Assignment PBG-504

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Semester: 6th

Assignment Title: Description of Jute

Crop

Department of Plant Breeding and

Genetics, UAF
 INTRODUCTION OF JUTE CROP

Jute, Hindi pat, also called allyott, either of two species of Corchorus plants—C. capsularis, or
white jute, and C. olitorius, including both tossa and daisee varieties—belonging to the hibiscus,
or mallow, family (Malvaceae), and their fiber. The latter is a bast fiber, i.e., it is obtained from
the inner bast tissue of the bark of the plant’s stem. Jute fiber’s primary use is in fabrics for
packaging a wide range of agricultural and industrial commodities that require bags, sacks,
packs, and wrappings. Wherever bulky, strong fabrics and twines resistant to stretching are
required, jute is widely used because of its low cost. Burlap is made from jute.

Botany of Jute Crop

The Jute plant, which probably originated on the Indian subcontinent, is an herbaceous annual
that grows to an average of 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.6 meters) in height, with a cylindrical stalk
about as thick as a finger. The two species grown for jute fiber are similar and differ only in the
shape of their seed pods, growth habit, and fiber characteristics. Most varieties grow best in
well-drained, sandy loam and require warm, humid climates with an average monthly rainfall of
at least 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) during the growing season. The plant’s light green leaves
are 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long, about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, have serrated edges, and taper
to a point. The plant bears small yellow flowers.
The jute plant’s fibers lie beneath the bark and surround the woody central part of the stem.
The fiber strands nearest the bark generally run the full length of the stem. A jute crop is usually
harvested when the flowers have been shed but before the plants’ seedpods are fully mature. If
jute is cut before then, the fiber is weak; if left until the seed is ripe, the fiber is strong but is
coarser and lacks the characteristic luster.
 BREEDING OBJECTIVES

1. BREEDING FOR HIGH YIELDING SHORT DURATION JUTE VARIETIES:

Early varieties are generally low yielders whereas late varieties are high yielders. So to combine
high yield with earliness is one of the main objectives. • Yield is positively correlated with plant
height, basal diameter of stem, fiber-stick ratio.
Higher photo synthetic capacity with increased lamina length, breadth, petiole length and leaf
angle at 400 also contribute to yield.

2. BREEDING FOR QUALITY FIBRE :

In jute quality is negatively correlated with yield.
The quality characters are a) Fiber length. b) Fiber strength c) Fiber color d) Luster e)
Percentage and quality of retting f) Proportion of faults such as roots, spects, knots.
Environment plays a major role in quality. Alternate and fluctuating bright sunshine, humidity
and temperature and rainfall at minimal level are favorable for improved quality.
Further retting in clear and slow running water gives good quality fiber.
The tall and thick plants in general gives inferior fiber than that in short and thick plant.

3. BREEDING FOR PEST AND DISEASE RESISTANT VARIETIES:

In pests, stem borer and aphids cause greater damage and in diseases Macrophomena is major.
Though resistance sources are available in other related species, the cross-ability barrier
prevents transfer.

4. BREEDING VARIETIES FOR HIGH SEED YIELD:

Since jute is cut for fiber at 50% flowering stage, it is essential to reserve some plants for production
of seeds.
The fiber obtained from seed crop will be poor in quality. Hence it is necessary to breed varieties
especially for high seed production without losing quality characters.
 BREEDING METHODS

1. CONVENTIONAL BREEDING:
Introduction, selection and sexual hybridization (intra- and interspecific) has often been the
popular choice of breeders for developing improved jute varieties that have good agronomic
traits such as resistant to both biotic (pests and diseases) and abiotic (drought, floods, heat etc.)
stresses, and high-quality yield.
2. HYBRIDIZATION AND SELECTION:
a) Inter varietal: Multiple crossing and selection are followed both in olitorius and capsularis
improvement. In olitorius improved varieties are JRO 524, JRO 7885. In capsulanis JRL 412, JRL
919 since yield and quality are negatively correlated a balance must be struck in breeding for
improved varieties.
b) Inter specific cross: So far not successful. Attempts were made by straight cross mixed pollen
method, Stigmatic paste method, self-anther paste method, stigma cut method polyploidy
breeding. But none of them proved successful. Difference in embryo endosperm growth is the
reason.

3. MUTATION BREEDING:
Mutation breeding in jute has been going on for a long time and many mutants have been
produced affecting different parts of the plant such as the stem, leaf, floral organs, pods and
fiber character. Different morphological changes in the leaves and stems and variation in the
flowering time were obtained after irradiating dry and moist seeds of C. capsularis and C.
olitorius with X-rays. Using x-rays useful jute mutants were obtained at Calcutta JRC 7447 and
Rupali two varieties.

4. TISSUE CULTURE:
Many attempts have been made to improve jute crop through traditional breeding methods
including both intra- and interspecific hybridization among the two primary fiber jute species
(dark and white jute). However, these approaches experienced limitations. Some developments
have been achieved in jute due to the application of biotechnology, including somatic
hybridization via protoplast fusion, Agrobacterium mediated transformation and plant
regeneration.
5. Application of Molecular Markers in Breeding:
Molecular markers in jute, such as RAPDs, chloroplast-SSRs, gSSRs, ISSRs and AFLPs have been
utilized to assess genetic diversity in both cultivated and wild species. An association mapping
panel has been developed for C. olitorius, and several RAD-SNP (restriction-site-associated DNA
single nucleotide polymorphism) markers are being used for genome-wide association mapping
of complex bast fiber quality traits.
6. Genetic Transformation:
A sexual incompatibility barrier was observed between the two species of jute that has
hindered the development of an improved variety possessing beneficial traits of both species by
conventional breeding; therefore, improvement of this crop may be achieved through the
application of genetic transformation. The genetic transformation of several crops largely
involves direct delivery of foreign DNA to the explants, with subsequent regeneration of the
plant from its callus. However, this same procedure cannot be employed in the case of L. Zhang
et al. 103 Corchorus, because many of its cultivars resist in vitro regeneration, thereby making
its genetic manipulation almost impossible.

USES

Jute is used in a wide variety of goods. Jute mats and prayer rugs are common in the East, as
are jute-backed carpets worldwide. Jute’s single largest use, however, is in sacks and bags,
those of finer quality being called burlap, or hessian. Burlap bags are used to ship and store
grain, fruits and vegetables, flour, sugar, animal feeds, and other agricultural commodities.
High-quality jute cloths are the principal fabrics used to provide backing for tufted carpets, as
well as for hooked rugs (i.e., Oriental rugs). Jute fibres are also made into twines and rough
cordage.

Thank You