India. Out of these, A. esculentus is the only known cultivated species. A. moschatus occur as wild species and is also cultivated for its aromatic seeds, while the rest six are truly wild types. The wild species occupy diverse habitats. The species A. ficulneus and A. tuberculatus spread over semi arid tracts of north and northwestern; A. crinitus, A. Manihot and A. tetraphyllus and A. pungens are found in Tarai ranges and foot hills of Himalayas; A. angulosus, A. moschatus, A. tetraphyllus are widely distributed throughout western and eastern ghats and also peninsular tracts of south while A. crinitus and A. pungens are distributed in north eastern region of India. Assessions resistance to Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (VVMV) in A. manihot, A. angulosus, A. crinitus and few land races of A. tetraphyllus, for Okra Enation Leaf Curl Virus (OELCV) in A. crinitus, A. angulosus and A. manihot, for powdery mildew in A. tetraphyllus and A. angulosus, for Cercospora blight in A. crinitus, A. moschatus and A. angulosus and for fruit borer tolerant in A. tuberculatus have been identified at Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi during last 14 years. High level of tolerance for mites and Jassids is found in A. angulosus and A. moschatus and A. crinitus, respectively, whereas, symptomless career to jassids has been observed in few lines of A. caillei. Wild species have not been fully utilized in breeding programmes due to crossing barrier. Resistance to VVMV is not stable in the cultivated species and frequent breakdown of resistance have been observed in developed varieties so that there is an urgent need to adopt the non-conventional method of breeding programme with combination of biotechnological tools for development of pre breeding lines resistant to biotic stresses.