Physiological evaluation of yield and yield-attributing traits in newly bred genotypes of green gram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek)

Abstract

Green gram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) is a leguminous crop that forms a symbiotic association with Rhizobium bacteria, facilitating atmospheric nitrogen fixation. However, cultivation on marginal and sub-marginal lands with poor management practices often results in low productivity. Enhancing productivity is crucial to address protein malnutrition, and this can be achieved by adopting high-yielding and short-duration varieties. The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the yield and yield-attributing parameters of twelve genotypes of green gram. The genotypes exhibited variation in phenological traits, taking 28.67 to 31.33 days to first flowering and 35.00 to 39.33 days to 50% flowering. Pod initiation occurred between 34.33 and 40.67 days, while 50% pod development and physiological maturity were attained between 39.33–45.33 days and 57.33–62.00 days, respectively. The number of pods per plant and seeds per pod ranged from 21.96 to 31.97 and 9.6 to 10.47, respectively. Pod weight per plant and seed weight per plant varied from 9.92 g to 14.67 g and 6.83 g to 10.15 g, respectively, while 100-seed weight ranged from 3.68 g to 4.69 g. The grain yield among the genotypes ranged from 721.11 kg ha⁻¹ to 891.48 kg ha⁻¹. The genotype TMB-37 recorded the highest yield, while TMB-153 and TMB-124 performed comparably and were statistically at par with the highest-yielding genotype. The observed variation in physiological traits, yield, and yield-contributing parameters among the genotypes was statistically significant, indicating considerable genetic diversity within the studied population.