M.Sc in Fruit Breeding & Genetic Resources

In fruit crop cultivation, the role of varieties and rootstocks is of utmost importance in success or failure of the venture. Most of our present day fruit varieties are chance selections resulting from natural cross-pollination or controlled hybridization. Given the out-breeding nature and high degree of heterozygosity in several fruits and nuts, there exists inherent potential in these species for enhancing the yield and quality attributes. This can be exploited to a greater extent through the breeding of better quality cultivars having high productivity, disease resistance and prolonged seasonal availability. The current trend of extending the fruit crops from their native environments to the area of less adaptability requires the initiation of well-planned breeding programmes taking into consideration the ever changing consumer�s requirements and the varied agro-climatic zones of this state and of the country as a whole. In the wake of climate change (Global Warming), crop improvement strategies need to be reoriented to develop suitable varieties and rootstocks. Genetic resources comprising cultivars, land races, wild relatives, special genetic stocks, etc. are not only the pre-requisite but key ingredients for genetic improvement of fruit and nut crops. Therefore the exploration, collection and maintenance of perennial crop germplasm is the need of the hour, to preserve highly desirable genes and gene recombination.

With all the above in mind, the department of Fruit Breeding and Genetic Resources was created after the trifurcation of the erstwhile Department of Pomology and Fruit Technology in 1987. While the others two departments viz. Fruit Culture and Orchard Management and Post harvest Technology started functioning soon thereafter, the Department of Fruit Breeding and Genetic Resources started functioning only in August, 1988.

The department aims at evolving new fruit and nut varieties to meet the changing and diverse requirements of the state and similar areas on one hand and maintaining and conserving the fast depleting genetic resources of these perennial crops on the other hand besides building up through teaching and training a cadre of specially qualified and dedicated fruit breeders to meet the national needs.