Leguminous Crops Research Articles

Assessing land suitability for leguminous crops in the okavango river basin: A multicriteria and machine learning approach

This study aimed to create a model to identify land suitable for growing sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) in the Okavango River basin of the Kavango East region of Namibia. The researchers used advanced tree-based ensemble learning models to improve the accuracy of the analysis. These learning models are derived from original models such as Random Forest, Extra Trees, Gradient Boosting, and XGBoost, combined with a multivariate regression analysis. The Random Forest and XGboost models exhibited outstanding performance, as evidenced by their respective accuracy values of 0.97 and 0.96. In addition, this study proposed an innovative approach through the integration of subjective and objective analytical methods, which are independent of one another. The subjective component of the analysis employed a Multi-Criteria Decision Making-Analytic Hierarchy Process (MCDM-AHP). On the other hand, the objective component used a data-driven multivariate approach supported by tree-based learning algorithms. The researchers considered twenty-two variables, encompassing climatic conditions, hydro-geomorphologic features, soil characteristics, vegetation patterns, and socio-economic factors. These variables played a crucial role to identify the most suitable areas for growing the selected leguminous crops. The MCDM-AHP method utilised expert evaluations to rank the importance of variables, identifying water sources, slope, and soil properties as key factors. A suitability mapping analysis revealed that 17.63% of the area was highly suitable and 62.77% moderately suitable, while 10% was less suitable and 9.59% unsuitable for growing these two legumes. According to the data driven methodology, soil fertility and nitrogen content emerged as key determinants for land suitability. This is particularly relevant for nitrogen-fixing leguminous crops such as sunn hemp and pigeon pea, which play a central role in improving soil quality and ensuring food security.

Response of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) Accessions to Moisture Stress

Cowpea is one of the most important leguminous crops in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and moisture stress is among the constraints affecting its productivity. This study was conducted to understand the response of cowpea accessions to moisture stress. A total of 255 cowpea accessions from Togo and four checks from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), were assessed. The trials were conducted in the glasshouse and an open field (which was divided into moisture-stressed (MS) and non-moisture-stressed fields (NMS)). In the non-moisture-stressed environment compared to the moisture-stressed environment, there was a greater heritability for agronomic traits such as biomass, seed weight, and pod weight. The accessions with the highest seed weights (yield-related traits), surpassing the checks under both moisture-stressed and non-moisture-stressed conditions in the field, were six viz.: RK173 (49.8 g (MS); 90.4 g (NMS)), RP225 (34.6 g (MS); 119.9 g (NMS)), RP232 (33.4 g (MS); 51.9 g (NMS)), RM357 (27.9 g (MS); 62.9 g (NMS)), RK148 (23.9 g (MS); 63.4 g (NMS)), and Vu081_2_2 (21.8 g (MS); 46.7 g (NMS)). The most promising accession was RK173; this was ranked first under the moisture-stressed condition and ranked second under the non-moisture-stressed condition with a loss in weight of 44.9% due to drought stress. Of the top 20 accessions that recovered after watering resumed in the glasshouse screening, only the following 9 had a recovery percentage higher than 5% viz.: RS029 (34.5%), RK014 (14.2%), RS114 (9.6%), RK121 (8.3%), RS007 (7.6%), RK123 (7.3%), RS037 (7.3%), RS101 (5.6%), and RS108 (5.1%). The best line and those with a higher recovery percentage could be exploited further in order to improve them in future drought breeding programs by crossing them with lines susceptible to drought or using other drought breeding techniques.

Synergistic Effects of Seed Inoculation with Piriformospora indica and Foliar Hormonal Application on Early Flowering in Rice Bean (Vigna umbellata) Variety Surabhi

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of seed inoculation with Piriformospora indica and various foliar hormonal treatments in promoting early flowering in fodder rice bean (Vigna umbellata Thunb.), variety Surabhi, conducted at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with ten treatments and three replications. The plot size of 3 m2 was followed in the field experiment. The experiment assessed the impact of different treatments on flowering and other biometric traits in the leguminous crop. The treatments included untreated control, seed inoculation with Piriformospora indica before sowing and foliar applications of salicylic acid (100 ppm,150 ppm), GA₃ (200 ppm,300 ppm), Paclobutrazol (10 ppm,20 ppm) and KNO₃ (1%,1.5%) at 30 days after sowing (DAS). The results revealed that significant differences were observed among treatments for all thirteen biometric traits measured. Early flowering was recorded in plants treated with salicylic acid @ 100 ppm(65.35 days), followed by GA₃ @ 300 ppm (67.72 days), salicylic acid @ 150 ppm (67.81 days), and Paclobutrazol @ 10 ppm (69.87 days), whereas the control flowered last (80.96 days. The findings suggest that the application of specific concentrations of growth regulators and seed inoculation with P.indica can effectively reduce the time to flowering, enhancing the potential for improved seed production in fodder rice bean.

Characterization of bean common mosaic virus isolates infecting three leguminous bean crops from South and Southeast Asia.

Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) is causing economically important diseases in leguminous crops worldwide. In this study, BCMV isolates from country bean (CB, Lablab purpureus), yard-long bean (YLB, Vigna unguiculata) and rajma bean (RB, Phaseolus vulgaris) collected from Bangladesh, Nepal and Cambodia were characterized. Samples tested positive for BCMV in serological assays were subjected to high-throughput sequencing to generate near full-length genome sequences. In pair-wise comparisons of the polyprotein open reading frame, thirteen BCMV isolates from Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Nepal showed sequence identity of 92.1 to 98.8% at the nucleotide and 94.2 to 99% at the amino acid level among themselves and with corresponding sequences of BCMV reported previously. In phylogenetic analyses using the global BCMV sequences, they segregated into five distinct lineages, with RB isolates from Nepal clustering with US1/NL1-clade of common bean isolates from different countries, YLB isolates aligning with blackeye cowpea strain sequences reported from China, and CB isolates from Nepal and Bangladesh clustering with soybean isolates from China. One YLB isolate from Nepal was identified as a putative recombinant. None of the BCMV sequences aligned with isolates representing the RU1 or PStV clades. In grow-out tests, seed samples from local markets showed 14.3 to 38.1% transmission efficiency rate of BCMV with CB seed lots and from 9.5% to 33.3% with YLB seed lots.

Pulses in India: Comprehensive Analysis of Production, Challenges, and Strategic Vision for 2030

Despite of immense growth of Indian agriculture, food and nutritional security is still a challenge due to biasedness towards wheat and rice. As production of pulses in the recent decade has not increased in pace with the increase in population. Pulses are a major source of protein in Indian diet and also environment friendly. Therefore, the increase in pulse production will act as an accelerator for nutritional security. This study analyses the nutritional value of pulses, status of pulses economy in India comprising of import, export and consumption status as well as a strategic vision for 2030 towards promotion of pulses in the country. Pulses form one of the most important group of crops in India, which is also responsible for yielding large financial gains by amounting to a large part of the exports. Of all categories of people, pulses form an integral part of the Indian diet, providing much-needed protein to the carbohydrate-rich diet. For farmers, pulses are an important crop because they can both sell them and consume them, which helps farmers maintain household food security and creates economic stability. Being leguminous crops, they help in restoring soil fertility by utilising nitrogen from the air (nitrogen fixation). Therefore, pulses are mostly grown in rotation with other crops. They need less moisture and survive even in dry conditions. India is the largest producer as well as consumer of pulses in the world. The top pulse-producing states in India are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka, collectively contribute significantly to the country’s pulse output, yet current production fails to meet domestic demand, leading to imports. The common pulses across globe are black gram, green gram, horse gram, peas, cow peas, pigeon peas, lentils and chick peas. A long-term vision is required for pulses in India because of various aspects like lower yield compared to global average, wide gap between demand and supply, rapid population growth and nutritional as well as environmental value. In this article the challenges and constraints in achieving projected demand of pulses and government policy support for achieving this projected demand have been discussed, addressing the complex dynamics of pulses economy in India.

Physiological, morphological and chemical changes in pea seeds under different storage conditions

The loss of germination, viability, and vigor of seeds under storage conditions are the main causes of the need to multiply the seed material for leguminous crops. For crop establishment, seeds obtained in propagation fields are usually used, and the coating comes from the basic seed. In the case of leguminous species, the seeds quickly lose their viability, and in accordance with international regulations, for legumes, the number of seeds increases only in the first year of propagation. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the effects of variations in the storage period, temperature and humidity on the morphophysiological and chemical traits of two pea seed varieties (Gloriosa and Kelvedon Wonder). The pea seeds were harvested at the end of June 2017, 2018 and 2019 and stored for 32, 20 and 8 months at T = 4 °C and H = 8%; T = 4 °C and H = 12%; T = 8 °C and H = 8%; T = 8 °C and H = 12%; and T = 22 °C and H = 65%. The results of the morphological, chemical, and biochemical analyses showed that the highest germination rate; hypocotyl length; radicle length; lipid content; dietetic fiber content; caloric value; and Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe and Zn contents were detected in the Gloriosa and KW seeds stored for 8 months at 4 °C and 8% humidity. Analysis of the experimental data by statistical methods revealed that increasing the storage time had an individual significant negative influence only on the germination rate of both pea varieties and on the hypocotyl length and radicle length of the KW variety, while humidity and temperature variation had individual significant influences on the lipid content. The significant effects of humidity and temperature on the germination rate, hypocotyl length and root length of KW plants were also determined. For the remaining morphophysiological and chemical traits of pea seeds, the individual and combined effects of the factors were not statistically significant. Furthermore, the comparison of means using the Tukey test showed that storage conditions related to temperature and humidity generally used by farmers (T = 22 °C × H = 65%) did not significantly affect the majority of the nutritional properties of the pea seeds. However, maintaining pea seeds under these conditions for a longer period of time significantly affects seed germination and vigor.

Evaluation of Chickpea Production under Different Management of Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertilizer

Background: Chickpea is a prominent leguminous crop cultivated in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region. Historically, it is planted during the spring season as a rainfed crop in the area, characterized by its unpredictable and frequently inadequate precipitation. Methods: To examine the impact of various levels of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer on the yield and yield components of the Adel cultivar of chickpea, a factorial experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with four replications at the research farm in Jolgeh Rokh District in Torbat-e Heydarieh (35.19 N, 59.45E) throughout the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. The experimental treatments included three levels of nitrogen: 30, 75 and 150 kg ha-1 as urea fertilizer. The irrigation was applied at three levels: full irrigation, one supplementary irrigation at the flowering stage and two supplementary irrigations at the flowering and pod filling stages. The studied traits included grain yield, biological yield, the number of pods per plant, and the number of seeds per pod. Result: Our results showed that different levels of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer had a significant effect on the number of seeds per pod, pods per plant and biological and grain yield. The interaction effect of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer was significant for all studied traits. In this study, the interaction between the full irrigation treatment and 75 kg N ha-1 resulted in a significant increase in all traits (except biological yield) compared to other treatments. Furthermore, one irrigation at the flowering stage with 150 kg N ha-1 caused a significant decrease in all of the studied traits. The combination of full irrigation and 150 kg N ha-1 treatment had the highest biological yield (8.9 t ha-1), while its grain yield was 1854 kg ha-1. Therefore, by maintaining moisture levels during the critical period of chickpea growth and utilizing balanced nutritional levels, particularly nitrogen at rates of 30 and 75 kg ha-1, the yield of chickpea can be increased.

EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF WHOLE GRAINS AND LEGUMES

Grain products are a fundamental element in ensuring food security for the population. In recent years, the demand for whole grain products has significantly increased. Whole grain products are highly nutritious due to their balanced content of amino acids and other macro- and microelements. The aim of this study is to investigate the chemical and amino acid composition of whole grain raw materials such as triticale grain of the «Dauren» variety, buckwheat grain of the «Dikul» variety, and lentil grains of the «Sakura» and «Shyrayly» varieties. The chemical research revealed that whole leguminous crops have a high protein content, which is approximately twice as high as that of whole grains, with protein content values of 28,75% and 24,67%, respectively. The analysis of the conducted studies showed that the amino acid composition of the proteins in whole grains and whole leguminous crops is characterized by a high content of essential amino acids. Leguminous crops have a higher content of arginine and lysine compared to whole grains. Whole leguminous crops have a higher protein content than whole grains, making them important for increasing the nutritional value of food products when mixed. Additionally, various processing methods and their effects on preserving nutritional properties were studied.

A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN VIGNA RADIATA RESEARCH: INSIGHTS INTO PHYSIOLOGY, AGRONOMIC, NUTRITIONAL, AND HEALTH PERSPECTIVES

Aims: The primary aim of this research is to provide a better comparative understanding of the Physiology, Agronomic, Nutritional, and Health-modulating effects observed in the reviewed studies related to Vigna radiata consumption. The review paper typically highlights the antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects of Vigna radiata (mung bean). The fact that there exist inconsistencies and gaps in evidence against certain effects of mung bean & places where further research is needed is also addressed in the review paperPlace and Duration of Study: Department of Biotechnology, Techno India University, West Bengal, India; between August 2023 and July 2024.Methodology: The paper has been prepared by conducting a comprehensive search of various mung bean-related scientific literature databases across the internet mung beans, followed by extracting relevant data from selected studies, evaluating quality assessment factors & finally summarizing and synthesizing the extracted data, including the main findings related to Vigna radiata's beneficial effects.Results: The review work seems to be beneficial for reaffirming the significance of Vigna radiata as a natural source of immunity support and summarizing the key takeaways from the review.Conclusion: The mung bean (Vigna radiata) is a leguminous fodder crop which is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, polysaccharides, and polypeptides. Studies conducted in vitro and in vivo highlight the variety of mung bean's health benefits. It portrays antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. However, it is imperative to delve deeper into the mechanisms underlying their role in preventing diseases. There are substantial knowledge gaps regarding the bioactive compounds and biological functions of mung beans. Further investigation is crucial to pinpoint additional essential components responsible for their health advantages and underscore these various components' combined effects on biological processes.

ApCarE4 and ApPOD3 participate in the adaptation of pea aphids to different alfalfa varieties

The adaptability of insects to hosts has long been a focal point in the study of insect-plant interactions. The pea aphid (Acythosiphon pisum), a significant pest of numerous leguminous crops, not only inflicts direct economic losses but also disseminates various plant viruses. To understand how pea aphids adapt to diverse alfalfa varieties. We analyzed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of pea aphids in distinct alfalfa varieties using transcriptome sequencing, and subsequently conducted functional validation of these genes. Comparative analysis between pea aphids feeding on susceptible and resistant strains revealed that DEGs in aphids feeding on resistant strains were primarily associated with transcriptional enrichment in the sugar, amino acid, protein, and lipid metabolism pathways. Fourteen DEGs related to adaptation of the pea aphid to alfalfa were chosen, including five carboxylesterases (CarE), four cytochrome P450s, three glutathione S-transferases, and two peroxidases (POD). RT-qPCR results indicated significant up-regulation of two carboxylesterase genes and two peroxidase genes after 24 h of feeding resistant alfalfa (Gannong 5, GN5) compared to the susceptible varieties (Hunter River, LRH), particularly highlighting the high expression levels of ApCarE4 and ApPOD3. Simultaneously, RNAi-induced knockdown of ApCarE4 and ApPOD3 led to a higher mortality of pea aphids in the alfalfa Hunter River. These results indicate that ApPOD3 and ApCarE4 are involved in the detoxification of metabolic functions in the adaptation of pea aphids to host switching. These findings contribute to the understanding of pea aphid adaptation to host plants and lay a foundation for further exploration of the physiological roles of carboxylesterase and peroxidase genes in pea aphids.

Genotype × environment interaction and stability analysis of advanced field pea (Pisum sativum L.) genotypes in Southeastern Ethiopia

Field pea is a leguminous crops that have a significant economic contributions to sustainable Ethiopian agriculture. The experiment was conducted at four location in 2015/16 to 2016/17 main cropping seasons with the objectives of to determine the magnitude of genotype by environment interactions and its stability of thirteen field pea genotypes using randomized complete block design with four replications. The AMMI analysis revealed that significant (p<0.01) differences between genotypes, environments and genotype by environment interactions for grain yield. This indicates the genotypes responded differently across environments. The highest mean grain yield was recorded from genotype G12 which records (2992 kg ha−1) followed by genotype G4 2974 kg ha−1 across environments. The AMMI analysis showed that genotypes, environments and there interaction accounted about 72.9 %, 1.2 % and 5.7 % of the total sum of squares respectively. The GGE biplot first two principal components explained about 57.42 % of the total sum square of GEI. The GGE biplot revealed that G4 and G12 were the most stable and high yielding genotypes, while G10 and G9 were the lowest yielder and stable genotypes. The results indicated that genotypes responded differently to environmental conditions and the environments influenced genotype performances.

Long-term effects of agronomic practices on winter wheat yield and NUE in dryland regions of USA and China: a long-term meta-analysis

Dryland agriculture is fundamental to global crop production and vital to food security. Conservation tillage is extensively practiced in USA wheat cultivation. Meanwhile, the adoption of conservation tillage by Chinese farmers is limited. This meta-analysis compared the yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) between conservation tillage and conventional tillage (CT) with different types of cropping systems, mulching methods, levels of nitrogen fertilizer (NF), and addition of manure. The meta-analysis presented that conservation tillage at high-NF enhanced the yield and NUE, and reduced the yield and NUE at low-NF, compared to CT. The interaction of conservation tillage with leguminous cover crops (LCC) and manure application increased the yield and NUE at low-NF, compared to CT. Non-leguminous cover crops (NLCC) increased the yield and NUE under high-NF than low-NF. The interaction of conservation tillage with management practices showed that the no-tillage (NT) with leguminous cover crops (LCC) significantly increased wheat yield by 58% and NUE by 47% under low-NF compared to CT. However, increasing the rate of NF did not increase the yield under such interaction. Cropping systems, mulching types, and manure application mainly determined the effects of conservation tillage on wheat yield and NUE. The adverse impact of CT on yield and NUE could be alleviated with the application of LCC and manure under moderate NF. We demonstrate that adding LCC and manure have a generally substitutive relationship with N fertilizer, resulting in a significant increase in wheat yield and NUE at low-NF doses as at high N fertilizer dosages. Therefore, based on the obtained results, moderate NF with LCC and manure application is recommended for growing winter wheat in dryland regions of the USA and China.

Effect of Media on Lablab (Lablab purpureus var. typicus) for Yield and Quality under Soilless Vertical Farming System

Background: Lablab (Lablab purpureus var. typicus) is one of the important leguminous vegetable crops known for its highest content of protein. The area under cultivation is shrinking due to conversion of farm land into non-agricultural purposes. Under these circumstances, soilless vertical farming system is the only alternate cultivation system for increasing production of vegetables. Media play a major role in growth and yield of vegetables under soilless conditions. With this background, the present experiment was carried out to study the effect of growing media in lablab for high yield and quality under soilless vertical farming systems. Methods: Two lablab varieties viz., CO 5 (V1) and Arka Prasidhi (V2) were raised under five different media combinations viz., 100% cocopeat (M1), 50 % cocopeat + 50 % Vermicompost (M2), 50% cocopeat + 50 % FYM (M3), 50% cocopeat + 25% vermicompost + 25% FYM (M4) and Control (M5) with three replications during 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. This experiment was laid out in FCRD. The growth and yield parameters were recorded and the data was subjected to statistical analysis. Result: The experimental results revealed that both the varieties and growing media provided significant impact on growth, yield, quality and uptake of nutrients whereas dry matter content exhibited no significant impact among the different media. The pooled season data revealed that variety CO 5 observed for the overall superior performance while the media combination of 50% cocopeat + 50% Vermicompost considered superior for growth and yield characters where 50% cocopeat + 25% vermicompost + 25% FYM showed superiority for the quality parameters and uptake of nutrients.

Evaluating the Influence of Legume and Cereal Intercropping on Bt Cotton Traits in Rainfed Conditions

This study investigates how various intercropping systems involving cereals and legumes affect the phenotypic characteristics of Bt cotton. Understanding that intercropping can improve agricultural sustainability and production, we grew Bt cotton alongside various cereal and leguminous crops in several field tests. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of different cotton based intercropping systems under rainfed conditions on important phenotypic characteristics of cotton, including dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and boll weight in black calcareous soil under rainfed conditions. The experiment conducted at Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, Gujarat during kharif 2022-23 and 2023-24 with randomized block design with fifteen treatments, involving sole and intercropping systems of groundnut, sunflower, pearl millet, maize and soybean with cotton in 1:1 row proportion. According to our research, intercropping legumes like green gram, black gram and groundnut significantly improved cotton phenotypic characteristics as compare to other intercropping systems by increasing soil fertility and lowering insect burden. Dry matter per plant at 60, 90 DAS, at harvest and average boll weight were found significantly higher under sole cotton except 30 DAS during both the years of experimentation and in pooled results. Among different intercropping systems, the cotton + green gram (T14) intercropping recorded the highest dry matter, CGR and average boll weight while the lowest was recorded with the cotton + maize (T12) intercropping system. Overall, the findings show that while cereal-based systems necessitate careful management to balance competition and resource consumption, incorporating legumes into Bt cotton agriculture can provide significant agronomic benefits, including higher growth and yield. This study emphasises how crucial it is to choose the right intercrops in order to maximise the productivity and efficiency of Bt cotton systems.

Antimicrobial effect of green synthesized TiO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; nanoparticles against Cercospora canesces growth in mung bean

Mung bean is one of the economically important leguminous crops generally grown in arid region of Pakistan. Mung bean grows best at 30-35℃ and is a nutrient enriched crop with higher amounts of starch (50%), proteins (18-25%), fat (3%) and fiber (3-4.5%). Many biotic factors affect crop production. Yield losses due to biotic factors are up to 40-80% in mung bean. Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) is very common disease in mung bean caused by hemi-biotrophic fungal pathogen Cercospora canescens. For sustainable agrocontrol there is need to develop alternative solutions for conventional methods. Green synthesized nanoparticles offer promising solution to mitigate adverse effect of agrochemicals and fungicides. In this review green synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles used to mitigate the disease severity by seed priming with 50mgL-1 and 150mgL-1 nanoparticles (NPs) suspension solution in mung bean. The result shows that 50mgL-1 Tio2-NPs inhibit fungal growth by 87.85% in in vitro and 74.07% in in vivo experiment. Tio2-NPs application improve root, shoot, leaf surface area, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance and boost plant immunity by enhancing expression of the Pathogenesis-related (PR-1) gene in response stress. Therefore, present study indicates that green synthesized Tio2-NPs is an effective way to enhance the growth and productivity of mung bean by inhibiting C. canescens.

Strategic cultivar and sowing time selection for weed management and higher redgram productivity in semi-arid Indian regions

IntroductionRedgram (Cajanus cajan L. Mill sp.), a leguminous crop commonly grown in tropical and subtropical climates, is highly valued for its high protein content (21%), which contributes significantly to food and nutritional security. However, its production faces challenges primarily due to terminal dryness experienced during critical growth stages because of changing rainfall patterns. To overcome this, adaptive techniques become imperative as the productivity of this crop is intricately linked to environmental factors and the crop’s growth cycle.MethodsHence, the field experiment was conducted at the National Pulses Research Centre, Vamban, Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, in South India under rainfed condition, during the kharif (monsoon) seasons of 2017–18 and 2018–19. The primary objectives were to determine the optimal sowing time and identify suitable redgram cultivars, especially in the context of the late onset of the monsoon in Tamil Nadu, a common issue under changing climate conditions. The experiments tested six different sowing dates with three redgram cultivars.Results and discussionThe findings highlighted the substantial influence of different redgram cultivars and sowing times on the crop’s growth characteristics and yield. Among the six sowing dates tested, planting in later half of June (S6) resulted in notably higher plant height (201 cm), a greater number of pods per plant (287), a seed yield of 1,112 kg ha−1, and a benefit-cost ratio of 2.61 Notably, this sowing period (S6) demonstrated comparable performance with the treatment of redgram sowing in the latter part of September (S4). CO 6 (V1) is the most productive of the three redgram cultivars, with the highest mean pant height (200 cm), number of pods per plant (237), grain yield (1,017 kg ha−1), and benefit cost ratio (2.38). Extended phenological phases along with extra days to reach phenological stages could account for the increased yield in comparison to the other cultivars. Among the two short-duration cultivars, VBN (Rg) 3 (V3) had a significantly higher mean grain yield of 958 kg ha−1 with the benefit-cost ratio of 2.24. Even though CO 6 (V1) obtained a higher yield due to its long duration nature, it matured in 187 days whereas VBN (Rg) 3 (V3) matured within 129 days. Consequently, the short-duration redgram cultivars emerge as highly suitable choices for integrating into crop sequences, thereby augmenting farm cropping intensity.

Depth-dependent Effects of Leguminous Crops on Soil Nitrogen-Fixing Microbial Communities Correlated with Carbon Degradation

Abstract Legumes play critical roles in agroecosystems by modulating nitrogen-fixing microorganisms to enhance soil fertility and promote crop productivity. Current research on the effects of legumes predominantly focuses on surface soil, lacking a comprehensive analysis of their overall impact across multiple soil layers and an in-depth understanding of associated microbial mechanisms. Here, the community structure of soil nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in three soil layers (0-20, 20-50, and 50-100 cm) under legume and non-legume cultivation was investigated through metagenomic sequencing. We found that only in topsoil (0-20 cm) legume treatment exhibited a significantly higher relative abundance of nitrogen-fixing genes than non-legume treatment. Under legume cultivation, the relative abundance of nitrogen-fixing genes was significantly higher in the topsoil layer than in deeper layers, whereas non-legume treatment displayed an inverse depth-dependent pattern. Combining soil physicochemical properties, the relative abundance of nitrogen-fixing genes correlated significantly with soil moisture, total carbon (TC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. Both TC and DOC were identified as key drivers of these genes. Subsequently, a similar depth-dependent pattern within the relative abundance of soil carbon degradation genes was found in response to the cultivation of both crops. The relative abundances of soil carbon degradation genes were negatively correlated with nitrogen-fixing genes under legume treatment individually, distinct from non-legume treatment. Our findings highlight the depth-dependent impact of legumes on nitrogen fixation and the critical interaction between soil carbon degradation and nitrogen fixation, providing insights into carbon management in legume cultivation practices to enhance nitrogen fixation in future agriculture.

Rhizobia inoculation’s impact on the biomass and moisture content of leguminous Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L. Verdc)

Bambara groundnut (BG) (Vigna subterranean L. verdc) is a highly nutritious underutilized leguminous crop of African origin with high economic importance. Its production rate (300,000 metric tonnes/year) does not meet the current demand (800,000 metric tonnes/year). Despite it’s useful properties, it has remained neglected, with poor market and low yields because research about improving BG has been neglected. rhizobia have proved to be useful in promoting the growth of legumes, yet, there is unavailable information about the role of indigenous BG-symbiont rhizobia inoculant (which are better affordable alternatives to chemical fertilizers) for increasing BG yield and this needs to be explored, hence this study. This experiment studied the role six rhizobial strains in improving the biomass and plant vigour of two selected varieties of BG (TVSU 1248, TVSU 631).These strains were applied as inoculant (at concentrations of > 0.85 × 1010 cfu/ml) on field compared alongside commercial USDA110 strains and Urea (rates of 60 kg/ha and 20 kg/ha) treated plants and analysed for biomass of shoot, root, shaft and seed, and moisture etc. Rhizobia significantly influenced the shoot biomass (≥ 19.26 g), (79.81 ± 1.81 g and 63.15 ± 3.21 g), root biomass (≥ 0.63 g), pod biomass (≥ 155.3 g), seed biomass (≥ 103.96 g), shaff biomass (≥ 52.29 g) and moisture content of the plants, with differences in varietal response. Indigenous BG-symbiotic strains are able to significantly influence plant vigour and biomass, promoting the growth and health of BG. Rhizobia, proved to be useful for enhancing the plant biomass, vigour and growth and should be recommended for improving the production of BG for higher yield and productivity.

Molecular diversiry studies among blackgram genotypes for yellow mosaic virus resistance

Yellow mosaic disease (YMD), incited by a geminivirus. Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Virus (MYMV), is transmitted by whiteflies, poses a significant threat to various leguminous crops in India. This study focuses on identifying resistant sources and validating molecular markers for their efficacy in detecting YMV resistance in blackgram. In the present study, 150 blackgram genotypes were evaluated to identify resistant sources for YMD under natural field conditions and through molecular markers. Among the 150 genotypes, 22 (both resistant and susceptible) were selected based on field screening. These genotypes were validated using 15 molecular markers, including 8 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 7 gene-specific markers linked to MYMV resistance. The markers amplified a total of 48 alleles, with polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranging from 0.82 (CEDG67) to 0.21 (HSP), with an average value of 0.55. The highest PIC values were exhibited by markers CEDG67 (0.82), CEDG115 (0.81), and CEDG20 (0.74). Cluster analysis using DARWIN revealed that most phenotypically resistant genotypes grouped together, while susceptible genotypes formed separate clusters. The genotypes LBG 904, LBG 932, LBG 884, PU 1815, PU 1808, PU 1803, MASH 1008, MASH 114, VBN 10, and PU 31 exhibited resistance to YMV phenotypically. Among these, LBG 904, LBG 932, PU 1815, PU 31, and MASH 1008 produced a 162 bp resistant allele using the marker CEDG180. Similarly, the gene-specific marker DEF produced a 190 bp resistant allele in all the resistant genotypes, whereas the susceptible genotypes produced both 190 and 250 bp alleles. These identified genotypes can serve as valuable sources for MYMV resistance in blackgram breeding programs. Keywords: SSR markers, Blackgram, Diversity, MYMV

Positive Effect of Camelina Intercropping with Legumes on Soil Microbial Diversity by Applying NGS Analysis and Mobile Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) is a valuable source of essential amino acids, especially sulphur-containing ones, which are generally lacking in leguminous crops, thus representing an alternative source of protein for both humans and farm animals. Rhizosphere soil samples from five experimental plots with mono- and mixed cultivations of three camelina cultivars, including two introduced varieties Cs1.Pro (Luna) and Cs2.Pro (Lenka) and one Bulgarian variety Cs3.Pro (local Bulgarian landrace) with variety 666 of vetch (Vicia sativa L.) (Cs3-Vs.Pro) and variety Mir of pea (Pisum sativum L.) (Cs3-Ps.Pro), were collected and analysed. The total DNA was isolated from the rhizosphere soils and the presence of the 16S rRNA gene was confirmed by amplification with the universal primer 16SV34. In the present study, the structure of the soil bacterial community in five different plots (Cs1.S.Pro, Cs2.S.Pro, Cs3.S.Pro, Cs3.Vs.S.Pro, and Cs3.Ps.S.Pro) where camelina was grown alone and by being intercropped with pea and vetch was analysed via a metagenomic approach. The number of observed species was highest in the local genotype of the camelina Cs3 grown alone, followed by soil from the intercropped variants Cs3-Vs and CsS-Ps. The soil bacterial communities differed between the sole cultivation of camelina and that grown with joint cultivation with vetch and peas, indicating that legumes considerably affected the growth and development of beneficial microorganisms by aspects such as nitrogen fixing, levels of nitrifying bacteria, and levels of phosphorus-dissolving bacteria, thus helping to provide better plant nutrition. The α-diversity indicated that bacterial communities in the rhizosphere were higher in soils intercropped with vetch and pea. The optical properties of cereals and legumes were determined by their energy structure, which includes both their occupied and free electronic energy levels and the energy levels of the atomic vibrations of the molecules or the crystal lattice.