Identification of Best Parents based on per se Performance and gca Effects for Yield and Water use Efficiency Related Traits in Mungbean

Abstract

Background: Among the constraints for low yield of mungbean, drought stress and heat stress are prominent. Water deficits and high temperature occur together in many environments and both stresses can interact to reduce yields. Thus, combination of water use efficiency and high temperature tolerance traits are relevant rather than a single trait used as selection criteria for screening appropriate plant ideotype. The present study is contemplated to identify superior parents for yield, yield attributes, water use efficiency and thermo tolerance related traits through combining ability analysis. Methods: Twenty one F1 crosses were generated by crossing seven diverse mungbean genotypes viz., ML 267, LGG 528, MGG 390, WGG 42, AKM 9904, LM 95 and EC 362096 in a 7 x 7 diallel fashion without reciprocals. Further, 21 F1 crosses along with seven parents were evaluated to study the the mean performance of the seven parents and their 21 F1 crosses and combining ability of the parents and crosses and gene action for yield, yield components and water use efficiency related traits. Result: The present investigations confirmed that some of the parents with significant positive gca effects for seed yield per plant and showed significant positive gca effects for one or more yield, WUE and heat stress tolerance contributing traits. Combination of mean performance and gca effects would result in the selection of potential parents with good reservoir of superior genes. The parents which exhibited high per se performance also displayed good general combining ability effects. Hence, per se performance may be used effectively for the selection of parents. In the present study, MGG 390, ML 267 and EC 362096 were adjudged as the best parents based on both mean and gca effects.