Genetic analysis and transgressive segregation for seed weight and seed yield in F2 populations of mungbean

Three F2 populations of large x large (cross-I), small x large (cross-II) and medium x small (cross-III) seeded were evaluated along with their parents and F1’s to find out transgressive segregants and to estimate the heritability(h2BS), predicted selection response (pR) for seed weight and seed yield per plant in mungbean. For 100 seed weight, eight transgressive segregants (2.56%) were recorded only in the cross-I (range 8.52 to 9.29 g). For seed yield per plant, fifteen (4.79%) and one (0.0027%) transgressive segregants were recorded in the cross-I (range 7.95 to 11.93 g) and cross-III (15.01 g) respectively. The h2BS values were high in the cross-I (0.83) and cross-III (0.86) for 100 seed weight while for seed yield per plant it was the highest in cross-III (0.72) and the lowest in cross-II (0.54). The pR values were the highest in the cross-I (large seeded x large seeded) for 100 seed weight and seed yield per plant. The higher estimates of h2BS and pR in F2 population of the cross-I for both the traits suggested that the selection will be more effective in the cross between large seeded genotypes and transgress more desirable transgressive segregants which were further confirmed by progeny test in F3 generation.