Heterosis in Blackgram - History and Future Thrust

Abstract

Abstract

Heterosis is the increase in vigor that is observed in progenies of matings of diverse individuals from different species, isolated populations or selected strains within species or populations. Heterosis has been of immense economic value in agriculture and has important implications regarding the fitness and fecundity of individuals in natural populations. Considering mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek), a pulse crop which is self-pollinated, little work has been done on heterosis. This genetic tool is the basic mechanism in developing mungbean cultivars with high yielding potentials. The increase in mungbean production volume comes mainly from the increase in mungbean cultivated area. A possible breakthrough for this production limitation is to exploit hybrid vigor of the F₁ for possible production of hybrid varieties. The magnitude of hybrid vigor is normally presented in terms of heterosis (superiority of the F₁ hybrid over its parental mean) and heterobeltiosis (superiority of the F1 hybrid over its better parent). The results on heterosis so far in mungbean were encouraging and still there a scope to utilize this genetic phenomenon to develop new cultivars superior than existing.

Keywords: Heterosis, vigna mungo, F₁hybrids, heterobeltiosis