Genetic Variability and Divergence in Black Gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] Genotypes for Agronomic Traits, Yield and Yield Attributes
M. Vengatesh
Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Nalanda College of Agriculture (Affiliated with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University), M. R. Palayam, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India.
Mohan Raj *
Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
A. L. Nivetha
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Kerala, India.
B. Gokulraj
Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
A. S. Pavithra
Division of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background and Aim: Black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) is an important pulse crop in India, valued for its high protein content and adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions; however, improvement in yield largely depends on the availability and effective utilization of genetic variability among the genotypes. The genetic study was carried out during Zaid 2025 to evaluate variability and divergence present among sixteen black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) genotypes for yield attributes.
Methods: The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications and data were recorded on ten agronomic traits, yield, and yield attributes. The recorded data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to detect significant differences among genotypes. Genetic variability parameters (Phenotypic and Genotypic Coefficients of Variation, heritability, and genetic advance over mean) were estimated, and genetic divergence among the genotypes was assessed using Mahalanobis D2 statistics followed by cluster analysis. All the analyses were computed in MS-Excel.
Results: Significant differences were observed among the genotypes for all the traits, indicating broad genetic variability. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for number of branches per plant, number of clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod suggesting the predominance of additive gene action. The genetic divergence was analyzed using Mahalanobis’ D² and genotypes were grouped into seven distinct clusters, with a maximum inter-cluster distance observed between Clusters II and VI, implying scope for the exploitation of heterosis. Cluster mean analysis revealed trait-specific superiority, with T 912 excelling in number of pods per plant, pod length, seed weight and single plant yield, while ADT 3 and VBN 8 and VBN 5 were also promising. Contribution towards genetic divergence identified number of seeds per pod and single plant yield as the major contributors.
Conclusion: Overall, the study revealed the presence of considerable genetic variability and divergence among the evaluated black gram genotypes. Among them, T 912, ADT 3, VBN 8 and VBN 5 emerged as promising genotypes with superior performance for important yield attributes. The results suggest that emphasis on traits such as number of seeds per pod, pod length and single plant yield could enhance selection efficiency and aid in the development of high-yielding varieties. The study provides useful information for the identification of potential parental lines for hybridization programmes. However, the findings are based on evaluation of a limited number of genotypes under a single environment, and therefore multi-location testing with a larger set of germplasm would further strengthen the selection of stable and superior genotypes for breeding programmes.
Keywords: Black gram, cluster, divergence, variability, yield attributes