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Capsicum chinense Jacq. (ghost pepper), a naturally occurring chili species of Northeast India is known throughout the world for its high pungency and a pleasant aroma. The economic importance is due to the high capsaicinoid levels, the main source for pharmaceutical industries. The present study focused on identifying important traits necessary for increasing the yield and pungency of ghost pepper and to determine the parameters for the selection of superior genotypes. A total of 120 genotypes with more than 1.2% capsaicin content (>1,92,000 Scoville Heat Unit, w/w on dry weight basis) collected from different northeast Indian regions were subjected to variability, divergence and correlation studies. Levene's homogeneity test of variance studied for three environments did not show significant deviation and so homogeneity of variance was reasonably met for analysis of variance study. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation was highest for fruit yield per plant (33.702, 36.200, respectively), followed by number of fruits per plant (29.583, 33.014, respectively) and capsaicin content (25.283,26.362, respectively). The trait number of fruits per plant had maximum direct contribution to fruit yield per plant and the trait fruit yield per plant towards capsaicin content in the correlation study. High heritability with high genetic advance, which is the most favored selection criteria was observed for fruit yield per plant, number of fruits per plant, capsaicin content, fruit length and fruit girth. The genetic divergence study partitioned the genotypes into 20 clusters, where fruit yield per plant contributed maximum towards total divergence. Principal components analysis (PCA) studied to determine the largest contributor of variation showed 73.48% of the total variability, of which the PC1 and PC2 contributed 34.59% and 16.81% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pogostemon cablin, also known as Patchouli is an essential oil yielding plant with high medicinal properties and having great value for its unique essential oil component. The essential oil is widely used in flavor and fragrance industries. The objective of the present study is to evaluate molecular diversity among mutation treated progeny using RAPD (Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA) and ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeat) markers. The essential oil composition which was analyzed using GC/MS showed patchouli alcohol as major compound, followed by sabinene, (-)β-elemene, α-Guaiene, α-humulene, caryophyllene oxide and viridiflorol in the studied lines. Total 44 RAPD and 34 ISSR primers were used for 41 mutated selected lines, which showed an average polymorphic percentage of 70.1% and 58.14% respectively. Genetic parameters studied by both markers systems were found to be more or less similar. Analysis of molecular variance showed 45% variation among population and 55% within the population by RAPD marker, while ISSR marker showed 36% variation among population and 64% within population. Cluster analysis using both markers grouped the lines into three main clusters and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) plot also supported cluster analysis data. The present study will be helpful in conservation of patchouli germplasm, their characterization and in future breeding programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homalomena aromatica Schott. is an important aromatic species used for various purposes like ethnomedicinal, pharmaceutical applications, flavour, and perfume industries. The present study aimed to identify high and stable essential oil-rich accession from collected germplasm of H. aromatica. During the year 2014, a total of 49 germplasm were collected from different parts of NE India. All the collected germplasm were planted in the year 2015 with three replications in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) at the experimental farm of CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat. The same accessions were again planted during 2017 with the same design. All the agronomical and essential oil data were recorded and analyzed. Based on two crops season (2015-16 and 2017-18) of the selection trial, a new essential oil (1.20 %) rich strain (HA-18) with a high dry rhizome yield of 1454.53 kg/ha/crop season was selected. The identified accession was later renamed as Jor Lab SM-2. The stability of the identified germplasm (HA-18) was confirmed by testing in a multilocation trial at four different locations for two years i.e., one crop season (2019-2020) along with two check varieties. The stability analysis (biometric methods) for the economic character like dry rhizome yield, essential oil % and total essential oil yield/ha showed high mean value and were stable in all the four locations with βi=1.05, βi=1.09, and βi=1.14 respectively. The GC/MS profiling of the essential oil isolated from the rhizome of H. aromatica revealed linalool (66.27 %) as a major compound followed by α-cadinol, tau-muurolol, linalool oxide, neointermedeol, and 3-carene as other compounds. The stable variety Jor Lab SM-2 was found to be more than twice superior compared to the check varieties in terms of essential oil yield. All the studied traits of Jor Lab SM-2 were significantly and distinctly higher than the check varieties. As per our knowledge, no essential oil-rich variant of H. aromatica is reported so far; therefore this is the first report on the identification of a superior and stable line of H. aromatica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Z. officinale studied from North East India, known as ginger treasury house. • Genetic diversity evaluated using two common molecular markers (RAPD and ISSR). • Among 90 primers initially tested out of 26 RAPD and 28 ISSR positive primers used for the study. • Study could be used for future culturing and conservation programme. Abstract Zingiber officinale Roscoe commonly known as ginger is one of the most important spice crop of North East India. This plant has found a wide range of application- as condiments and spice, as flavouring agent, in medicine and as therapeutic uses in pharmaceuticals industries. Different varieties of Zingiber officinale are cultivated in this region but their identification is still lacking till now. Evaluation of genetic diversity is therefore essential for conservation, to avoid duplicity of germplasm and maintenance of this important species. Molecular markers Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) are tested for eighty high dry recovery genotypes. Selections of genotypes are based on more than 25% dry rhizome recovery. Among 90 primers (40 RAPD and 50 ISSR) initially tested, 26 RAPD and 28 ISSR are used in the study which showed 84.1% and 85.2% polymorphism respectively. Dendrogram generated from UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) cluster analysis for both RAPD and ISSR marker was similar. Similar conclusion can be drawn from the result of cluster analysis. These primers could be used for future studies as varietal developmental programme on high dry rhizome recovery lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Capsicum chinense is an industrially important crop of North East India. • Genetic diversity studied among high capsaicin containing (>1.2%) lines. • Used 120 germplasm with 59 Simple Sequence Repeat primers. • Jaccard's similarity (0.52–0.99) showed moderate variation among the genotypes. • Study useful for selection of parents and trait specific breeding programme. Capsicum chinense Jacq. of family Solanaceae is one of the hottest chilli in the world, which contains higher capsaicin compared to other chilli species available in India. Currently the pungency of C. chinense is decreasing due to selection of robust genotypes for increasing yield, intermixing of local cultivars etc. Moreover till date very little information is available regarding the molecular characterization from North East India, which is considered to be the centre of origin of this plant species. The objective of our study is to evaluate molecular diversity among high capsaicin containing lines of C. chinense collected from four states (Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur) of North East India. Total 227 germplasm were collected out of which 120 genotypes were screened based on more than 1.2% capsaicin content. Genetic parameters analysed using Popgene software indicated that Nagaland population has higher diversity among the four region populations. Jaccard's similarity coefficient between the genotypes ranged from 0.52 to 0.99, indicating moderate variation between the genotypes. Clustering analysis depicted three clusters where germplasm collected from Assam and Manipur showed close relatedness and Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) plot obtained also supports cluster analysis data. Germplasm evaluation is of immense important for genetic crop improvement. The present findings will be certainly helpful in C. chinense germplasm conservation, characterization and in trait specific breeding programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new strain of Cymbopogon khasianus rich in methyl eugenol was identified and named Jor Lab L-9. It is stable for production of essential oil yield (average 0.81%; σ 2 di = 0.00) and methyl eugenol (average 74.56%; σ 2 di = 0.06). This variety was registered with ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi, India, under registration number INGR-18037. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genus Cymbopogon is a valuable medicinal and aromatic grass of the world. The objective of the experiment was to identify elemicin rich genotype of Cymbopogon khasianus . Elemicin is widely used as a perfumery chemical as well as starting material for the synthesis of mescaline, an important alkaloid. Moreover it can also be used in confectionery, condiments, non-alcoholic beverages etc. In this experiment total forty eight accessions of Cymbopogon khasianus were collected from different parts of Meghalaya and planted in complete randomized block design with three replications at experimental farm of CSIR-NEIST in the year 2013.Morphological data recording and its oil constituents were analysed during the year 2013–14 and 2014–15. On the basis of two years selection trial data a new and distinct elemicin rich strain of Cymbopogon khasianus was identified and named as Jor Lab L-10. This new genotype was planted in the year 2015–16 and 2016–17 in multi-location trials at four different locations and the results were found to be stable and contented. The average oil yield of all multi-location trial was 0.40% which comprises of 70% elemicin content and 175% superior in the term of elemicin content from the check variety. Essential oil was extracted through hydro distillation method and the quantification was done by GC and GC–MS instrument. In GC and GC–MS analysis it was found that elemicin was the major component of essential oil while cis -asarone, β-ocimene, methyl eugenol, limonene, germacrene-D, transneral acetate, camphene, α-pinene, geranyl acetate, caryophyllene and trans-β- farnesene etc. were the minor compounds. Till date none of the elemicin rich (>70%) variety of lemon grass is reported and we first time identified a novel elemicin rich variety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]