Moth bean germplasm screening against yellow mosaic virus, II. Development of moth bean high-yielding seed and fodder cultivars

Moth bean [Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal] susceptibility to yellow mosaic virus (YMV) purged the crop from the farming system. Therefore, genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) and biplot studies were undertaken to develop YMV-resistant moth bean cultivars from the germplasm. The germplasm was acquired from the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad and from the farm fields in two provinces, Punjab and Sindh, Pakistan. Two different groups of moth bean genotypes were screened for YMV versus seed yield (11 genotypes) and YMV versus fodder yield (10 genotypes) over three years (2006–2008) in three locations in Pakistan [D.I.Khan Agriculture Research Station (ARS), Serai Naurang ARS, and Karak ARS]. In all germplasm, four moth bean lines were identified as highly resistant to YMV with maximum grain (013393-C, 013388) and fodder (DMB-118-E, DMB-118-A) yields across all years and locations. Genotype, environment, GEI, and biplot analysis revealed that two moth bean lines (013393-C and DMB-118-E) showed the lowest YMV scoring (1) and maximum grain (33.40, 29.70, and 33.98 g plant–1) and fodder yields (15.30, 17.40, and 15.35 t ha–1) compared with susceptible checks, respectively. Keeping in view the genetic potential of YMV-resistance and the high grain and fodder yields of two moth bean lines (013393-C, DMB-118-E), the Provincial Seed Council (PSC) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan approved the two lines with the highest grain and fodder yields as new moth bean cultivars, naming them Dera Moth and Green Moth, respectively.