Crop Improvement in Guava: An Overview

Abstract

Guava is a major fruit crop of India and popularly known as 'apple of the tropics' since it is consumed as a fresh fruit or processed into a variety of products. Efforts have been made over the past few decades to widen its genetic base by creating new variability and utilizing it for the selection of elite variety or hybrids for commercial cultivation. Attempts are still on to improve upon the existing commercial cultivars through selection ofgermplasm and combining the desirable traits of various genotypes through hybridization. A variety with in-built resistance to the biotic and abiotic resistance besides high yielding capacity of good quality fruit is lacking in guava. The DNA marker assisted selection has the potential to introduce and deploy favourable gene combinations for disease control along with the other agronomically important traits. The available information covering different aspects of crop improvement of guava has been reviewed..