Genetic Improvement in Nutritional Quality of Mungbean Through Interspecific Hybridization with Mashbean

The present study was conducted to improve the amino acid and protein content of mungbean through interspecific hybridization with mashbean. Sixteen recombinant genotypes from cross-combination NM 2006 × Mash-88 were evaluated for quality traits (protein content and amino acid profile). The recombinant genotypes, MMH 4224, MMH 1115, MMH 2112, MMH 7124 and MMH 4255, exhibited a maximum improvement for all essential amino acids over parental genotypes. For protein contents, all recombinants except MMH 4255 got improved over Mash-88 and maximum improvement (9.11%) over Mash-88 was observed in MMH 2112 followed by MMH 7124 (8.72%), MMH 7111 (7.41%), MMH 2225 (6.70%), MMH 1115 (6.27%) and MMH 4224 (6.07%). MMH 2112, MMH 7124, MMH 4224 and MMH 1115 also showed a higher amino acid concentration. MMH 2112 also showed highest improvement in seed yield (37.98%) over NM 2006 followed by MMH 16425 (36.78%), MMH 210115 (26.36%) and MMH 4224 (18.52%). On the basis of overall performance (high proteins, amino acids contents and seed yield), five recombinant genotypes, viz. MMH 1115, MMH 4224, MMH 4255, MMH 7124 and MMH 2112, were observed to be more prominent and selected as elite lines. These true interspecific recombinants possessing excellent nutritional quality are useful germplasm for inclusion in breeding program and release of new commercial cultivars with improved quality traits.