<div>Background: Detection and quantification of variability among germplasm accessions/segregating populations/advance breeding lines is a pre-requisite (among others) for breeding crop plants for drought tolerance. Indices that integrate yield under moisture stress free (MSF) and moisture stress (MS) have been developed and used for screening and selection of moisture stress tolerant genotypes in several crops. The present study was aimed at identifying desirable indices from among those reported for screening and selection of terminal moisture stress (TMS) tolerant genotypes.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Two experiments were conducted at experimental fields of Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Agricultural Sciences Bengaluru during 2017 post rainy season. The first experiment consisted of 33 genotypes which included 31 selected genotypes from F3 populations and two released varieties. The second experiment consisted of 13 genotypes which included 5 advanced breeding lines, 2 released varieties and 6 land races. The genotypes of both the experiments were evaluated for dry seed yield under two moisture regimes (MR), namely, MSF and TMS environments in separate trials following Randomized Block Design.&nbsp; 
 
Conclusion: Based on the criterion of significant correlation of indices with dry seed yield under both MSF and TMS environments, two indices namely, mean productivity (MP) and geometric mean productivity (GMP) were found desirable to identify TMS tolerant genotypes of both the experiments. Based on rank mean of the two indices, two F3 selections and one released variety from first experiment; four landraces, one advanced breeding line and one released variety from second experiment were found TMS tolerant.</div>

<div>Identification of Indices for Empirical Selection of Dolichos Bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Var. Lignosus] Genotypes for Tolerance to Terminal Moisture Stress</div>

<div>Background: Pedigree method of breeding in predominantly self-pollinated crop like dolichos bean enable exploiting only fixable genetic effects as a result of rapid increase in homozygosis. One or a few cycles of inter-mating in F2 generation help create populations with high frequency of desired recombinants which otherwise cannot be realized in later generations. The objective of the present investigation was to assess the impact of inter se mating in F2 population on nine quantitative traits&rsquo; (QTs) mean and variability parameters. 
 
Methods: Randomly selected 20 pairs of a single cross-derived F2 plants with flowering synchrony were inter se mated. Progenies derived from 20 paired crosses (designated as BIP F3 progenies) and those (F3) derived from their 40 F2 parents were evaluated for 9 QTs. Statistics such as mean, absolute range (AR) and standardized range (SR), variance (&sigma;2), additive genetic variance (&sigma;2A) and narrow-sense heritability (NS-h2) were estimated. BIP F3 progenies were compared with those of F3 progenies for QTs mean, AR/SR, &sigma;2, &sigma;2A and NS-h2. Significance of differences between BIP F3 progenies and F3 progenies for mean and &sigma;2 were examined using two-sample t test and Levene&rsquo;s tests, respectively.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The random mating in F2 population was effective in increasing the means, variances, &sigma;2A and NS-h2 of racemes plant-1, fresh pods node-1, fresh pods plant-1 and fresh pod yield plant-1 in dolichos bean. Considering that random mating followed by selfing is a method of genetic improvement for future breeding rather than for immediate use, our results suggest long-term genetic gain and better prospects of deriving superior pure-lines with desired traits/combination of traits from inter-mated population in dolichos bean.</div>

<div>Effect of F2 Inter se Mating on Quantitative Traits Mean, Range, Variance and Heritability in Dolichos Bean (Lablab purpureus L. Sweet var. Lignosus)</div>