Study of induced amphidiploid derivatives of Vigna radiata x Vigna mungo

Abstract

Greengram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] is one of the most important pulse crop of India with average production of only 300-400 kg/ha. The main reason of the poor productivity is narrow genetic base within the species besides biotic and abiotic factors. To widen the genetic base as well as for isolating the desirable recombinants, interspecific crosses of greengram with blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] hold great promise [1]. However, high degree of pollen sterility in interspecific F1 hybrids [2] has been major hindrance to exploit the alien gene transfer. Induction of amphidiploids of such highly sterile F1 hybrid observed to be fertile [3, 4] and reverted back to diploid in advanced generation resulting high yielding recombinants. However, Pandey et al. [3] reported that amphidiploid was high yielding and stable up to C3 generation. In the present investigation an attempt has been made to observe the stability as well as relative performance of amphidiploid (C1 to C4) with their progenitors and interspecific F1 hybrid involving mungbean and urdbean.