Detection of epistasis for biomedical traits in urdbean [Vigna mungo (L.) hepper] under mid-hill conditions of Northwestern Himalayas

Pulses are rich in their nutritional values, but having lower yield as compared to cereals. For increasing yield parameters, various crop improvement programmes were used, which mainly depends on the genetic architecture of the crop and the type of gene action helps in deciding the breeding strategies. Keeping under consideration, the present study therefore, is important.

Eighty one triple test cross progenies developed by crossing 27 lines with three testers viz., HPBU-111, Him Mash-1 and their F₁s cross between (HPBU-111 x Him Mash-1). F1 seeds were produced by cross between HPBU-111 x Him Mash-1 during Kharif 2015. By crossing these three testers with 27 lines (females), 81 hybrids were developed during Kharif 2016. The eighty one F1 hybrids along with 27 lines and 3 testers were sown during Kharif 2017 in a randomized block design with three replications.

Epistasis was found to be an integral part of genetic variations for the traits viz., days to 50% flowering, days to 75% maturity, plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, pod length (cm), number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, seed yield per plant (g), biological yield per plant (g), 100 seed weight, harvest index (%) and protein content (%). i type epistatic interactions (additive x additive) had significant effects for all the traits except, plant height (cm), pod length (cm), number of seeds per pod and protein content (%). In addition to i (additive x additive), j+l (additive x dominance + dominance x dominance) type epistatic interactions was observed for all of the traits. Both additive and non-additive gene actions are important for most of the traits studied hence, simple selection procedures in the immediate progenies will not be so effective for achieving improvement in these traits.