Unravelling genetic relationships in spring mung bean genotypes using morphological and molecular markers under the foothill condition of Manipur

Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is a warm-season legume widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a key source of proteins, carbohydrates and antioxidants in Asian diets. It is well-suited for SSR-based diversity studies. This study sought to evaluate the genetic diversity among twenty-seven mung bean genotypes to support the breeding of improved varieties with enhanced yield and resilience. By integrating morphological and agronomic trait analysis with molecular characterization using highly polymorphic Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers, we aimed to uncover both phenotypic and genetic variation. These insights are expected to guide the selection of diverse parental lines for hybridization programs, fostering the development of robust, high-performing mung bean cultivars. Significant genetic variability was recorded among studied genotypes. The genotypes were grouped into seven clusters; Cluster I included seventeen genotypes. Intra-cluster distances ranged from 0.00 to 9.70 and inter-cluster distances varied from 10.39 to 27.11. Protein percentage (27.5 %) contributed most to divergence. Out of Thirteen primers ten (76.92 %) exhibited polymorphism. Thirteen SSR primers produced amplicons ranging from 100 to 413 bp. An average of 3.2 alleles per locus was observed, highest six alleles were recorded for VrSSR61. PIC ranged from 0.20 (DMBSSR080) to 0.79 (VrSSR61). UPGMA cluster analysis of twenty-seven Vigna radiata genotypes clustered into two main clusters (A and B), each with two sub-clusters (A-I, A-II, B-I, B-II). Similarity coefficients ranged from 0.46 to 0.97. Two markers viz., DMBSSR125 and DMBSSR 130 were identified and associated with YVMV and powdery mildew respectively. Future breeding programs should integrate MAS to efficiently screen and select desired resistant genotypes at early developmental stages, significantly reducing the time and resources typically required for traditional phenotypic screening. The identified clusters and inter-cluster distances provide a clear roadmap for selecting genetically diverse parents for targeted hybridization programs.