Characterization of morpho-agronomic traits and powdery mildew resistance in mung bean (Vigna radiata)

Abstract

Exploring genetic variation and screening for disease resistance is an important step in crop breeding initiatives but is lacking for many bean varieties, including mung bean. A study was conducted to evaluate morpho-agronomic traits and screen mung bean genotypes for resistance to powdery mildew disease. A total of 132 mung bean and one rice bean (C3) (as check) genotypes were evaluated in an augmented incomplete block design across two cropping seasons. Diversity was evaluated across 40 morpho-agronomic traits, comprising 13 quantitative traits. Qualitative traits were summarized using pivot tables, while variation in quantitative traits was investigated using linear models, principal component analysis (PCA), and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC). The genotypes displayed wide variation for the majority of the traits evaluated, and significant differences were observed among the genotypes, block effects, and seasons. Similarly, the effects due to genotypes, checks and genotypes and checks were significant. One mung bean (G32) genotype and one rice bean (R200) genotype presented resistance to powdery mildew under field conditions. Among the quantitative traits evaluated, only days to maturity and shelling percentage showed statistically significant negative correlations with disease severity. PCA revealed that the first four PCs explained 60.64% of the total variation among the genotypes studied while cluster analysis grouped all the genotypes into four major clusters. These findings underscore the potential for exploiting mung bean diversity in breeding programs aimed at disease resistance, improving yield and agronomic performance. This study provides a foundation for developing improved mung bean varieties, contributing to enhanced food security.

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