Or gene led enrichment of β-carotene in Indian cauliflower to tackle malnutrition

Vitamin A deficiency is one of the major causes of malnutrition among larger sections of population, especially children and women in India. Since cauliflower is an extensively grown and widely consumed vegetable lacking the vitamin A precursor β-carotene, the present study was undertaken to enhance β-carotene content in popular cultivars of Indian cauliflower by introgressing a spontaneous dominant Or mutant gene. The donor source of Or gene EC625883 and the recipient parents Pusa Meghna, CC14 and DC 41-5 from early maturity group and Pusa Sharad, CC35 and DC 18-19 from mid maturity group were involved in a hybridization program. The AFLP based SCAR marker SA4 was validated and a functional SSR marker was developed for foreground selection of Or gene carrier plants at seedling stage. Besides, for background selection, 400 SSR markers spanning across 9 chromosomes were utilized for polymorphic survey. Of these, 35 polymorphic markers were identified and utilized for background selection in selected BC₂ plants for recurrent parent genome recovery. The Or gene led biofortification of β-carotene in Indian cauliflower will be a sustainable and cost-effective strategy which may play a significant role in alleviation of vitamin A deficiency in the developing world. This paper reports the β-carotene increase due to Or gene in Indian cauliflower background using marker assisted breeding.