Publications by authors named "Pukalenthy Bharathi"

Sorghum downy mildew (SDM), caused by the biotrophic fungi threatens maize production worldwide, including India. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with resistance to SDM, we used a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between resistant inbred line UMI936 (w) and susceptible inbred line UMI79. The RIL population was phenotyped for SDM resistance in three environments [E1-field (Coimbatore), E2-greenhouse (Coimbatore), and E3-field (Mandya)] and also utilized to construct the genetic linkage map by genotyping by sequencing (GBS) approach.

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Maize (Zea mays L.) is the leading cereal crop and staple food in many parts of the world. This study aims to develop nutrient-rich maize genotypes by incorporating crtRB1 and o2 genes associated with increased β-carotene, lysine, and tryptophan levels.

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Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a global health problem; many people around the world, especially children and pregnant women, are VAD deficient or insufficient. Maize is known as an important source of provitamin A for humans. Hence, enhancement of provitamin A carotenoids (pVAC) in maize varieties through breeding or biofortification is a good option for alleviating VAD in developing countries, especially India.

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Maize is the predominant food source for the world population, but lack of lysine and tryptophan in maize endosperm cannot fulfill the nutritional requirements of humans. Hence, the improvement of lysine and tryptophan content is the ultimate goal of maize biofortification programs. In the present study, the marker-assisted backcross (MABC) breeding strategy was used to enhance the lysine and tryptophan content of the elite maize inbred line UMI1230 by introgressing gene from the VQL1.

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Maize is an excellent nutritional source and is consumed as a staple food in different parts of the world, including India. Developing a maize genotype with a combination of higher lysine and tryptophan, along with β-carotene, can help alleviate the problem of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This study is aimed at improving lysine and tryptophan content by transferring () gene from donor HKI163 to β--rich inbred lines .

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Pukalenthy Bharathi"

  • - Pukalenthy Bharathi's research primarily focuses on enhancing the nutritional quality of maize through genetic improvements, specifically targeting the enrichment of β-carotene, lysine, and tryptophan in maize inbreds using various breeding techniques such as marker-assisted selection and gene pyramiding.
  • - The studies highlight the development of maize variants with increased resistance to sorghum downy mildew (SDM) and aim to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with this resistance to improve overall maize production and sustainability.
  • - Bharathi's work contributes to addressing global nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), by biofortifying maize—a vital staple food—making it more beneficial for human consumption, particularly in regions like India.