An attempt was made to study blackgram germplasm with an objective to develop genetically diverse genotypes accompanied with high heritable components of yield contributing traits. The experimental material comprised of 21 blackgram genotypes, was examined during kharif 2015 and 2016. Experimental study conducted during kharif 2015, was mainly relied on selection of transgressive segregants, which were further analyzed in Compact Family Block Design during kharif 2016. The results depicted that families and progenies within families were significantly different for majority of the traits and found to be highly variable for biological yield, harvest index and seed yield. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance were recorded for plant height (74.15%, 33.12%), branches per plant (84.34%, 40.55%), biological yield (83.51%, 69.11%) and seed yield (84.50%, 66.11%). Thus, the present findings could be beneficial to develop superior genotypes through selection in blackgram breeding program.

Legume crops provide significant nutrition to humans as a source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids as well as specific macro and micronutrients. Additionally, legumes improve the cropping environment by replenishing the soil nitrogen content. Chickpeas are the second most significant staple legume food crop worldwide behind dry bean which contains 17%–24% protein, 41%–51% carbohydrate, and other important essential minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, folate, β-carotene, anti-oxidants, micronutrients (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc) as well as linoleic and oleic unsaturated fatty acids. Despite these advantages, legumes are far behind cereals in terms of genetic improvement mainly due to far less effort, the bottlenecks of the narrow genetic base, and several biotic and abiotic factors in the scenario of changing climatic conditions. Measures are now called for beyond conventional breeding practices to strategically broadening of narrow genetic base utilizing chickpea wild relatives and improvement of cultivars through advanced breeding approaches with a focus on high yield productivity, biotic and abiotic stresses including climate resilience, and enhanced nutritional values. Desirable donors having such multiple traits have been identified using core and mini core collections from the cultivated gene pool and wild relatives of Chickpea. Several methods have been developed to address cross-species fertilization obstacles and to aid in inter-specific hybridization and introgression of the target gene sequences from wild Cicer species. Additionally, recent advances in “Omics” sciences along with high-throughput and precise phenotyping tools have made it easier to identify genes that regulate traits of interest. Next-generation sequencing technologies, whole-genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and differential genes expression profiling along with a plethora of novel techniques like single nucleotide polymorphism exploiting high-density genotyping by sequencing assays, simple sequence repeat markers, diversity array technology platform, and whole-genome re-sequencing technique led to the identification and development of QTLs and high-density trait mapping of the global chickpea germplasm. These altogether have helped in broadening the narrow genetic base of chickpeas.

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An experiment was carried out in blackgram using line x tester mating design to estimate the GCA effect of parents and SCA effect of 54 hybrids for yield and its traits using 27 lines and two testers. The relative estimates of variance due to specific combining ability (SCA) were higher than general combining ability (GCA) variances for all twelve traits, indicating predominance of non-additive gene action. Combining ability estimates showed significant genetic variance in lines for all traits whereas testers had significant genetic variance for nine traits. On the basis of GCA effects, among the lines and testers IC-436910, IC-413306, IC-398973, IC-343885 and HPBU-111 respectively, were good combiners for most of the traits and can be used in future breeding programme. Specific combining ability studies indicated cross IC-436910 x HPBU-111 as best specific combiner for the economically important traits viz., plant height, branches per plant, seed yield per plant and days to 75% maturity. Such crosses could be further exploited to obtain transgressive segregants in future breeding programme.

Background: Pulses are rich in their nutritional values, but having lower yield as compared to cereals. For increasing yield parameters, various crop improvement programmes were used, which mainly depends on the genetic architecture of the crop and the type of gene action helps in deciding the breeding strategies. Keeping under consideration, the present study therefore, is important.Methods: Eighty one triple test cross progenies developed by crossing 27 lines with three testers viz., HPBU-111, Him Mash-1 and their F1s cross between (HPBU-111 x Him Mash-1). F1 seeds were produced by cross between HPBU-111 x Him Mash-1 during Kharif 2015. By crossing these three testers with 27 lines (females), 81 hybrids were developed during Kharif 2016. The eighty one F1 hybrids along with 27 lines and 3 testers were sown during Kharif 2017 in a randomized block design with three replications.Result: Epistasis was found to be an integral part of genetic variations for the traits viz., days to 50% flowering, days to 75% maturity, plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, pod length (cm), number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, seed yield per plant (g), biological yield per plant (g), 100 seed weight, harvest index (%) and protein content (%). i type epistatic interactions (additive x additive) had significant effects for all the traits except, plant height (cm), pod length (cm), number of seeds per pod and protein content (%). In addition to i (additive x additive), j+l (additive x dominance + dominance x dominance) type epistatic interactions was observed for all of the traits. Both additive and non-additive gene actions are important for most of the traits studied hence, simple selection procedures in the immediate progenies will not be so effective for achieving improvement in these traits.