Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources

The bruchid beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) is one of the primary causes for the loss in pulses due to the seed damages during storage. The wild relatives of crop species are essential sources of new genes for crop improvement. A set of 40 wild Vigna accessions and cultivated Vigna species were screened for C. maculatus resistance. Based on the results, the accessions viz., V radiata var. sublobata, V. trilobata and V umbellata were found resistant as it recorded less adult emergence, lesser seed damage, low index of susceptibility and less seed weight loss among bruchid resistance traits. These traits are more influential principal components and have a high correlation. The identified accessions can be involved in the resistance breeding program as a donor to introgress resistance against bruchid beetles towards developing superior cultivars. One of the identified key traits, viz., seed weight loss or seed damage or index of susceptibility, should be given more importance while framing the breeding program for reliable and stable bruchid resistance among the cultivar.