Background: Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] is an important pulse crop occupying a unique position in Indian agriculture. Blackgram provides a major share of the protein requirement of the vegetarian population of the country. The crop is resistant to adverse climatic conditions and improves the soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. Phenotypically stable genotypes are of great importance because the environmental conditions vary from season to season and year to year. Stable performance of blackgram genotypes across contrasting environments is essential for the successful selection of stable and high yielding varieties. Methods: A total of seven genotypes of blackgram were evaluated one season (Rabi - 2019) in three environments to study the G x E interaction for three traits.Result: Based on the stability analysis of Eberhart and Russell model, two genotypes viz., MDU 1 and NRIB 002 were found to be stable across the environments for seed yield. These genotypes had high seed yield with a unity regression coefficient and deviation from regression equal to zero.

Fifty diverse Brinjal accessions were evaluated to estimate variability, heritability and genetic advance for thirteen biometric characters at Varagoorpettai village near Annamalainagar, Chidambaram during 2018-2020. High PCV and GCV were recorded for fruit yield per plant, number of fruits per cluster, seeds per fruit, individual fruit weight, leaf area, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, number of flowers per cluster and plant height while, low PCV and GCV was found for days to 50% flowering and days to first harvest. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for plant height, leaf area, number of flowers per cluster, number of fruits per cluster, individual fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, number of fruits per plant, seeds per fruit and 100 seed weight exhibiting that the traits are controlled by additive gene action. Therefore, direct selection may be followed for improving brinjal yield by examining these characters.

Combining ability analysis of 28 F1’s of a diallel cross (excluding reciprocals) and their parents showed both additive and non-additive components of variation for the inheritance of grain yield/plant and 100 seed weight. For plant height, clusters/plant, pods/ plant and seeds/pod, only the additive component was observed. The parent KU 300 was adjudged as a good general combiner for grain yield/plant, whereas, TU 94-2 and P 165 were adjudged as good general combiners for 100 seed weight. Six cross combinations viz., 2 KU 53/TU 94-2, 99 V 48/KU 300, 99 V 48/P 165, KU 300/LBG 645, PV 94-2/LBG 623 and TU 94-2/P 165 recorded high specific combining ability and they could be exploited for further breeding programmes.

Ninety four genotypes of black gram were evaluated under rainfed condition for their biometric characters viz., plant height, number of pods plant -1 , number of seeds pod -1 , 100 seed weight and seed yield plant -1 for preliminary screening to identify the best performing genotype. Based on their yield performance, eight genotypes viz., RU8-705, PALAVAYAL-LOCAL, T 9, PHM 8, ADT 3, CBG-09-06, VANNIYUR-LOCAL and CBG-09-13 were selected and raised in three environments. Among them, two genotypes viz., T 9 and CBG-09-13 were selected and their root parameters viz., root and shoot length, shoot length, number of roots, root diameter, fresh weight of root, fresh weight of shoot, dry weight of root, dry weight of shoot, root volume and gas exchange characters viz., net photosynthetic rate, leaf temperature, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO 2 were studied to identify the best genotype among them suitable for moisture stress condition. Based on the results, it was found that CBG-09-13 performed well under moisture stress condition.

Background: Drought is one of the abiotic factor. It is considered to be a moderate loss of water. Water is main source involving for all activities of plant growth throughout the crop plants. Seed germination is considered as one of the first and foremost fundamental life stages of a plant, where the success in growth and yield is also depending on this stage. Methods: An experiment was conducted in order to study the effect of different concentrations (i.e., 0, 10, 20 and 30%) of polyethylene glycol (PEG) stress on germination and early growth stages of 28 genotypes of black gram. Different germination indices such as germination percent, radical length, plumule length, along with drought parameters like drought tolerance index was measured. Conclusion: Results showed significant differences among the cultivars at each drought stress level and significant decrease was observed in germination, length of radical and plumule and radical and plumule dry matter parameters, among all the genotypes genotypes Nirmal 7, NRIB 002, MDU 1, VBN 8 and NUL 7 VISWAS showed their efficiency in terms of germination and germination attributes to with stand to the drought conditions.