Heterosis and Combining Ability Analysis of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) Genotypes for Yield and Its Attributing Traits

Abstract

India is the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses, accounting for 36.8% of the global cultivated area, 24.2% of global production, and 27% of global consumption. The paper aims to conduct heterosis and combining ability analysis of mungbean genotypes for yield and its its attributing traits. An experiment consisting of 75 genotypes (21 parents + 54 F1s) was conducted in a randomised block design with three replications during Kharif 2022 at Student’s Instructional Farm, C. S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, to assess the Heterosis and Combining Ability of different mungbean genotypes. The analysis indicates that the variance due to lines was significant for pod length (cm) and biological yield per plant (g). Additionally, the variance due to testers was significant for several traits, including days to 50% flowering, number of pod clusters per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length (cm), number of seeds per pod, 100 seed weight (g), and biological yield per plant (g). The mean sum of squares resulting from their interaction was significant for all traits studied. The significant and positive GCA effects for grain per plant were exhibited by three lines, viz., KM 2364, IPM 604 and NM 1705. The present investigation revealed that the seven cross combinations viz, KM 2448 x IPM 02-3, KM 2448 x KM 2195, KM 2449 x KM 2195, IPM 208 x PDM 139, IPM 604 x IPM 02-3, SML 1839 x PDM 139, and PUSA 2071 x IPM 02-3, were good specific combiners for seed yield per plant. In the present investigation, KM 2364 x PDM 139, having per se performance as well as the highest economic heterosis (27.18 %) for yield, also revealed significant desirable heterotic effects for days to maturity, plant height, and harvest index. Similarly, the other best hybrid, PUSA 2072 x KM 2195, showing high per se coupled with high magnitude of economic heterosis (26.80%), also showed significant useful heterosis for days to maturity, plant height and harvest index. The present investigation revealed that the seven cross combinations viz; KM 2448 x IPM 02-3, KM 2448 x KM 2195, KM 2449 x KM 2195, IPM 208 x PDM 139, IPM 604 x IPM 02-3, SML 1839 x PDM 139, and PUSA 2071 x IPM 02-3 were good specific combiners for seed yield per plant.