Mungbean germplasms tolerance to salinity stress correlated with age character and potential yield

Abstract

Mungbean is of the important legume commodity in Indonesia, however the production is still encountering the abiotic salinity stress. Fifty mungbean accessions were evaluated for the salinity tolerance at Indonesian Legumes and Tuber Crops Research Institute (ILETRI). The experimental was arranged in Split Plot Design consisted of two factors and three replications. The main plot was two environments, normal and salinity stress that was applied using diluted seawater, while the subplot was mungbean accessions. The parameters including soil electrical conductivity, time to first flowering and seed maturation, plant height, leaf chlorophyll index, salinity toxicity score, and seed yield per plant were observed. Salinity stress decreased mungbean seed yield with ranged from 61.33 - 100%. The highest stress tolerance index (STI) were found in Vima 4-MLGV 1118 (STI=0.58) and MLGV 1065 (STI=0.53). Five accessions did not able to produce any seed. Mungbean accessions tolerance to salinity stress was negatively correlated with the time of first flowering and seed maturation, while it was positively correlated with potential yield both in normal and salinity stress. It is suggested that selection and evaluation of mungbean to salinity stress in the future should be categorized both by the plant age and potential yield.