Breeding High Forage and Seed Yielding Varieties in legumes

In the past, production of varieties was limited to vigorous, hardy commercial varieties developed with no selection for high grain yield and forage quality. The production and nutritive quality of forages can be improved to a great extent by giving emphasis on developing high forage yielding varieties possessing high seed yield and resistance to diseases and pests. The diseases and pests mainly attack the leaves and tender branches which cause loss in yield as well as quality. The research directed on these aspects in cluster-bean (Cyamposis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub), cowpea (Vigna sinenis Endl) and berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) had resulted in the evolution of dual purpose varieties ‘FS 277’ and ‘Cowpea 74’ and high forage yielding berseem variety, ‘Punjab BL-1’. Guara FS 277 has given 33 and 64% higher green fodder and grain yield, respectively than ‘Guara No. 2’. It is also more resistant to guara blight. ‘Cowpea 74’ has out yielded standard varieties ‘FOS 1’ and ‘No. 10’ by 32 and 31% giving an average forage yield of 294-56 quintals against 222-94and224-89 quintals per hectare. Similarly in grain yield it has out yielded the checks by 21 and 160%, and yielding on an average 13–48 quintals against 11–10 and 5–19 quintals per hectare. ‘Punjab BL 1’ has given 29% more green fodder and 25% more dry matter than the standard variety ‘Mescavi’.