1Department of Crop Physiology, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Tirupati-517 502, Andhra Pradesh, India
2International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad-502 324, Telangana, India
3University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad-580 005, Karnataka, India
4Sri Venkateswara Agricultural College, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Tirupati-517 502, Andhra Pradesh, India
*Corresponding Author: P. Latha, Department of Crop Physiology, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Tirupati-517 502, Andhra Pradesh, India, Email: p.latha@angrau.ac.in
Online published on 11 July, 2025.
Genotype sensitivity to mid-season drought suggests the possibility of identifying genotypes with high yield potential and low sensitivity to mid-season droughts. The overall objective of the present research was to select genotypes with high tolerance to mid-season moisture stress. This effort includes assessing the variation of physiological and productive traits among RIL population lines, assessing the range of correlation for physiological and productive traits across two seasons and identifying a set of contrasting material under drought stress conditions.
To assess the recombinant inbred lines (RIL) under moisture stress, we screened RIL population of groundnut with 432 lines and parents under mid-season drought stress conditions in rabi for two years. During the drought stress period, soil moisture content (SMC) and temperatures were measured. SPAD chlorophyll meter reading (SCMR), specific leaf area (SLA), relative water content (RWC), visual wilting rate (VWR) and canopy temperature (CT) were recorded at the end of the stress period. Pod yield per plant (PYPP), kernel yield per plant (KYPP) and shelling per cent (SP) were recorded at harvest.
Physiological traits and yield attributes varied significantly among the RIL population. The genotype by trait biplot (GT biplot) revealed that the yield attributes showed a positive association with RWC, SCMR and a negative association with SLA, VWR and CT. The inbred lines were classified as visually healthy with high physiological and high or moderate yield traits; visually wilting with low physiological and low yield traits under a drought environment. The identified superior and inferior lines werefurther utilized to analyze genomic regions and genes for drought tolerance in groundnut.
Drought related traits, Groundnut RIL population, Mid-season drought stress, Yield traits
