Banana (Musa sp.) is a most significant fruit crop of Tripura next to Jackfruit and Pineapple is available and grown commercially by different tribal and Bengali communities. There are many local and traditional banana varieties are grown and different parts like Pseudo stem, Leaf sheath, male flower buds, unripe banana were used as vegetables. Seeds were using medicinal purpose by local tribes of Tripura and other north eastern states. Some wild species of banana like Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, Musa ornata, Musa laterita- hybrid, Musa flaviflora and Ensete glaucum, etc have been recorded in the Tripura. Musa flaviflora and Ensete glaucum were also fund in Tripura. Most important banana cultivars are ShabriKela(AAB), Martaman(AAB), Malbhog(AAB), Samai/Gopi/BanglaKela-1(AAB), Samai/Gopi/Bangla Kela-2(ABB), ChampaKela (AAB), Mizo-Cavindish (AAA), Katch Kela-1(ABB), Katch Kela-2(ABB), Katch Kela-3(ABB), Kanai Bansi (AA), Red Banana (AAA), in addition to the commercial cultivars wild forms like AttiaKela (BB), AthiaKol(BB) and Bhimkol (BB)were distributed in Tripura. Collected genotypes were assigned their genome like AA, AAA, AAB and ABB through 15-character score card systems. Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana designated by A and B genome. The genome scored from 1 to 5. Musa acuminata were given the score of 1 and Musa balbisiana were scored as 5. Most of the cultivars are triploids in nature and some are classified diploid. The wild banana like Attia Kela (BB), Bhimkol (BB), Musa spp. like Musa flaviflora and Ensete glaucum and many more seeded bananas are grown, whose pseudo stem, leaf sheath, flower bud, ripe banana are edible and used by tribal communities, rural and urban people of the state. Out of which nine important local and traditional cultivars/ varieties of banana grown for edible purpose like ShabriKela(AAB), Samai/Gopi/Bangla Kela(ABB), ChampaKela (AAB), Mizo-Cavindish (AAA), KatchKela (ABB), Kanai Basi (AA), Attia Kela (BB) AthiaKol(BB) and Bhimkol (BB),are grown in different parts of Tripura and North-Eastern states. The present finding banana genetic resources of Tripura which will be utilized in crop improvement, breeding and conservation

CSGRC plays a pivotal role in the inter-institutional collaboration for screening /testing/evaluation of sericultural germplasm through traditional as well as molecular tools. Presently, CSGRC is maintaining 369 silkworm genetic resources in the gene bank comprising 209 indigenous and 160 exotic accessions. Based on the rearing and reeling performance, 20 exotic bivoltine accessions were shortlisted from 169 accessions and utilised for hybrid preparation by crossing with the popular breed CSR2/CSR4. The hybrids of 20 exotic bivoltine accessions were tested by conducting four trials in favourable seasons at three tropical test centres along with control to assess the potentiality of the exotic bivoltine accessions as parents. The study indicated that the accessions viz. BBE-0197 and BBE-0267 performed as better combiners with CSR4 and revealed as promising exotic bivoltine accessions.

The present study was undertaken with the aim of optimising a suitable pollen germination medium for in vitro germination of maize pollen grains. During kharif 2016, of the four pollen germination media evaluated, highest pollen germination percentage of 90.58 percent and a mean tube length of 915 µm was observed in the liquid medium PGM3. However, pollen grains did not germinate in both the solid media evaluated. When the experiment was repeated in kharif 2017 with the inclusion of two additional solid germination media, pollen grains failed to germinate on any of the solid media as well as in the liquid medium PGM3 which supported maximum pollen germination during kharif 2016. These results indicate the inconsistencies in reproducibility of in vitro maize pollen germination. The study needs to be continued with an attempt to understand the various factors that affect germination of maize pollen grains under in vitro conditions.

The studies were carried out in laboratory condition in the Regional Agriculture Research Station, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ujjain, 456010, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Gwalior, 474002, Madhya Pradesh, during 2017-18 to Study the influence of wheat varieties for orientational preference and development period of Sitophilus oryzae, under laboratory condition Variety Sujata was least preferred orientation, while maximum orientation was on HI-8663 (Poshan), which was recorded significantly higher than rest of the varieties under test condition. The varieties significantly influenced the developmental period (egg to adult), which ranged from 28.9 days in Sujata to 40.3 days in HI-8663 (Poshan). The number of adults emerged from different varieties with same exposure period ranged from 3.5 in GW-173 to 9.2 in HI-8663 (Poshan). There was a positive correlation between volume of grain and adult emergence (r=0.999), however, there was a negative correlation between density of grains and adult’s emergence (r= 0.837). Percentage of grain damage was comparatively low (2.35-9.20 %) in GW-273 and lok-1, while maximum (9.20 %) grains were damaged in Lok-1. The percent grain damage influenced positively with the volume Wheat variety Sujata was found less susceptible against Sitophilus oryzae in which lower numbers of adults were oriented and has least emergence of adults, percent grain damage and percent loss in grain weight. The other promising varieties were GW-173, GW-273, PBW-343 and Raj-1555. Variety HI-8663 (Poshan) was most susceptible on the basis of above parameters. of 100 seeds and negatively with the density of seeds.