Intergeneric hybridization in papaya for ‘PRSV’ tolerance

•Intergeneric hybrid progenies from the cross Carica papaya L  × Vasconcellea cauliflora sibmated to derive tolerant/resistant progenies to ‘PRSV’.•The hermaphrodite plants having castor type leaf and papaya shaped fruits were selfed.•Validation for hybridity carried out in successive generations.•Single plant selection for tolerance and fruit quality resulted in stable plant types.•Using gynodioecious varieties as female parent tolerant progenies for ‘PRSV’ can be developed.

‘Papaya ringspot virus’ is one of the major impediments in papaya cultivation. Intergeneric crossing carried out using the ‘PRSV’ resistant wild species Vasconcellea cauliflora as male parent, with the papaya variety ‘Arka Surya’ as female parent resulted in the intergeneric hybrid progenies. The progenies found resistant after artificial inoculation were field planted. The progenies segregated for castor and papaya type leaves with fruits having yellow and pink pulp. The tolerant hermaphrodite progenies selected based on the fruit characteristics were selfed. Five generations of single plant selection was carried out by selfing the hermaphrodite tolerant progenies having castor type leaf. The hybrids in the sixth generation were validated using ISSR markers. The banding pattern was obtained with the primers UBC-815, UBC-834, UBC-836, UBC-841 and UBC-844 showed that they are intergeneric hybrids.

Graphical abstractThe schematic diagram for the procedure adopted for developing progenies from the intergeneric crosses is given below.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide