Variation for Pre-Harvest Sprouting Resistance in Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.)

Abstract

Seed dormancy plays a critical role in mitigating pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.), especially under conditions of untimely rainfall during harvest. This study was conducted over two consecutive cropping seasons, Kharif 2023 and Kharif 2024, to evaluate the extent of genetic variation in seed dormancy-related traits among 60 genetically diverse mungbean genotypes at the School of Agricultural Sciences, Malla Reddy University, Hyderabad. The primary objective was to identify genotypes with inherent resistance to PHS by assessing germination behaviour in intact pods, pod opening time (POT), and key agro-morphological characteristics. Based on germination percentage from intact pods, genotypes were categorized into three dormancy classes: highly dormant (<10%), moderately dormant (10–50%), and non-dormant (>50%). Notably, highly dormant genotypes exhibited delayed pod opening (ranging from 96 to 108 hours), thereby minimizing seed exposure to external moisture and significantly reducing the risk of PHS. Quantitative trait analysis revealed substantial variability in days to shattering, POT, and germination percentage, whereas days to flowering and maturity were relatively stable across genotypes. Among the tested entries, germination percentage ranged from 6.0% to 95.0%, with pooled mean GP of 75.63%. Genotypes GG53, GG50, and GG55 recorded the highest GP, while GG16, GG19, and GG20 recorded the lowest. For pod opening time, genotypes GG60, GG15, and GG47 exhibited rapid dehiscence. The genotypes GG16, GG19, and GG20 took over 100 hours to pod opening and low germination percentage. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating dormancy-associated traits into breeding strategies aimed at improving PHS resistance in mungbean, particularly for cultivation in rain-prone agro-ecological regions.