Line x tester analysis was carried out in black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper], an edible legume, to estimate the gca (general combining ability) effects of parents (3 lines and 3 testers) and the SCA (specific combining ability) effects of 9 crosses for seed yield and other eleven quantitative traits. Though additive and nonadditive gene actions governed the expression of quantitative traits, the magnitude of nonadditive gene action was higher than that of additive gene action for each quantitative trait. Two parents viz. 'UG157' and 'DPU915' were good general combiners. Two crosses namely 'PDB 88-31'/'DPU 915' and 'PLU 277'/'KAU7' had high per se performance along with positive significant SCA effect for seed yield/plant. The degree of dominance revealed overdominance for all the traits except clusters/plant with partial dominance. The predictability ratio also revealed the predominant role of nonadditive gene action in the genetic control of quantitative traits. Narrow sense heritability was also low for each trait. Recurrent selection or biparental mating followed by selection which can exploit both additive and nonadditive gene actions would be of interest for yield improvement in black gram. Due to presence of high magnitude of nonadditive gene action, heterosis breeding could also be attempted to develop low cost hybrid variety using genetic male sterility system in black gram.

The population trend of black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) and its larval parasitoid, Blepharella lateralis Macquart in chickpea was studied at Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS),

The experiment was conducted to study the response of green gram varieties to different levels of phosphorus and potassium. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with 12 treatments replicated thrice. Three different green gram varieties viz., V1: IPM 02-3, V2: SGC-20 and V3: SGC-16 were used along with four levels of phosphorus and potassium i.e., N1: control, N2: 40 kg ha-1 P2O5 + 40 kg ha-1 K2O, N3: 50 kg ha-1 P2O5 + 50 kg ha-1 K2O and N4: 60 kg ha-1 P2O5 + 60 kg ha-1 K2O. The study showed that different varieties and application of phosphorus and potassium had major influence on crop growth, yield attributes and yield. The variety IPM 02-3, was found to perform better than the other varieties and recorded the highest seed yield at 548.08 kg ha-1. Application of 60 kg ha-1 P2O5 + 60 kg ha-1 K2O resulted in maximum growth attributes such as plant height, branches plant-1, Leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR) and yield attributes and seed yield.

Quantitative data were collected and analysed on 10 metric characters from F1s and F2s of sixteen green gram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) hybrids, developed from ten genetically diverse parents, to obtain information on variability, heritability, coheritability, and genotypic and phenotypic correlations. The increased genetic variability of F2 over F1 was observed for plant height, number of primary branches, pods/cluster, pods/plant, pod length and harvest index, suggesting the greater segregation and recombination of genes governing these characters. The high broad-sense heritability coupled with high genetic advance for plant height, days to 50% flowering and pod length in both F1s and F2s indicated the predominant role of additive gene action in their expression. The genotypic and phenotypic correlations between F1 and F2 were significant and positive for seven characters. The coheritability estimates between F1 and F2 had values of over 0.25 and were positive for six characters, but not for seed yield/plant, days to 50% flowering, clusters/plant or pods/plant. Within the F1 and F2 generations, seed yield/plant showed significant positive genotypic and phenotypic correlations with eight characters. The seed yield in green gram could be easily enhanced by practising selection on plant height, number of primary branches, pods/cluster, pod length and harvest index.