The Asian Vigna group of grain legumes consists of six domesticated species, among them black gram is widely grown in South Asia and to a lesser extent in Southeast Asia. We report the first genetic linkage map of black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper], constructed using a BC(1)F(1) population consisting of 180 individuals. The BC(1)F(1) population was analyzed in 61 SSR primer pairs, 56 RFLP probes, 27 AFLP loci and 1 morphological marker. About 148 marker loci could be assigned to the 11 linkage groups, which correspond to the haploid chromosome number of black gram. The linkage groups cover a total of 783 cM of the black gram genome. The number of markers per linkage group ranges from 6 to 23. The average distance between adjacent markers varied from 3.5 to 9.3 cM. The results of comparative genome mapping between black gram and azuki bean show that the linkage order of markers is highly conserved. However, inversions, insertions, deletions/duplications and a translocation were detected between the black gram and azuki bean linkage maps. The marker order on parts of linkage groups 1, 2 and 5 is reversed between the two species. One region on black gram linkage group 10 appears to correspond to part of azuki bean linkage group 1. The present study suggests that the azuki bean SSR markers can be widely used for Asian Vigna species and the black gram genetic linkage map will assist in improvement of this crop.

To facilitate transfer of bruchid resistance to azuki bean (Vigna angularis) from its relatives an interspecific mapping population was made between rice bean, V. umbellata, and the related wild species V. nakashimae. The V. umbellata parent is completely resistant and V. nakashimae is completely susceptible to the bruchid beetle pests, azuki bean weevil (Callosobruchus chinensis) and cowpea weevil (C. maculatus). There is very low cross compatibility between V. umbellata and azuki bean. Therefore, V. nakashimae, that crosses with both V. umbellata and V. angularis without the need for embryo rescue, is used as a bridging species. A genetic linkage map was constructed based on an interspecific F 2 mapping population between V. umbellata and V. nakashimae consisting of 74 plants. A total of 175 DNA marker loci (74 RFLPs and 101 SSRs) were mapped on to 11 linkage groups spanning a total length of 652 cM. Segregation distortion was observed but only three markers were not linked to any linkage group due to severe segregation distortion. This interspecific genome map was compared with the genome map of azuki bean. Of 121 common markers on the two maps, 114 (94.2%) were located on the same linkage groups in both maps. The marker order was highly conserved between the two genome maps. Fifty F 2 plants that produced sufficient seeds were used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and locating gene(s) for C. chinensis and C. maculatus resistance in V. umbellata. The resistance reaction of these F 2 plants differed between C. chinensis and C. maculatus. Both resistances were quantitatively inherited with no F 2 plants completely susceptible to C. chinensis or C. maculatus. One putative QTL for resistance to each of these bruchid species was located on different linkage groups. Other putative QTLs associated with resistance to both C. chinensis and C. maculatus were localized on the same linkage group 1. Linked markers associated with the bruchid-resistant QTL will facilitate their transfer to azuki bean breeding lines. Vigna species are an important source of protein for people, particularly in tropical Africa and Asia and several Vigna species have been domesticated in Asia. Among them the cultigens, mungbean [V. radiata (L.) Wilczek], black gram [V. mungo (L.) Hepper] and azuki bean [V. angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & Ohashi] are economically most important. Rice bean [V. umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi & Ohashi] is occasionally cultivated in different parts of South-east and East Asia. It grows prolifically and is used for its green pods, seeds or for forage.

Seed size is one of the most important traits in leguminous crops. We obtained a recessive mutant of blackgram that had greatly enlarged leaves, stems and seeds. The mutant produced 100% bigger leaves, 50% more biomass and 70% larger seeds though it produced 40% less number of seeds. We designated the mutant as multiple-organ-gigantism (mog) and found the mog phenotype was due to increase in cell numbers but not in cell size. We also found the mog mutant showed a rippled leaf (rl) phenotype, which was probably caused by a pleiotropic effect of the mutation. We performed a map-based cloning and successfully identified an 8 bp deletion in the coding sequence of VmPPD gene, an orthologue of Arabidopsis PEAPOD (PPD) that regulates arrest of cell divisions in meristematic cells. We found no other mutations in the neighboring genes between the mutant and the wild type. We also knocked down GmPPD genes and reproduced both the mog and rl phenotypes in soybean. Controlling PPD genes to produce the mog phenotype is highly valuable for breeding since larger seed size could directly increase the commercial values of grain legumes.

Both restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analyses were employed to map a new source of resistance to powdery mildew in mungbean. Disease scores of an F2 population derived from the cross between a moderately resistant breeding line VC1210A and a susceptible wild relative (Vigna radiata var. sublobata, accession TC1966) showed a continuous distribution and was treated as a quantitative trait. Although no significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) that can explain the variation was detected by QTL analysis based on the reconstructed RFLP linkage map, new marker loci associated with resistance were discovered by AFLP analysis. The RFLP loci detected by two of the cloned AFLP bands are associated with resistance and constitute a new linkage group. A major resistance quantitative trait locus was found on this linkage group that accounted for 64.9% of the variation in resistance to powdery mildew. One of the probes developed in this study has the potential to assist in breeding for powdery mildew resistance in mungbean.