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At present, multinational confectionary companies are sourcing tons of high oleic peanuts from Australia for their Asian processing units, to make peanut-based confectionary products like chocolate bars and breakfast cereals.
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Using the latest genotyping tools such as the single nucleotide platform method (SNP), breeders were able to screen thousands of second generation (F2) crosses looking for the high oleic FAD peanut mutants at much lower cost and faster rate than before.
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Multilocation trial using the network of research stations of partners across India, but also in other countries in Asia and Africa help identify high Oleic lines adapted to different agro-ecologies, therefore helping fast-track their release.
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Multilocation trial using the network of research stations of partners across India, but also in other countries in Asia and Africa help identify high Oleic lines adapted to different agro-ecologies, therefore helping fast-track their release.
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Khedut has 8,000 smallholder groundnut farmers (farm size between 1.5 to 2.5 acres) engaged in groundnut seed production and they are interested in this innovation which will sell at higher price, yet at competitive rate compared to imported peanuts.
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While large food companies have already expressed their interest to buy high oleic peanuts from India, a unique collaboration with Khedut Feeds and Foods, a farmer organisation in Gujarat, will help a rapid take-off of these new high oleic varieties once
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After 6-7 years of innovative breeding research, ICRISAT peanut breeders have developed the first-ever oleic-rich Indian peanuts, ready for release.
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Recent sensory testing conducted by a leading confectionery food company gave very positive results with flavour as good as US confectionary peanuts.
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Several crop breeding innovations helped the scientists develop these new high oleic lines in a fast and cost-effective manner.
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Most Indian groundnut farmers grow bunch type adapted to rainfed agroecologies (early maturity, rapid pod-filling after flash moisture) but low in oleic acid (around 45-50% of total fatty acids).
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On the other hand, some of the spreading varieties in USA or Australia (Virginia type) are rich in oleic acid (above 80%) thanks to fatty acid desaturase mutations (FAD).
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ICRISAT scientists started by crossing popular local varieties with a high oleate Virginia type peanut developed in US (Sunoleic 95R), requiring laborious manual pollination in controlled environment.
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Using greenhouse facilities, with artificial light and temperature control, breeders were able to multiply 3 generations of groundnut in a year, instead of two generations per year. This has resulted in enhanced rate of genetic gain.
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Back in the groundnut breeding lab, researchers also compare the pods and seeds’ look and size of the best performing high oleic lines with the varieties farmers usually grow (and the food companies usually buy).
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This oleic acid content testing can be done in early generations, to reject the low oleic plants saving tremendous breeding costs.
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Rapid and non-destructive near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) gives in a few seconds oleic acid content and other seed constituents like protein and oil, without having to grind sample seeds for extraction. Researcher save more seeds for multipl
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The project conducted the first-ever "specialty” national trial in India which required new research protocol for selection, as new groundnut varieties have been tested for yield or disease resistance only in the past.