Black gram is among the most ancient and important legume crop of India, yet productivity remains low due to poor harvest index, lack of genetic variability, its susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses. Hence, this study aimed to assess 203 elite black gram genotypes for variability, trait associations, diversity and select superior genotypes based on ideotype using multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for all traits studied. High phenotypic and genotypic variation, coupled with high heritability and genetic advance, were observed for pods per plant, biological yield per plant and seed yield per plant, indicating substantial scope of genetic improvement. Correlation and path coefficients analyses identified biological yield per plant and pods per plant as the most important traits associated with seed yield improvement. The MGIDI selected 30 superior genotypes at 15% selection intensity and predicted favourable gains for key yield components, including seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, pods bearing branches per plant, biological yield per plant and pods per plant. Integration of MGIDI, diversity analyses and disease screening identified genotypes G108, G2, G98, G196, G107, G190, G79 and G140 as promising parental lines for breeding programmes. As the study was conducted at a single location and season, the identified genotypes require further multi-environment validation before wider deployment.

Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum Sendt.) is a valuable horticultural crop often constrained by bacterial wilt and fluctuating environmental conditions. This study evaluated 26 genotypes over three consecutive years (2022 - 2024) under wilt-sick field conditions at Palampur, India, to assess genetic variability, trait associations, and resistance to bacterial wilt. Significant genotypic variation was observed for all 12 horticultural and three biochemical traits. Moderate to high phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), along with high heritability (h(bs)(2)) and genetic advance (GA) for fruit length, marketable fruits per plant, and marketable fruit yield per plant, indicated their effectiveness as selection criteria. Correlation and path coefficient analyses revealed marketable fruits per plant and average fruit weight as major contributors to fruit yield. Resistance to bacterial wilt, evaluated through field-based phenotyping, DAS-ELISA-based serological detection, and marker-assisted selection using the SSR marker CAMS451, effectively differentiated resistant and susceptible genotypes. Genotypes HPC-22-V-39, HPC-22-V-39D, HPC-22-V-39B, HPC-22-3-SP, and HPC-22-V-29 demonstrated superior yield potential and wilt resistance, with HPC-22-V-39, HPC-22-V-39D, and HPC-22-V-39B also exhibiting early maturity. In this regard, HPC-22-3-SP and HPC-22-V-39D were released as varieties under the names Him Palam Shimla Mirch-1 (IC-653105) and Him Palam Shimla Mirch-2 (IC-653106), respectively, highlighting the novelty and applied significance of this research.

A comprehensive three-year pioneer study to develop DUS descriptors of Capsicum annuum under protected conditions was undertaken that defined 56 morphological descriptors and were utilized for genetic divergence analysis. The study revealed substantial phenotypic variability across plant, leaf, floral, fruit and seed traits, with the Shannon Diversity Index (H') ranging from 0.09 to 1.57. High variability was recorded for length of first internode (H' = 1.57), pericarp thickness (H' = 1.43), fruit shape (H' = 1.38), plant height (H' = 1.24), fruit length (H' = 1.21) and fruit stalk length (H' = 1.10), indicating broad allelic diversity and strong potential for breeding interventions. Bell pepper genotypes demonstrated high variability in locule number (H' = 1.10). The population was dominated by key traits, including thin pericarp (41.38%), long stalk length (50.00%), dentate calyx margins (86.21%), constricted calyx (91.38%), strong pedicel attachment (62.07%), presence of blossom-end appendage (93.10%), medium maturity (50.00%), heavy seed weight (> 6.0 g) and generally low seed recovery efficiency (65.52%). The genotypes were classified into ten distinct clusters using Tocher's method, where clusters clusters I, II, IV, VII, VIII and X comprised hot pepper and paprika genotypes, while clusters III, V, VI and IX comprised bell pepper genotypes. Principal component analysis revealed that the first four principal components explained most of the existing variation (> 70%) in the germplasm. Overall, the substantial diversity observed across traits highlights the genetic potential of the evaluated Capsicum genotypes as a valuable resource for crop improvement, conservation and targeted breeding of desirable morphological and agronomic traits.

The present field study was conducted to evaluate the impact of different nutrient levels on the growth, physiological traits, and yield attributes of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) under specific agro-climatic conditions. The experiment included five treatments with varying doses of NPK fertilizers, among which the treatment T5, consisting of 125% of the recommended NPK dose, consistently produced the most favorable results. Observations were recorded at 30, 45, 60 days after sowing (DAS), and at harvest to assess plant height, number of branches per plant, leaf area index (LAI), and dry matter accumulation. The T5 treatment significantly enhanced vegetative growth and physiological efficiency, resulting in better pod formation and overall yield performance. Notably, T5 achieved the highest plant height (68.3 cm), LAI (2.45), and dry matter accumulation (22.8 g/plant), leading to a superior green pod yield of 95.2 q/ha. In contrast, the control treatment (T1), which received no fertilizer, showed the lowest performance across all parameters. The results underscore the importance of optimized nutrient management, especially nitrogen, in achieving enhanced crop performance in legumes. This study supports the adoption of higher-than-recommended NPK doses, tailored to soil conditions, to maximize productivity without adverse effects. Furthermore, the integration of chemical and organic nutrient sources and stage-specific application practices could further improve sustainability and efficiency in garden pea cultivation.

Landraces possess a significant pool of genetic diversity that could serve as an excellent source for wheat improvement programs. However, we can only fully utilize this potential once we gather and assess genetic resources from unexplored areas. So, we made an attempt to collect and preserve unique and untapped genetic variation in landraces of these areas that contribute significantly to wheat advancement. A total of 110 wheat genotypes were evaluated in four cropping seasons, including 104 landraces and six improved cultivars using an 11 × 10 alpha lattice design with three replications. Significant differences were observed between the mean values of all the genotypes. It is anticipated that all studied quantitative traits can be enhanced by 8–58

Powdery mildew (PM) caused by Erysiphie pisi Syd. is the most devastating disease of pea, affecting fresh pea production as well as the quality of the marketable harvest worldwide. The efforts were made to develop PM-resistant mutants of popular pea varieties “Lincoln” and “Azad P-1” through induced mutations by following gamma irradiation (300, 400, 500, and 600 Gy) and chemical mutagenesis, i.e., ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) (0.3% and 0.4%). The screening of 13,868 M2 progenies at Kukumseri (summer season) followed by M3 generation at Palampur (winter season) resulted in the isolation of six putative PM-resistant mutants. The rigorous evaluation of these progenies under in vivo (field screening) and in vitro (artificial screening under greenhouse conditions and using the detached leaf assay method) conditions over the years resulted in the isolation of three PM-resistant mutants, viz., L-40-1014, L-0.3-139, and AP-0.3-129. SSR markers “PSMPSAD60 d” and “PSMPA5 c” linked to the er-1 gene indicated the presence of the “er1” gene in the mutant L-0.3-139 while the er-2 gene-linked SCAR marker “ScX171400” and SSR marker “AD141” indicated the probability of the “er-2” gene in mutant L-40-1014. The known markers linked to PM resistance genes could not be validated in the mutant AP-0.3-129, suggested to identify new markers linked to PM resistance. These PM-resistant mutants can be promising candidates as the new source of resistance for future pea breeding programs.

The Chilli (Capsicum annuum var. annuum L.) cultivars are highly sensitive to diverse agroclimatic conditions. The research presents a significant contribution by identifying high-yielding and stable hybrids for wider adaptability using genetic male sterility (GMS). The study was conducted in seven diverse environments by following conventional farming under field conditions in five locations of North-western Himalaya along with naturally ventilated polyhouse conditions using conventional and natural farming practices using 12 GMS based hybrids and 4 check varieties to identify the phenotypic stability for yield and its related attributes. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design replicated thrice during summer season of 2021 in the respective environments. Joint regression analysis revealed significant Genotype (G) × Environment (E) interaction and E + (G × E) for all the traits. Eberhart and Russel model revealed stability of seven hybrids for green fruit yield with DPCHYB 10 (627.68 g/plant) and DPCHYB 5 (583.50 g/plant) got top ranks. G + GE biplot model extrudes that Berthin (E5) was the most representative and discriminating environment for green fruit yield and was suitable for selecting generally adapted hybrids. Mean vs stability biplot indicated the superiority of DPCHYB 10 and DPCHYB 5 for green fruit yield. ‘Which won where’ polygon view of GGE biplot model showed that DPCHYB 10 was the most stable and high yielding hybrid with wider adaptability in most of the environments except Palampur (E1) where DPCHYB 5 was the most responsive and adaptive.

Black gram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) is one of the major pulse crops having a significant source of dietary protein and potential to fix the atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules. Twenty four Indian black gram genotypes were analyzed for genetic diversity and population structure by employing 20 agro-morphological (9 distinctness, uniformity and stability (DUS) descriptors and 11 quantitative traits) and 11 microsatellite/SSR markers. Nine DUS descriptors exhibited polymorphism with maximum morphological variation (H = 0.940) for leaf color. Mahalanobis D2 genetic divergence sorted the black gram genotypes into two clusters. A total of 43 alleles were generated by 11 SSR primers, with a mean value of 3.91. The value of PIC ranged from 0.36 (BgSr02 and BgSr45) to 0.74(BgSr24), with an average of 0.53. According to the cluster analysis using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) technique, the genotypes were grouped into two major clusters; however, three major groups were identified using the DARwin neighbour-joining tree approach. Based on the structure analysis, the population was classified into two groups. By discriminating agro-morphological and molecular clusters, the eight genotypes, viz., Him Mash-1, Chamba-7, Sirmour-2, Chamba-6, Chamba-1, Chamba-8, Kangra-3, and Palampur-93 were observed to be constant genotypes. Thus, an integrated approach of agro-morphological and molecular assessments of genetic diversity may be more optimum for the selection of different parental lines and their hybridization to introduce novel traits into Black gram.

In present study, morphological and molecular markers were used to assess the genetic diversity of 35 tomato genotypes. However, only 26 tomato genotypes were used to carry out clustering analysis due to Fusarium wilt disease nine tomato genotypes were died. Based on clustering analysis, tomato genotypes were grouped into twelve clusters whereas cluster III with eight genotypes followed by cluster I with seven genotypes. Maximum inter-cluster distance observed between cluster V and X indicating the existence of wide range of genetic diversity. Molecular diversity and population structure of 35 tomato genotypes were analyzed using polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Total 74 alleles identified with an average of 2.05 alleles per locus, while the polymorphism information content of the primers ranged from 0.07 to 0.46 with a mean value of 0.32. The major allele frequency and heterozygosity ranged from 0.50-0.96 and 0.07-0.52, respectively. The dendrogram clustered genotypes into two main groups A and B with 27 and 8 genotypes, respectively but group A had two sub-clusters. Similarity coefficient ranged from 0.50 to 0.88 with maximum likeness between genotype BT-20-3 (Red egg shaped) & BT-20-3 (Yellow round) and NBHIA-5 & Punjab Upma while, minimum between Swarna Rattan & KSP-1154-5. Population structure revealed three sub-populations with some admixtures. Principal coordinate analysis revealed that the genotypes were uniformly distributed across the two axes in both the plots with 35.44 % of cumulative variation. An understanding of genetic diversity and polymorphism of tomato populations will help in exploiting the tomato genetic resources improvement.

BACKGROUND:Bell pepper is a valuable vegetable crop from an economic perspective but is highly susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses, particularly bacterial wilt, which severely limits its productivity. Breeding for high yield and bacterial wilt resistance is therefore essential. This study aimed to assess 24 bell pepper genotypes for genetic variability, trait associations, and their potential for improving marketable fruit yield and to identify superior bacterial wilt-resistant genotypes. METHODS AND RESULTS:The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant genetic variability among the evaluated genotypes across all traits studied. Among them, genotype G14 (BWT-39-DR) recorded the maximum marketable fruit yield, with G13 (BWT-39), G15 (BWT-39-BR), G17 (Kandaghat Selection), and G4 (BWT-3Y-4L), also demonstrating strong performance in traits such as days to first picking, harvest duration, average fruit weight, marketable fruits per plant, and quality attributes. Bacterial wilt resistance was tested under sick field conditions and confirmed using the SSR marker CAMS451. High phenotypic and genotypic variation, heritability, and genetic advance were observed for fruit shape index, marketable fruits per plant, and marketable fruit yield per plant. Marketable fruit yield per plant showed a strong positive correlation with marketable fruits per plant, harvest duration, capsanthin content, ascorbic acid content, average fruit weight, and primary branches per plant. Marketable fruits per plant and average fruit weight were key selection indices for yield improvement. CONCLUSIONS:The identified genotypes BWT-39-DR, BWT-39, BWT-39-BR, Kandaghat Selection, and BWT-3Y-4L are recommended for multi-location testing and hybridisation programmes to develop high-yielding, bacterial wilt-resistant bell pepper varieties.

Chilli cultivars are highly sensitive to diverse agroclimatic conditions and the present investigation provide a significant contribution by identifying high-yielding and stable hybrids for wider adaptation. The study was conducted in seven diverse environments by following conventional farming under field conditions in five locations of North-western Himalaya along with naturally ventilated polyhouse conditions using conventional and natural farming practices using 16 genotypes to identify the most stable ones for fruit yield and its attributes. Joint regression and AMMI analysis revealed significant Genotype × Environment interaction for all the traits. Eberhart and Russel (E-R) model revealed DPCHYB 10 (627.68 g/plant) and DPCHYB 5 (583.50 g/plant) as top ranked with stability for fruit yield. The AMMI1 biplot identified DPCHYB 2 as most resilient and productive across environments for fruit number and fruit yield which was also described by mean vs. stability biplot of GGE. Further, GGE suggested E5 (Berthin) as the most representative and discriminating environment for fruit yield. 'Which won where' biplot represented hybrid DPCHYB 10 as stable and high yielding with wider adaptability in most of the environments except Palampur (E1). DPCHYB 5 was the most responsive and adaptive in E1 that was also depicted as stable by E-R.

The understanding of genetic variability in germplasm is indispensable for initiating any breeding programme. Keeping this in view, the present study was carried out in diverse wheat panel of 240 genotypes during winter seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24 following augmented block design forming five blocks and five check varieties, were replicated in each block. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences for all the morpho-physiological traits. Based on mean performance, 99 accessions recorded significantly high grain yield with G-213, G-107, G-115, G-132 and G-195 as top ranked genotypes that showed better performance for important yield attributes. The kurtosis for spike length, 1000- grain weight and grains/spike found to be mesokurtic type while it as leptokurtic for plant height, tillers/plant and grain yield/plant indicating greater variation among genotypes. High PCV and GCV was observed for tillers/plant, grains/spike and grain yield/plant over the years. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for tillers/plant, 1000-grain weight, grains/spike, grain yield, spikelets/spike indicating the importance of additive gene action. High heritability along with moderate genetic advance was observed for plant height and spike length. Correlation analysis revealed a positive association of grain yield/plant with spike length, tillers/plant, grains/spike, flag leaf length and1000-grain weight that signify selection based on these traits might lead to higher yield. The genotypes namely, G-213, G-107, G-132, G-115, G-193, G-124, G-159, G-156, G-151, G-156, G-161, G-148, G-149, G-26, G-4, G-27, G-36, G-17 and G-33 showed more diversity based on PCA and may be suitable for wheat improvement programme.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn) is an important underutilized coarse cereal, grown for its excellent nutritional, health value and therapeutic effects. Despite its growing demand, there are limited studies that have focused on its genotypic variability and genotype-environmental interaction (GEI), particularly in the North-Western Himalayas. This study evaluated 24 Tartary buckwheat genotypes across five specific test environments (E1–E5) for 9 agronomic and 6 nutritional traits to estimate the effects of genotype (G), environment (E) and their interaction (GEI) using Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI), Genotype and Genotype × Environment Interaction (GGE) biplot, Weighted Average of Absolute Scores (WAAS), Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) and the Multi-Trait Stability Index. The results revealed significant GEI effects for all the evaluated traits. High heritability and genetic advance as a percentage of the mean for number of seeds per plant and seed yield per plant, suggested strong potential for genetic improvement. Based on mean performance, AMMI, WAAS, WAASBY and GGE analysis, genotypes G2, G13, G19, G1, G15 and G23 were found fairly stable alongside superior trait performance and nutritional content. Environmental analysis highlighted E2, E5 and E4 at Palampur (H.P.), as the most representative and discriminating environments. Multi-trait stability index analysis identified genotypes G2, G13, G1 and G19 as the most stable and ideal. These findings provide critical insights into the adaptability and performance of buckwheat genotypes under diverse agro-climatic conditions. Hence, these genotypes can serve as valuable resources for breeding programs aimed at developing high-yielding, nutritionally enhanced Tartary buckwheat varieties suitable for the North-Western Himalayan region.

For wheat improvement, knowledge of diversity patterns and evolutionary relationships among the germplasm is essential for the sustainable conservation of valuable genetic materials. Therefore, this investigation aims to decipher the genetic diversity and population structure of wheat germplasm and identify diverse accessions to expedite the wheat breeding programs. In this study, a diverse set of 81 bread wheat genotypes, including derived doubled haploids, elite exotic lines, indigenous landraces and cultivars were used. Phenotypic and molecular characterization was conducted using 10 morpho-physiological traits and 68 microsatellite (SSR) markers, respectively. Among, the nine morphological descriptors the highest morphological variation (H) was observed for 1000 grain weight (1.06). The genotypes based on phenotypic traits were grouped into three clusters using Euclidian distance. Principal component analysis (PCA), revealed that the first four significant principal components accounted for 78% of the variance. A total of 58 alleles were generated from 27 polymorphic SSR primers with an average of 2.15 alleles per locus. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.26 (Wmc434) to 0.76 (Wmc47), with an average of 0.69. Molecular analyses by NTSYS-PC delineated the genotypes into four clusters, whereas while the cluster tree generated using neighbour-joining analysis identified three major clusters. Structure analysis grouped the genotypes into three sub-populations. When comparing agro-morphological and molecular clusters, seven genotypes (DH 194, DH 207, DH 215, DH 217, CIMMYT line 30 Entry No.10, Chamba landrace 18 and C 306) were identified as common. Notably, these genotypes were identified as distant and belong to different diversity clusters. Therefore, integrating morphological analysis with a polymorphic SSR survey may be effective in selecting diverse parental lines in wheat hybridization programs.

Despite being a short-duration legume crop with excellent nutritional value, blackgram is rarely grown extensively because of various obstacles. In light of this, the research sought to understand the nature and strength of the relationship between yield and related qualities for efficient production, with the goal of developing blackgram genotypes with greater adaptability, genetic variability, and high yielding potential. Fifty one genotypes derived from seventeen inter-varietal crosses with variable plant and pod characteristics were evaluated in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications during kharif 2018 at Palampur. Significant differences were observed among all genotypes for all the characters. Seed yield per plant showed positive association towards plant height, pods per plant, biological yield per plant and harvest index. The positive association was mainly due to direct effects of these traits with seed yield per plant and also indirectly contributed for positive association with other traits. Therefore, these traits provide an important criterion of selection procedures for achieving enhanced performance of blackgram genotypes for higher yield.

The present study was undertaken to induce desirable mutations through gamma-irradiation. A set of Lincoln and Azad P-1 varieties of garden pea were exposed to different treatments using 60 Co gamma cell to determine LD50 50 which was estimated at 100 Gy. The frequency of total mutants including lethal ones increased with higher doses of gamma-radiation that also resulted in high mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency with few exceptions. A wide range of chlorophyll and viable morphological mutations were obtained in M2 2 generations that include desirable characters viz., waxy leaves, 3-flowers /pedicel, short inter-nodal distance, fasciation, tall plants, edible pod, exerted stigma, powdery mildew resistance, afila type and variations for seed coat colour etc. in both the varieties. The inheritance for afila and 3-flowers per pedicel mutant in Azad P-1 were governed by a single recessive gene, as F2 2 generation segregates in a ratio of 1:3 for both the traits.

Onion, a member of the Allium genus, stands out as the most extensively cultivated species in the Indian sub-continent, possessing remarkable potential for export. To enhance bulb yield, overall quality, and to fortify the resistance against both biotic and abiotic stresses, agro-morphological and molecular characterization is of utmost significance. Genetic diversity in 49 onion genotypes was assessed using six DUS descriptors, 19 quantitative traits along with 13 ISSR markers. Among DUS descriptors, bulb: basic color of dry skin exhibited the highest diversity index (1.44). Mahalanobis D2 statistic grouped the genotypes into seven clusters with the highest inter-cluster distance between clusters V and VII (364.35). A total of 78 fragments were produced from 13 polymorphic primers with a mean of six alleles per primer. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.42 (UBC 835) to 0.75 (UBC 825) with an average of 0.61 per primer. Cluster analysis using UPGMA algorithm divided genotypes into two major clusters, whereas the cluster tree identified three major groups. The structure analysis divided the population into two main groups. Based on genetic distance, Genotypes no. 13 (ON20-11) and 28 (ON20-49) were found most diverse and also exhibited considerable resistance to stemphylium blight and thrips incidence. Mantel’s test showed a moderate positive correlation between agro-morphological (DUS descriptors) and molecular data. Thus, integrated morphological and molecular characterization followed by hybridization can facilitate onion breeding programs to introgress desired traits like resistance to stemphylium blight and thrips incidence into elite cultivars.