Tapping into the Potential of Underutilized Niger ( Guizotia abyssinica (L. f.) Cass.) Through Breeding and Biotechnological Tools

Jayashri Narayan Papade (), Krishnananda Pralhad Ingle, Niranjan Ravindra Thakur, Sunil Shriram Gomashe, Munagapati Padmavathy and Stanislaus Antony Ceasar ()
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Jayashri Narayan Papade: Indian Council of Agriculture Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), Akola 444104, India
Krishnananda Pralhad Ingle: Reliance Industries Limited, Navi Mumbai 400709, India
Niranjan Ravindra Thakur: Department of Agricultural Botany, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani 431402, India
Sunil Shriram Gomashe: Indian Council of Agriculture Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), Akola 444104, India
Munagapati Padmavathy: Department of Food Technology, Koneru Lakshmaiah University, Vaddeswaram, Green Fields, Guntur 522502, India
Stanislaus Antony Ceasar: Division of Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Department of Biosciences, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Cochin 683104, India

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: Niger ( Guizotia abyssinica (L. f.) Cass.), an oilseed crop from the Compositae family, thrives in temperate and tropical climates. Its small seeds, rich in oil (50–60% biocrude), are widely used for biodiesel, soap production, and as a condiment in culinary applications. Additionally, harvested Niger plants serve as green manure, improving soil health. However, Niger cultivation in India has significantly declined over the past decade due to low yields, a poor seed set, self-incompatibility , a low harvest index, and seed shattering. A lack of genetic diversity further restricts breeders from developing high-yielding cultivars. The discovery of hereditary male sterility in India has facilitated heterosis utilization and laid the foundation for breeding improved varieties. This review explores the use of traditional breeding methods and genetic tools to enhance Niger, emphasizing plant tissue culture, molecular markers, and the identification of promising gene targets to produce desirable traits. Advanced technologies like CRISPR/Cas, including base and prime editing, are promising to revolutionize Niger breeding and functional genomics research. The insights in this paper stress the urgent need to genetically improve Niger and other underutilized oil crops to meet the increasing global demand for sustainable and diverse oil crops. Such interventions could transform Niger cultivation, ensuring its role in global agriculture.

Keywords: Niger; conventional breeding; genetic transformation; molecular markers; CRISPR/Cas tools (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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