Induction and Inheritance of Determinate Growth Habit in Blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of DT induction and inheritance in black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) using mutagenesis. Since black gram is mostly a self-pollinating species, hybridization is not an option; therefore, mutant breeding is a good way to get desirable traits. Two black gram cultivars, AKU-15 and Black Gold, were subjected to treatments of gamma irradiation (100-400 Gy) and electromagnetic fields (0.1-0.4%) in order to promote determinate development. With a primary emphasis on the 300-400 Gy gamma and 0.3-0.4% EMS treatments, the study investigated DT mutants with terminal and axillary inflorescences. The evidence of a recessive digenic epistatic model for DT development in the segregating generations (F1 to F4), with a ratio of 3:13. Studies have shown that by breeding mutants, a consistent growth habit may be achieved, which could be used as a genetic resource for better black gram cultivation.