Genetic basis of plant height and its degree of indetermination in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek).

The genetic basis of plant height at various growth stages and the degree of indetermination of plant height in six mungbean genotypes (NM 92, 6601, NM 89, VC 1560D and VC 3902A) were assessed through half diallel cross. Cultivars, 6601 and NM 92, were the best general combiner for pre-flowering dry matter accumulation and minimum increase in plant height from first flower to 90% pods maturity, respectively. For these traits, the combination NM 92 x NM 89 was the best specific combiner of all the crosses. Both additive and dominant gene effects controlled the inheritance of plant height at first pod and to 90% pods maturity, degree of indetermination of plant height (DDh) from first flower to first pod maturity (DDh1), DDh from first flower to 90% pods maturity (DDh2) and DDh from first pod maturity to 90% pods maturity (DDh3). Plant height at first flower was additively inherited. The additive gene action was predominant as compared to dominant gene action for all the traits examined. High narrow and broad sense heritability estimates for DDh2 showed that better response to selection is possible for the development of mungbean genotypes with minimum increase in plant height during post-flowering development.