Selecting better varieties of seedlings and taking years to know the productivity of seedlings are the major challenges in coconut cultivation. But from now on, farmers do not have to wait for the coconut to grow and ripen to know the benefits of the seedlings planted.
Even if it is a sprouted seedling, you can know the benefits of coconut by examining the gene in a small part of the plant. This was made possible by the Indian scientist’s extraction of the genetic makeup that determines the hereditary characteristics of coconut. 51953 genes have been identified.
This is a breakthrough that will pave the way for a boom in the agricultural sector of Kerala, one of the major crops as coconut. Seventeen scientists from Central Plantation Crop Research Institute, Kasargod, and National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi participated in the research.
The experiment was conducted on Chowghat Green Dwarf coconut, also known as pathonpath Patta Coconut. The green dwarf is a wind-resistant species. 112 genes that provide immunity have been identified. The genes that makeup color, the quality of copra, and coconut oil were also isolated.
What is Genetic Structure?
Genes are the basic units that carry the inherited traits of an organism, and the genes that control and pass on to generations are the parts of the DNA that make up a cell. It is possible to understand what kind of protein a gene makes. A single cell of coconut contains between 25,000 and 30,000 genes. A human can have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes. The discovery of the human genome opened up many possibilities in immunization and drug research.
Benefits of Coconut Genome Sequencing:
In 2013, Malaysia discovered the genetic makeup of its main crop, palm oil. If the same path is followed, India can also benefit greatly. It currently takes 14 years to produce hybrid seedlings. The benefits of coconut are well known even when it is a seedling. There is a collection of 454 varieties of coconut seeds at various research institutes in India.
Seedlings can be classified according to their nature, such as height, height, high oil content, green and yellow, and susceptibility to disease. In this way, farmers can select only productive seedlings and avoid diseased or low-yielding seedlings. The additional cost of maintaining unproductive coconuts can be avoided.
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