Introgression of disease resistance in urdbean (Vigna mungo) by involving its related species

Abstract

Cercospora leaf spots is one of the major foliar diseases of urdbean (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) causing a considerable yield loss. Screening of germplasm and induction of mutation has not yielded any source of resistance. Hence, an experiment was conducted at research farm of CSKHPKV Palampur, Himachal Pradesh during 2017–21 for introgression of disease resistance in urdbean. A total of 45 interspecific cross combinations were attempted between urdbean × moongbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek], urdbean × ricebean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and H. Ohashi] and urdbean × adzukibean [Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi and H. Ohashi]. Only 12 interspecific crosses were successful. SSRs were used for confirmation of hybridity of the wide crosses. True F1’s were phenotyped for 13 morphological characteristics with respect to parental lines to study the trait expression. Most of the morphological characteristics of the interspecific F1’s were either intermediate to both the parents or resembled to their male parents. Here, we also report the interspecific wide hybridization in Vigna through bridge species crossing strategy where the F1 of urdbean × moongbean was hybridized separately with ricebean and adzukibean. All the interspecific hybrids of urdbean and ricebean showed resistant reaction to Cercospora leaf spots.