RESULTS OF BREEDING SEED-LOTUS HYBRIDS IN VIETNAM

Abstract

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is widely cultivated across Viet Nam, where its seeds constitute a major harvested product. To develop cultivars with improved seed yield and quality, breeding program was conducted at the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute during the period 2022 - 2024. From this effort, 16 promising hybrid crosses were obtained, showing pod-setting rates of 30 - 80% and filled-seed percentages of 37.5 - 93.1%. Through selective line evaluations, two seed-type lotus hybrids, 22S06-8 and 22S12-14, were selected. These hybrids exhibit high flowering density (> 33 flowers/m²/year), high seed yield (pod-setting rate > 85% and filled-seed percentage > 80%) and desirable seed quality (starch content 17.0 - 17.1% and protein content 8.53 - 8.55%), along with low susceptibility to major pests and diseases. This study provides the first systematically evaluated seed-lotus cultivars developed through hybrid breeding in Viet Nam, offering new genetic resources for both commercial cultivation and future breeding programs.