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Current IssueEditorial BoardOnline First ArticlesArchive

Full Research Article

Evaluation of Mungbean Mini Core Collection for Yield-Related and Seed Quality Traits 

K
K. Bhargavi1,2
S
S.N.C.V.L. Pushpavalli1
B
B.R. Sayiprathap2,3,*
0000-0002-8574-1064
S
S. Vanisri1
G
G. Padmaja1
N
N. Sandhyakishore1
S
S.K. Patil2
R
R.M. Nair2
1Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar-500 030, Hyderabad, Telangana India.
2World Vegetable Center, South Central Asia, ICRISAT Campus, Patancheru-502 324, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
3ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Birchandra Manu, South Tripura-799 144, Tripura, India.

  • Submitted27-05-2025|

  • Accepted10-09-2025|

  • First Online 01-10-2025|

  • doi 10.18805/LR-5525

ABSTRACT

Background: Mungbean serves as a chief source of dietary protein (22–28%), playing a vital role in alleviating malnutrition. Mungbean has a yield potential of 2.5-3.0 t/ha; however, the average yield remains significantly low due to various biotic and abiotic constraints, suboptimal crop management practices and the limited availability of quality seeds of improved varieties. The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan, holds one of the largest collections of mungbean accessions, which serves as a valuable resource for crop improvement.

Methods: The mungbean mini core collection (MMC), comprising 293 accessions of diverse origin obtained from World Vegetable Center was evaluated for yield and yield related traits during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 rainy season in alpha lattice design.

Result: The study revealed significant (p<0.001) variation for yield and related traits. Among the accession VI003951 AG was the earliest flowering (31 days) and maturing in 59 days after sowing. The accession VI001244 AG recorded a 100-seed weight of more than 8.60 grams. In the GGE biplot analysis, accessions VI001728 AG (94), VI002432 AG (121), VI003019 BG (149), VI003886 BY (220) and VI003954 BG (233) were identified as the most stable genotypes and the accessions VI000461 BG (17) and VI004811 BG (270) as top performers during 2023/24 (E1), while VI000232 AG (10) and VI001400 AG (61) performed best during 2024/25 (E2). The green color (238 accessions) shiny seed lustre (158 accessions) and purple hypocotyls (244 accessions) were dominant in the MMC set. Overall, the study provides valuable insights for selecting superior and stable genotypes for mungbean improvement.

INTRODUCTION

Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek var. radiata] is commonly known as green gram is an important grain legume crop grown in south Asia, south east Asia and Australia (Kitsanachandee et al., 2013; Azam et al., 2023). Over 70 per cent of the global mungbean cultivation area is distributed across India, Myanmar, Pakistan and Bangladesh (Nair and Schreinemacher, 2020; Alam et al 2014). Mungbean seeds are cheap and primary source of carbohydrates and dietary protein (22-28%) thus plays a vital role in alleviating malnutrition (Hou et al., 2019; Dahiya et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2021; Keatinge et al., 2011; Nair et al., 2019; Somta et al., 2022).
       
The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan holds one of the largest collections of mungbean germplasm. The mungbean mini core collection (MMC) represents 4% of the total collection and serves as a valuable resource for trait discovery and crop improvement (Schafleitner et al., 2015; Breria et al., 2020). Mungbean has a yield potential of 2.5-3.0 t/ha; however, the average yield remains significantly low (721 kg/ha) due to various biotic and abiotic constraints, suboptimal crop management practices and the limited availability of quality seeds of improved varieties (Nair et al., 2019; Akram et al., 2024; Nair and Schreinemacher, 2020). The present study aimed to evaluate MMC for yield and yield related traits. The findings will support breeding programs in developing improved mungbean varieties.
 

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 The mungbean mini core collection (MMC) consists of 293 accessions developed from 6,742 accessions have diverse origin (Schafleitner et al., 2015). Field evaluations for agronomic performance was conducted at the World Vegetable Center, South Central Asia, Hyderabad (17.50209oN, 78.27646oE; elevation 550 m).
 
Evaluation for MMC for yield and yield related traits
 
The MMC set was evaluated for yield and related traits during the rainy seasons (July-September) of 2023/24 and 2024/25. The field design was laid out in an alpha lattice design with two replications, following a spacing of 45 x 10 cm, with each accession planted in a single row of 2 meters in length. Five plants were randomly selected from each plot and the data was recorded for the traits as described in the Table 1.

Table 1: Description of traits used for evaluating mungbean mini core collection.


 
Data analysis
 
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to test the significance of the agronomic traits. GGE biplots were constructed using the “METAN” package in R software (version 2024.12.1+563).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Evaluation of MMC for yield and related traits
 
The 293 accessions of MMC evaluated for traits such as DFF, DTM, PHT, PPP, CPP, PLT SPP, HSW and YPP exhibited significant variability (p<0.001) among the accessions (Table 2). There are six different seed coat color variations were observed. Seed lustre ranged from shiny to dull and a mixed appearance. The hypocotyl color varies from green to purple. Similar variation in both quantitative and qualitative traits has been observed in 482 accessions of the Iowa mungbean panel (Sandhu and Singh, 2021).

Table 2: Range of traits, their heritability and pooled two-way ANOVA for agronomic traits (yield and related traits).


 
a) Days to 50% flowering (DFF), maturity (DTM) and plant height (PHT)
 
The DFF across the accessions ranged from 31 to 52 days, whereas maturity ranged from 59 to 82 days after sowing (DAS) with PHT ranging from 31.75 cm to 88.43 cm. The VI003951 AG was the earliest flower (31 days) and maturing in 59 days after sowing (Table 3). Whereas accession VI004743 AG recorded maximum PHT (88.43 cm) and VI004666 AG  is shortest (31.75 cm).  Correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive association (r = 0.39) between DFF and DTM suggesting that delayed flowering is generally associated with delayed maturity (Fig 1). The wide variation in flowering and maturity days among the accessions is attributed to genetic diversity and influenced by environmental conditions. Similar variation in the DFF, DTM and PHT has been observed in the mungbean germplasm (Azam et al., 2023; Kanavi et al., 2020; Win et al., 2020; Muthuswamy et al., (2019).

Table 3: Selected high-performing mungbean accessions based on yield and yield related traits during rainy season 2023/24 and 2024/25.



Fig 1: Pairwise Pearson correlation coefficients between key agronomic traits in mungbean mini core accessions evaluated across two years.


 
b) Clusters per plant (CPP), pods per plant (PPP) and pod length (PLT)
 
The number of CPP, PPP and PLT showed significant variation (p<0.001) among accessions (Table 2). The highest number of PPP was recorded in accession VI001728 AG (mean = 61.48), which produced ten clusters and with an average pod length of 6.85 cm (Table 3). Accession VI002063 BG exhibited the longest PLT (10.35 cm), but showed less PPP (10.44) and CPP (3.83). A strong positive correlation (r = 0.78) was observed between CPP and PPP, indicating that an increase in cluster number is closely associated with a higher number of pods (Fig 1). Similar observations of differences in the PPP ranging from 4.38 to 35.72 was observed in a set of 200 mungbean accessions (Kanavi et al., 2020).
 
d) Seeds per pod (SPP) and 100 seed weight (HSW)
 
The highest SPP was recorded in accession VI002063 BG (15.70), followed by VI000232 AG (14.60). Whereas highest HSW was recorded in accession VI001244 AG (8.66 g). Correlation analysis revealed a weak positive relationship (r = 0.13) between SPP and HSW (Fig 1), indicating that the number of SPP has minimal influence on HSW. The SPP was found to be determined by additive gene action (Dikshit et al., 2020). Similar observations of differences in the SPP ranging from 3.07 to 9.70 was observed in mungbean accessions (Kanavi et al., 2020).
 
e) Yield performance of MMC through GGE biplot analysis
 
In a GGE biplot analysis, first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) explained 70.56% and 29.44% of the total variation respectively. In the “mean vs. stability” view, genotypes positioned further to the right along the average environment axis (AEA) exhibited higher mean yields, with accessions 230 (VI003947 B-BR), 52 (VI001191 BG) and 182 (VI003440 AG) showing superior average performance. The accessions 94 (VI001728 AG), 121 (VI002432 AG), 149 (VI003019 BG), 220 (VI003886 BY) and 233 (VI003954 BG) were among the most stable genotypes (Fig 2a). In the “which-won-where” polygon view,   accessions 17 (VI000461 BG) and 270 (VI004811 BG) were better performing in environment E1 (2023), whereas accessions 10 (VI000232 AG) and 61 (VI001400 AG) were identified as the top performer under the conditions of E2 (2024) (Fig 2b). The PPP had a strong positive correlation with YPP (r = 0.77), indicating that an increase in the number of PPP significantly contributes to higher yield (Fig 1) which is in agreement with the observations recorded by Priya and Babu (2024). Similar variation in mungbean yield performance across diverse germplasm collections were also reported by Das et al., (2024), aligning with the finding of the present study. Temperature and photoperiod are key environmental factors that influence the phenological development of mungbean in all growth stages and thus determine yield and adaptability (Somta et al., 2022). The seed yield is complex trait controlled by several genes with additive effect and mode of inheritance varies with parent genotype (Dikshit et al., 2020). Ullah et al., (2012) was found similar observation though GGE analysis suggesting genotypic and environmental influence on final yield of mungbean genotypes.    

Fig 2: Mean vs stability GGE biplot for grain yield of mungbean mini core accessions (a); Which won-where view of GGE biplot for grain yield of 293 mungbean mini core accessions (b). E1=2023 and E2=2024.



f) Broad-sense heritability estimates for yield and yield-related traits
 
Heritability (broad sense) varied across the traits, indicating differential genetic control and environmental influence. High heritability was observed for HSW (0.75) and PLT (0.72), suggesting that these traits are largely governed by genetic factors and can be effectively improved through selection. PHT also exhibited moderately high heritability (0.68), indicating good scope for selection. Moderate heritability was recorded for days to DFF (0.51) and SPP (0.50), indicating a fair proportion of genetic control, although environmental influence cannot be overlooked. In contrast, DTM (0.35), YPP (0.32), CPP (0.21) and PPP (0.17) exhibited low heritability (Table 2), suggesting that these traits are more influenced by the environment and selection based on phenotype may be less effective. In contrast, Sawarkar et al., (2025) reported high broad-sense heritability for seed yield per plant (0.95) and number of pods per plant (0.94), highlighting potential differences in genetic background. Akhtar et al., (2021) observed that 100 seed weight is the one of the most significant yield contributing traits in mungbean less affected by the environment. These observations are in line with the findings of Jain et al., (2024) and Rahangdale et al., (2023).
 
g) Qualitative parameter- seed color, seed lustre and hypocotyl color
 
The MMC set comprised of green seed (238), brown (26), mottled/speckled (12), yellow (5), black (2) and mixed (10) seed coat colours. Seed lustre varied from shiny (158) to dull (124) and mixed (11) (Fig 3). Two hypocotyl colours were observed; purple (244) and green (49). These qualitative seed traits are important for targeting region-specific preferences. For example, yellow seed coat mungbean (commonly known as Sona mung) are traditionally cultivated in Bhutnir Char region of West Bengal and in certain regions of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (Brahmachary and Ghosh, 2000; Pal et al., 2010; Mung Central, 2020). Similarly, brown seed coat mungbean variety TARI Gram II has been released by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI, 2022). Whereas shiny green mungbean varieties are the most preferred segment across the Indian subcontinent (Mung Central,  2020). Additionally, hypocotyl color plays a crucial role in the sprouting industry, e.g: AVMU 1688 resistance to mungbean yellow mosaic disease (MYMD) suitable for sprouting market has been recently released in Myanmar (Aung et al., 2024).

Fig 3: World Vegetable Center’s mungbean mini core accessions (293) showing diversity in seed color, size and their lustre.

CONCLUSION

The mungbean mini core collection consists of highly diverse and heterozygous germplasm and serves as a source of material for improvement of several quantitative and qualitative traits. Notably, accession VI003951 AG was the earliest to mature (59 days). The accessions VI001728 AG showed the highest PPP, averaging 61.48 pods. Additionally, accession VI001244 AG recorded an HSW of more than 8.60 grams, making it a potential source for improving seed size. Based on the GGE biplot analysis, accessions 230 (VI003947 B-BR), 52 (VI001191 BG) and 182 (VI003440 AG) showing superior average performance and accessions 94 (VI001728 AG), 121 (VI002432 AG), 149 (VI003019 BG), 220 (VI003886 BY) and 233 (VI003954 BG) were among the most stable genotypes, making them promising candidates for further evaluation and inclusion in mungbean breeding programs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank Bharath Gadde Lakshmi and Vinay Nath Reddy for their help in field evaluation and obtaining MMC picture. We also extend our gratitude to Dr. Anurag Mathew of ICRISAT for his help with data analysis.
 
Ethics and permissions
 
Not applicable.
 
Funding
 
The support of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) through the project on International Mungbean Improvement Network (CIM-2019-144) is acknowledged. This research was also supported by the long-term strategic donors of the World Vegetable Center, Taiwan, for their support: UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the governments of Germany, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea and Japan.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

 
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

REFERENCES


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    Full Research Article

    Evaluation of Mungbean Mini Core Collection for Yield-Related and Seed Quality Traits 

    K
    K. Bhargavi1,2
    S
    S.N.C.V.L. Pushpavalli1
    B
    B.R. Sayiprathap2,3,*
    0000-0002-8574-1064
    S
    S. Vanisri1
    G
    G. Padmaja1
    N
    N. Sandhyakishore1
    S
    S.K. Patil2
    R
    R.M. Nair2
    1Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar-500 030, Hyderabad, Telangana India.
    2World Vegetable Center, South Central Asia, ICRISAT Campus, Patancheru-502 324, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
    3ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Birchandra Manu, South Tripura-799 144, Tripura, India.

    • Submitted27-05-2025|

    • Accepted10-09-2025|

    • First Online 01-10-2025|

    • doi 10.18805/LR-5525

    ABSTRACT

    Background: Mungbean serves as a chief source of dietary protein (22–28%), playing a vital role in alleviating malnutrition. Mungbean has a yield potential of 2.5-3.0 t/ha; however, the average yield remains significantly low due to various biotic and abiotic constraints, suboptimal crop management practices and the limited availability of quality seeds of improved varieties. The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan, holds one of the largest collections of mungbean accessions, which serves as a valuable resource for crop improvement.

    Methods: The mungbean mini core collection (MMC), comprising 293 accessions of diverse origin obtained from World Vegetable Center was evaluated for yield and yield related traits during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 rainy season in alpha lattice design.

    Result: The study revealed significant (p<0.001) variation for yield and related traits. Among the accession VI003951 AG was the earliest flowering (31 days) and maturing in 59 days after sowing. The accession VI001244 AG recorded a 100-seed weight of more than 8.60 grams. In the GGE biplot analysis, accessions VI001728 AG (94), VI002432 AG (121), VI003019 BG (149), VI003886 BY (220) and VI003954 BG (233) were identified as the most stable genotypes and the accessions VI000461 BG (17) and VI004811 BG (270) as top performers during 2023/24 (E1), while VI000232 AG (10) and VI001400 AG (61) performed best during 2024/25 (E2). The green color (238 accessions) shiny seed lustre (158 accessions) and purple hypocotyls (244 accessions) were dominant in the MMC set. Overall, the study provides valuable insights for selecting superior and stable genotypes for mungbean improvement.

    INTRODUCTION

    Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek var. radiata] is commonly known as green gram is an important grain legume crop grown in south Asia, south east Asia and Australia (Kitsanachandee et al., 2013; Azam et al., 2023). Over 70 per cent of the global mungbean cultivation area is distributed across India, Myanmar, Pakistan and Bangladesh (Nair and Schreinemacher, 2020; Alam et al 2014). Mungbean seeds are cheap and primary source of carbohydrates and dietary protein (22-28%) thus plays a vital role in alleviating malnutrition (Hou et al., 2019; Dahiya et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2021; Keatinge et al., 2011; Nair et al., 2019; Somta et al., 2022).
           
    The World Vegetable Center, Taiwan holds one of the largest collections of mungbean germplasm. The mungbean mini core collection (MMC) represents 4% of the total collection and serves as a valuable resource for trait discovery and crop improvement (Schafleitner et al., 2015; Breria et al., 2020). Mungbean has a yield potential of 2.5-3.0 t/ha; however, the average yield remains significantly low (721 kg/ha) due to various biotic and abiotic constraints, suboptimal crop management practices and the limited availability of quality seeds of improved varieties (Nair et al., 2019; Akram et al., 2024; Nair and Schreinemacher, 2020). The present study aimed to evaluate MMC for yield and yield related traits. The findings will support breeding programs in developing improved mungbean varieties.
     

    MATERIALS AND METHODS

     The mungbean mini core collection (MMC) consists of 293 accessions developed from 6,742 accessions have diverse origin (Schafleitner et al., 2015). Field evaluations for agronomic performance was conducted at the World Vegetable Center, South Central Asia, Hyderabad (17.50209oN, 78.27646oE; elevation 550 m).
     
    Evaluation for MMC for yield and yield related traits
     
    The MMC set was evaluated for yield and related traits during the rainy seasons (July-September) of 2023/24 and 2024/25. The field design was laid out in an alpha lattice design with two replications, following a spacing of 45 x 10 cm, with each accession planted in a single row of 2 meters in length. Five plants were randomly selected from each plot and the data was recorded for the traits as described in the Table 1.

    Table 1: Description of traits used for evaluating mungbean mini core collection.


     
    Data analysis
     
    Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to test the significance of the agronomic traits. GGE biplots were constructed using the “METAN” package in R software (version 2024.12.1+563).

    RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

    Evaluation of MMC for yield and related traits
     
    The 293 accessions of MMC evaluated for traits such as DFF, DTM, PHT, PPP, CPP, PLT SPP, HSW and YPP exhibited significant variability (p<0.001) among the accessions (Table 2). There are six different seed coat color variations were observed. Seed lustre ranged from shiny to dull and a mixed appearance. The hypocotyl color varies from green to purple. Similar variation in both quantitative and qualitative traits has been observed in 482 accessions of the Iowa mungbean panel (Sandhu and Singh, 2021).

    Table 2: Range of traits, their heritability and pooled two-way ANOVA for agronomic traits (yield and related traits).


     
    a) Days to 50% flowering (DFF), maturity (DTM) and plant height (PHT)
     
    The DFF across the accessions ranged from 31 to 52 days, whereas maturity ranged from 59 to 82 days after sowing (DAS) with PHT ranging from 31.75 cm to 88.43 cm. The VI003951 AG was the earliest flower (31 days) and maturing in 59 days after sowing (Table 3). Whereas accession VI004743 AG recorded maximum PHT (88.43 cm) and VI004666 AG  is shortest (31.75 cm).  Correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive association (r = 0.39) between DFF and DTM suggesting that delayed flowering is generally associated with delayed maturity (Fig 1). The wide variation in flowering and maturity days among the accessions is attributed to genetic diversity and influenced by environmental conditions. Similar variation in the DFF, DTM and PHT has been observed in the mungbean germplasm (Azam et al., 2023; Kanavi et al., 2020; Win et al., 2020; Muthuswamy et al., (2019).

    Table 3: Selected high-performing mungbean accessions based on yield and yield related traits during rainy season 2023/24 and 2024/25.



    Fig 1: Pairwise Pearson correlation coefficients between key agronomic traits in mungbean mini core accessions evaluated across two years.


     
    b) Clusters per plant (CPP), pods per plant (PPP) and pod length (PLT)
     
    The number of CPP, PPP and PLT showed significant variation (p<0.001) among accessions (Table 2). The highest number of PPP was recorded in accession VI001728 AG (mean = 61.48), which produced ten clusters and with an average pod length of 6.85 cm (Table 3). Accession VI002063 BG exhibited the longest PLT (10.35 cm), but showed less PPP (10.44) and CPP (3.83). A strong positive correlation (r = 0.78) was observed between CPP and PPP, indicating that an increase in cluster number is closely associated with a higher number of pods (Fig 1). Similar observations of differences in the PPP ranging from 4.38 to 35.72 was observed in a set of 200 mungbean accessions (Kanavi et al., 2020).
     
    d) Seeds per pod (SPP) and 100 seed weight (HSW)
     
    The highest SPP was recorded in accession VI002063 BG (15.70), followed by VI000232 AG (14.60). Whereas highest HSW was recorded in accession VI001244 AG (8.66 g). Correlation analysis revealed a weak positive relationship (r = 0.13) between SPP and HSW (Fig 1), indicating that the number of SPP has minimal influence on HSW. The SPP was found to be determined by additive gene action (Dikshit et al., 2020). Similar observations of differences in the SPP ranging from 3.07 to 9.70 was observed in mungbean accessions (Kanavi et al., 2020).
     
    e) Yield performance of MMC through GGE biplot analysis
     
    In a GGE biplot analysis, first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) explained 70.56% and 29.44% of the total variation respectively. In the “mean vs. stability” view, genotypes positioned further to the right along the average environment axis (AEA) exhibited higher mean yields, with accessions 230 (VI003947 B-BR), 52 (VI001191 BG) and 182 (VI003440 AG) showing superior average performance. The accessions 94 (VI001728 AG), 121 (VI002432 AG), 149 (VI003019 BG), 220 (VI003886 BY) and 233 (VI003954 BG) were among the most stable genotypes (Fig 2a). In the “which-won-where” polygon view,   accessions 17 (VI000461 BG) and 270 (VI004811 BG) were better performing in environment E1 (2023), whereas accessions 10 (VI000232 AG) and 61 (VI001400 AG) were identified as the top performer under the conditions of E2 (2024) (Fig 2b). The PPP had a strong positive correlation with YPP (r = 0.77), indicating that an increase in the number of PPP significantly contributes to higher yield (Fig 1) which is in agreement with the observations recorded by Priya and Babu (2024). Similar variation in mungbean yield performance across diverse germplasm collections were also reported by Das et al., (2024), aligning with the finding of the present study. Temperature and photoperiod are key environmental factors that influence the phenological development of mungbean in all growth stages and thus determine yield and adaptability (Somta et al., 2022). The seed yield is complex trait controlled by several genes with additive effect and mode of inheritance varies with parent genotype (Dikshit et al., 2020). Ullah et al., (2012) was found similar observation though GGE analysis suggesting genotypic and environmental influence on final yield of mungbean genotypes.    

    Fig 2: Mean vs stability GGE biplot for grain yield of mungbean mini core accessions (a); Which won-where view of GGE biplot for grain yield of 293 mungbean mini core accessions (b). E1=2023 and E2=2024.



    f) Broad-sense heritability estimates for yield and yield-related traits
     
    Heritability (broad sense) varied across the traits, indicating differential genetic control and environmental influence. High heritability was observed for HSW (0.75) and PLT (0.72), suggesting that these traits are largely governed by genetic factors and can be effectively improved through selection. PHT also exhibited moderately high heritability (0.68), indicating good scope for selection. Moderate heritability was recorded for days to DFF (0.51) and SPP (0.50), indicating a fair proportion of genetic control, although environmental influence cannot be overlooked. In contrast, DTM (0.35), YPP (0.32), CPP (0.21) and PPP (0.17) exhibited low heritability (Table 2), suggesting that these traits are more influenced by the environment and selection based on phenotype may be less effective. In contrast, Sawarkar et al., (2025) reported high broad-sense heritability for seed yield per plant (0.95) and number of pods per plant (0.94), highlighting potential differences in genetic background. Akhtar et al., (2021) observed that 100 seed weight is the one of the most significant yield contributing traits in mungbean less affected by the environment. These observations are in line with the findings of Jain et al., (2024) and Rahangdale et al., (2023).
     
    g) Qualitative parameter- seed color, seed lustre and hypocotyl color
     
    The MMC set comprised of green seed (238), brown (26), mottled/speckled (12), yellow (5), black (2) and mixed (10) seed coat colours. Seed lustre varied from shiny (158) to dull (124) and mixed (11) (Fig 3). Two hypocotyl colours were observed; purple (244) and green (49). These qualitative seed traits are important for targeting region-specific preferences. For example, yellow seed coat mungbean (commonly known as Sona mung) are traditionally cultivated in Bhutnir Char region of West Bengal and in certain regions of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (Brahmachary and Ghosh, 2000; Pal et al., 2010; Mung Central, 2020). Similarly, brown seed coat mungbean variety TARI Gram II has been released by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI, 2022). Whereas shiny green mungbean varieties are the most preferred segment across the Indian subcontinent (Mung Central,  2020). Additionally, hypocotyl color plays a crucial role in the sprouting industry, e.g: AVMU 1688 resistance to mungbean yellow mosaic disease (MYMD) suitable for sprouting market has been recently released in Myanmar (Aung et al., 2024).

    Fig 3: World Vegetable Center’s mungbean mini core accessions (293) showing diversity in seed color, size and their lustre.

    CONCLUSION

    The mungbean mini core collection consists of highly diverse and heterozygous germplasm and serves as a source of material for improvement of several quantitative and qualitative traits. Notably, accession VI003951 AG was the earliest to mature (59 days). The accessions VI001728 AG showed the highest PPP, averaging 61.48 pods. Additionally, accession VI001244 AG recorded an HSW of more than 8.60 grams, making it a potential source for improving seed size. Based on the GGE biplot analysis, accessions 230 (VI003947 B-BR), 52 (VI001191 BG) and 182 (VI003440 AG) showing superior average performance and accessions 94 (VI001728 AG), 121 (VI002432 AG), 149 (VI003019 BG), 220 (VI003886 BY) and 233 (VI003954 BG) were among the most stable genotypes, making them promising candidates for further evaluation and inclusion in mungbean breeding programs.

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    The authors would like to thank Bharath Gadde Lakshmi and Vinay Nath Reddy for their help in field evaluation and obtaining MMC picture. We also extend our gratitude to Dr. Anurag Mathew of ICRISAT for his help with data analysis.
     
    Ethics and permissions
     
    Not applicable.
     
    Funding
     
    The support of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) through the project on International Mungbean Improvement Network (CIM-2019-144) is acknowledged. This research was also supported by the long-term strategic donors of the World Vegetable Center, Taiwan, for their support: UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the governments of Germany, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea and Japan.

    CONFLICT OF INTEREST

     
    The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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