News Excerpt:

The new plant species of ‘wild okra' has been discovered by a scientist from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in Odisha. 

About:

• ICAR- National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) has discovered a new plant species of the wild okra.
• For the first time, a new plant species of ‘wild okra’ has been discovered anywhere in the country.
• The new species is the 14th variety of the plant species and has been named ‘Abelmoschus Odishae’ after the state from where the type specimens were originally collected.
  • Till now, 13 different species of wild okra have been discovered, of which two are being harvested for consumption.
• The new plant species is a perennial shrub up to 5 metres high with a prickly stem, large, deep yellow flowers etc.

Advantages:

• The species has a seed viability of 95%.
• It can be used for hybridisation to create a better variety with high disease resistance.
• Hybridisation is mating between genetically different populations or taxa resulting in gene flow between them, 
• It can also play a vital role in widening the genetic base of okra.

Diseases of Okra:

• Yellow Vain Mosaic Virus (YVMV) and Okra Enation Leaf Curl Virus (OELCV).

• • The most dangerous diseases for okra crop and a major problem in okra cultivation.