Genetic Parameters for Determining Useful Parents in Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) Breeding for Early Maturity, Small Seed Size, and High Seed Yield

Early maturity, small seed size, and high seed yield are important characters of mungbean in Indonesia. The objective of the study was to determine the useful parents in mungbean crosses for early maturity, small seed size, and high seed yield varieties by estimating the genetic parameters and their inheritance. The study was conducted at the ILETRI, Malang, East Java, Indonesia, during the dry season of 2014. 20 F1 and 5 parents were evaluated using a randomized block design, repeated three times. Results of the study showed that all observed traits showed the importance of both additive and dominance gene effects. The relative value of general combining ability (GCA) was greater than specific combining ability (SCA) for number of pod clusters per plant, number of branches per plant, plant height, days to maturity, and 100-seed weight which indicated the importance of additive gene effect. The dominance gene effect occurred on number of pods and seed yield per plant. Among five parents, G3 was the best combiner for all the observed characters except pod length; therefore, G3 could be exploited for late maturity, small seed size, high number of branches and pod cluster, and high seed yield. G5 has a high GCA for 100-seed weight. G1 and G2 have good GCA for early maturity. G3 and G5 genotypes are useful as parents in mungbean breeding for small and large seed size varieties, respectively. The best combination for seed yield was G2 × G3 and G3 × G1 crosses and could be proceeded with selection for early maturity, small seed size, and high seed yield varieties.

Influence of Seed Priming and Foliar Spray of Nutrients on Growth and Yield of Rabi Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)

An experiment was carried out at Agricultural Research Station, Tandur, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) for three consecutive years viz. 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 to study the Influence of seed priming and foliar spray of nutrients on growth and yield of Rabi Sorghum during the winter seasons. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with two factors. The treatments comprised were Factor 1: Seed priming (5) 1.Priming for 12 Hours in Water 2.Priming with ZnSo4 (2% solution) 3.Priming with K2HPO4 (2% solution). 4. Priming with KNO3 (2% solution) and 5.Control (No Priming). Factor 2: Foliar Spray (4) 1.KNO3 @ 2g in 100 ml of water, 2. Diammonium phosphate @ 2g in 100 ml of water, 3.Urea @ 2g in 100 ml of water and 5.Control (Simple water spray) with three replications. The pooled results of the trial indicated that seed treatment with KNO3 @ 0.5% and seed priming with KH2PO4 @ 0.5% recorded significantly on par and highest among all other seed priming treatment. The 100 seed weight (g) and grain yield t/ha recorded significantly on par by foliar spraying of KNO3 @ 2 % and di ammonium phosphate @ 2g in 100 ml of water over the control. The combination of seed priming with KNO3 and foliar spray of KNO3 or di ammonium phosphate @ 2g in 100 ml of water or Urea @ 2g in 100 ml of water resulted in highest and on par grain yield of rabi sorghum.

Effect of Zero and Minimum Tillage on Cotton Productivity and Soil Characteristics under Different Nitrogen Application Rates

Long-term conservation tillage and straw incorporation are reported to improve the soil health, growth, and yield traits of crops; however, little is known regarding the optimal nitrogen (N) supply under conservation tillage with straw incorporation. The present study evaluated the effects of conservation tillage practices (ZTsas: zero tillage plus wheat straw on the soil surface as such, and MTsi: minimum tillage plus wheat straw incorporated) and different N application rates (50, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha−1) on the yield and quality traits of cotton and soil characteristics in a five-year field experiment. The results showed that ZTsas produced a higher number of bolls per plant, boll weight, seed cotton yield, 100-seed weight, ginning out-turn (GOT), fiber length, and strength than MTsi. Among different N application rates, the maximum number of bolls per plant, boll weight, seed cotton yield, GOT, 100-seed weight, fiber length, strength, and micronaire were recorded at 150 kg N ha−1. Averaged over the years, tillage × N revealed that ZTsas had a higher boll number plant−1, boll weight, 100-seed weight, GOT, fiber length, and strength with N application at 150 kg ha−1, as compared to other tillage systems. Based on the statistical results, there is no significant difference in total soil N and soil organic matter among different N rates. Further, compared to MTsi, ZTsas recorded higher soil organic matter (SOM, 8%), total soil N (TSN, 29%), water-stable aggregates (WSA, 8%), and mean weight diameter (MWD, 28.5%), particularly when the N application of 150 kg ha−1. The fiber fineness showed that ZTsas had no adverse impact on fiber fineness compared with MTsi. These results indicate that ZTsas with 150 kg N ha−1 may be the optimum and most sustainable approach to improve cotton yield and soil quality in the wheat–cotton system.

Physicochemical basis of resistance in certain green gram genotypes to pulse bruchid, Calloso bruchus chinensis (L.)

A study was conducted to know the influence of physical and biochemical parameters on development of the pulse bruchid in green gram at RARS, Lam during 2017-18. The physical parameters of seed viz., colour, shape, surface texture, seed length and width, seed coat hardness and 100 seed weight and biochemical parameters such as protein content, phenol content and total sugars were evaluated for twelve genotypes of greengram. The greengram genotypes with smooth texture, oblong or globose shape and light coloured seed might be less preferred by the pulse bruchid for egg laying. The data showed that genotypes having low sugar and protein contents and high phenol content were resistant to pulse bruchid. The correlation studies showed that biological parameters i.e., number of eggs, adult emergence and growth index had significant positive association with protein content, sugar content, moisture content and electrical conductivity and negative correlation phenol content, 100 seed weight and seed coat hardness. In contrast, mean development period had negative association with protein content, sugar content, electrical conductivity and moisture content and positive correlation with phenol content, 100 seed weight and seed coat hardness. Multiple linear regression studies revealed that all the physical and biochemical properties of seed together were contributing to a large and significant variation (65 to 87 %) in growth parameters of pulse bruchid.

Genetic Variability, Heritability, and Genotypic Correlation of Soybean Agronomic Characters

<p>Genetic parameters are important in genetic improvement and variety development. This study aimed to determine the effective characters that can be applied as selection criterion in soybean breeding using genetic parameters. About 100 soybean genotypes were grown in the Muneng Agricultural Technology Research and Assessment Installation from April to July 2020. The trial was conducted using a randomized complete block design. The results showed that high genetic variability was found on days to maturity, number of branches per plant, number of productive nodes per plant, 100-seed weight, and seed yield. The high heritability was shown by days to maturity, plant height, number of branches per plant, and 100-seed weight. All phenotypic correlations were significant, except for the correlation between seed yield and days to maturity, plant height, number of branches, and number of productive nodes. The seed yield had no genotypic correlation with all agronomic characters observed. The genotypic correlation was only significant for plant height and number of productive nodes, number of branches and number of filled pods, as well as number of productive nodes and 100-seed weight. Therefore, the improvement of seed yield can be conducted through direct selection using the seed yield parameter or indirectly using the 100-seed weight.<br /><br /></p>

Combining Ability and Heterosis Studies in Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper]

Background: Blackgram is one of the important pulse crops. To improve the yield levels in this crop, studies on combining ability and heterosis are a method to select suitable parents based on their general and specific combing ability and heterotic effects for use in further breeding programmes. Methods: The present investigation was conducted during Kharif 2019. The crosses were made in line × tester mating fashion during the summer season of 2019 for obtaining 15 (Fifteen) crosses. Fifteen hybrids and their parents (3 lines and 5 testers), including one check, were grown and eleven traits were recorded to estimate general and specific combining ability in the modified line × tester method. Result: In the present investigation the predominance of non-additive gene effect in the expression of plant height, no. of clusters per plant, no. of pods per cluster, no. of pods per plant, seed yield per plant, biological yield per plant, 100 seed weight and harvest index was found. Among parents, KUP 18-346 and KUP 18-350, Pant U-31 were found to be good general combiner for seed yield and some other characters. Hybrids viz., KUP 18-350 × Pant U-31, KUP 18-345 × T-9 and KUP 18-345 × Uttara were found promising combinations for seed yield per plant. Hybrid, KUP 18-350 × Pant U-31 recorded significant standard heterosis, heterobeltiosis and average heterosis for most of the important characters.

Agronomic Characteristics and Seed Yield of Indonesian Mungbean (Vigna radiata) Genetic Resources

The availability of mungbean (Vigna radiata) genetic resources is important in breeding programs for development of new improved varieties. The objective of this study was to describe the characters of 300 accessions of ILETRI’s mungbean genetic resources collections. The study was conducted in Jambegede Experimental Station, East Java, Indonesia during dry season 2018. The results showed that the descriptive characters of 300 mungbean germplasm accessions had a fairly wide range, namely 50%-flowering date ranged from 30-50 days after planting with an average of 41.92 days, Pod maturity ranged from 50 - 88 days after planting with an average of 74.08 days, 100-seed weight ranged from 2.43 to 7.96 g with an average of 4.52 g, and Seed weight per plot ranged from 10 - 525 g with an average of 254.53 g. There were three accessions with seed size more than 7.5 g/100 seeds, namely MLGV 0713, MLGV 0960, and MLGV 1027. These accessions could be used as a source of genes for developing high yielding and large seed size of new improved mungbean varieties. Furthermore, the high diversity data in mungbean collection can provide information to used by breeders.

Diversity Analysis in Horse Gram [Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.] Mutants

Background: Horse gram is the potential rainfed legume in Indian farming. The major limitation in horse gram breeding is the narrow variability. Variability induction and its estimation would sustain food security. Methods: Variability was induced using gamma rays, electron beam and ethyl methanesulfonate and their combinations. The induced variation for the economic traits, their inheritance and genetic gain were ascertained. Result: The analysis of variance indicated the induction of significant variation for yield attributing traits. The population was grouped into 10 constellations by the virtue of induced variation. The groups I, II and V were the largest comprising of 38, 31 and 19 mutants respectively. The mutants exhibited significant intra and inter group variation. The mutagens induced the maximum variability for plant height (32.24%), 100 seed weight (25.42%) and number of pods per plant (19.18%). The mutants possessed high genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation for all the characters except flowering traits and duration. The induced variability for the yield attributing traits possessed significant breeding value as the heritability (86.66%-99.72%) and genetic advance as percent of mean (10.65-81.94) were high and the environmental influence was the minimum.

EFFECT OF SOWING METHODS AND PICKING INTERVALS ON THE FRESH YIELD AND SEED PRODUCTION OF OKRA (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS L.)

To study the effect of various planting beds and picking time on yield of okra, a research study was conducted at Horticulture Research Farm, Malakander, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan. Okra seeds of cultivar Swat Green were planted into two different types of sowing methods (ridges and flat beds), and reduced to various number of picking (3, 4, and 5 intervals). The results of the present study revealed that okra plants sown on the ridges recorded maximum germination percentage (96.9%), fruit weight (22.41g), pod length (14.44 cm), seed pod-1 (48), 100 seed weight (6.41 g), seed yield (102.2 kg ha-1) and fresh yield (0.165 tons ha-1). Data regarding number of picking intervals showed that maximum germination percentage (92.7%), fruit weight (20.97 g), pod length (12.25 cm), highest seed yield (103.3 kg ha-1), and seed pod-1 (43) were recorded in 3 pickings. Whereas, data for maximum 100 seed weight (6.6 g) for picking intervals was recorded in 4 pickings and maximum fresh yield (0.148 tons ha-1) in 5 pickings. Infestation of weeds can cause a significant loss in okra yield which needs urgent integrated management. Cyperus rotundus, Echinochloa crusgalli and Digitaria sanguinalis were the main weeds observed during the study against which local farmers used various manual, mechanical and chemical control methods. It is concluded that okra plant sown on ridges and almost 3 picking intervals have significantly affected the growth and seed yield. Excessive use of chemical herbicides should be avoided to prevent environmental and human health hazards.

Studies on Genetic Architecture Through Variability Parameters and Association Analysis in Cowpea [Vigna Unguiculata (L.) Walp.]

Genetic architecture through variability parameters and association analysis for green forage yield and its characters in 78 germplasm lines including 3 checks (MFC-8-14, UPC-5286 and TSFC-12-15) was carried out during Rabi 2015-2016. All the fifteen studied characters exhibited existence of variability significantly. This indicated existence of sufficient variability among the genotypes for the mentioned characters and sufficient scope for development of new variety or genotypes. High genetic advances as percentage of mean were recorded for green forage yield (q/ha/day). High heritability estimates were recorded for 100-seed weight (g) and by green forage yield (q/ha). Correlation coefficient showed significant positive correlation with dependent character green forage yield with green forage yield per day at genotypic and phenotypic level. Maximum positive direct effect was obtained for green forage yield per day. These results indicate that green forage yield can be improved much better way by selection. Selection for these traits is likely to accumulate more additive genes leading to further improvement of performance of genotypes. Bangladesh J. Bot. 50(3): 557-564, 2021 (September)