Development and Validation of a Core Set of Dolichos Bean Germplasm

Abstract

Increased use of genetic resources is necessary to sustain crop improvement. Large numbers of germplasm entries and possible existence of duplicate/redundant accessions are impediments to effective management, evaluation, and utilization. A core collection is a limited set of accessions chosen to represent the maximum genetic spectrum with minimum redundancy of the existing germplasm collection. Six hundred forty-four indigenous and exotic germplasm accessions of Dolichos bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet] and four check entries were characterized for 21 qualitative traits and evaluated for 20 quantitative traits at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India, during the 2012 rainy season. A core set of size 10% (n = 64 accessions) was developed using software that applies advanced M-strategy with a heuristic search. The core set was examined for its representativeness of the base collection for both qualitative and quantitative traits using univariate and multivariate statistics. The core set retained more than 90% of quantitative traits variability and polymorphism of qualitative traits. The core set is suggested for evaluation across target production environments and years to identify widely/specifically adapted and stable accessions to foster enhanced access and use of Dolichos bean germplasm.