Abstract
Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is an important source of nutrients and income for smallholder farmers in East Africa. Mungbean production in countries like Uganda largely depends on landraces, in the absence of improved varieties. In order to enhance productivity, efforts have been underway to develop and evaluate mungbean varieties that meet farmers’ needs in various parts of the country. This study was conducted at six locations in Uganda, to determine the adaptability of introduced mungbean genotypes, and identify mungbean production mega-environments in Uganda. Eleven genotypes (Filsan, Sunshine, Blackgram, Mauritius1, VC6148 (50-12), VC6173 (B-10),Yellowmungo, KPS1, VC6137(B-14),VC6372(45-60),VC6153(B-20P) and one local check were evaluated in six locations during 2013 and 2014. The locations were; National Semi Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI), Abi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (AbiZARDI),Kaberamaido variety trial center, Kumi variety trial center, Nabuin Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NabuinZARDI), and Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NgettaZARDI). G × E interactions were significant for grain yield. Through GGEBiplot analysis, three introduced genotypes (Filsan, Blackgram and Sunshine) were found to be stable and high yielding, and therefore, were recommended for release. The six test multi-locations were grouped into two candidate mega-environments for mungbean production (one comprising of AbiZARDI and Kaberamaido and the other comprising of NaSARRI, NabuinZARDI, Kumi, and NgettaZARDI). National Semi Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI) was the most suitable environment in terms of both discriminative ability and representativeness and therefore can be used for selection of widely adaptable genotypes.Key Words: Biplot, mega-environment, Vigna radiata
Highlights
Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek), known as greengram, is an important pulse crop in the Indian sub-continent where it has been cultivated for centuries, and globally, where it serves both as a food crop and source of income (Mogotsi, 2006)
Post-flowering pests such as flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti Trybom), pod borers (Maruca vitrata Fabricius) and pod sucking bugs were controlled by 2-3 insecticide sprays using Profenofos 40% + Cypermethrin 4% starting from the budding stage
For genotypes grown in a wide range of environments, G x E interactions especially of a cross-over type are common (Ceccarelli, 2012) and these pose a serious problem to breeders in choosing the best variety, as this decision depends considerably on where the comparison is conducted
Summary
Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek), known as greengram, is an important pulse crop in the Indian sub-continent where it has been cultivated for centuries, and globally, where it serves both as a food crop and source of income (Mogotsi, 2006). In Uganda, mungbean is widely grown by smallholder farmers in the eastern and northern regions of the country (Ibedo, 2014). These regions are characterised by variable climatic, edaphic, biotic and land use patterns, which influence productivity of the crop (Wortmann and Eledu, 1999). New adaptable varieties are needed to ensure profitable and sustainable production of mungbean in these areas. The new varieties must show high performance in terms of yield and other important agronomic traits. The good performance must be reliable over a wide range of environmental conditions (Annicchiarico, 2002)
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