Selection of high yielding, extra short duration lines of mungbean derived through gamma radiation

Abstract

The present investigation was designed to improve the genetic constitution of mungbean through gamma radiation induced mutation breeding approach to identify some high yielding mutant genotypes having extra short maturity duration. Three mungbean germplasms lines were exposed to gamma irradiation with three different doses and desirable mutants were selected from M2 through M5 generations. A total number of twenty mutant individuals from M5 generation were identified as promising mutants having early maturity duration (less than 55 days) with high yield (>25 g seed yield plant-1). Among them, six were found to be extra ordinary mutants with extra early maturity dutation of less than 53 days with > 30g seed yield plant-1. Such mutants were not only high yielding extra early maturing type than their parents but also had synchrony in pod maturity, nonshattering pod and top fruitbearing habit. The identified mutants may be directly released as cultivars after their multilocation trials and can also be used as donor for improvement of mungbean with respect to earliness and yield.