Nutrient depletion in mungbean seeds due to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita and cercospora leaf spot infection

The protein content and nutritional advantages make the mungbean (Vigna radiata) a valuable pulse crop. Its productivity and seed quality are, however, severely impacted by several biotic stresses, such as cercospora leaf spot (CLS, Cercospora canescens) and root-knot nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne incognita). The present study reports the effects of above pathogens on the nutritional contents of mungbean seeds. These diseases were linked to significant decrease in several dietary components of the bean. The rootknot nematode, M. incognita at 4 J2/cc soil caused significant decrease in crude protein (20.4%), potassium (11.2%), and calcium contents (32. 6%) of the seeds over control. The CLS disease also significantly reduced the lipids (24.4%), crude protein (21.0%), and iron contents (27.4%). The combined impact of both diseases resulted in further greater reduction in the crude protein (47.1%), calcium (47.5%), and sodium (32.8%) of mungbean seeds. The results emphasize the substantial harm that the RKN and CLS fungus can cause to the nutritional value of mungbean seeds, besides the quantitative crop loss, and highlight the need of effective disease management measures.