Scouting for Multiple Disease Resistance in Urdbean

Abstract

Background: Dry root rot (DRR), yellow mosaic disease (YMD) and stem necrosis diseases are inflicting the economic losses in urdbean. Information on the interrelation of morphological and biochemical parameters of the urdbean cultivars with the disease resistance is scarce. Methods: Thirty nine cultivars of urdbean were screened in the field for their resistance to DRR, YMD and stem necrosis diseases during Rabi, 2019-2020. The incidence of the diseases is compared with the morphological characters viz., trichome density, leaf thickness, root thickness and biochemical composition viz., total free amino acids, total soluble sugars and phenol content of cultivars. Result: Cultivar GBG 103 was found resistant to DRR and YMD with the maximum amount of trichome density. No cultivar was found resistant to stem necrosis under field conditions. Correlation analysis revealed the positive correlation of phenol content with the DRR incidence; trichome density and total soluble sugars with YMD incidence. Albeit the leaf thickness and total free amino acid content of the cultivars were negatively correlated with the incidence of the DRR, YMD and stem necrosis diseases.