IDENTIFICATION OF MAIZE LINE OF MANIPUR CONTAINING crtRB1 3’TE FAVOURABLE ALLELE USING MOLECULAR MARKER

Vitamin A is one of the essential nutrients for normal functioning and growth in our body. Biofortification of vitamin A in the crop (Maize) is an economical way to overcome vitamin A deficiency. The crtRB1 is an important gene in the carotenoid pathway which increases β-carotene accumulation in maize. Selecting the lines having favourable allele is a cost-effective method alternative to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the present study, we screened hundred maize lines of Manipur derived from CAU-87 using a crtRB1 3’TE gene-specific marker and found that three lines viz., CAU-87-9, CAU-87-12, CAU-87-28 contained the favourable allele which can be utilized for maize improvement programme