The Use Of In Vitro Techniques In Groundnut ImprovementD CSastriauthorJ PMossauthorMNaliniauthorGenetic improvement of crops by utilization of characters from wild species, which often have desirable traits not present in the cultivated forms, has been the subject of serious attention. The interspecific transfer of genes has not always been simple and straightforward because of reproductive barriers and genetic incompatibility. This is true in the genus Arachis where a number of species have been identified as sources of resistance to fungal and viral pathogens as well as to insect pests (1 1. A few species have been crossed with A. hypogaea and their derivatives produced (1 - 41, but there are 'l; number of species which are not crossable with oundnut (5). This limits the scope for crop improvement, and the sS. tuation necessitates the adoption of existing methods, or develop- ment of new ones for the production of hybrids following these desirkle wide crosses.Groundnut1983Plenum PressBook Section