Mean performance and per se evaluation of biparental progenies of dolichos bean (Lablab purpureus (L.)) for quantitative, yield and yield-related traits

The study was conducted collaboratively by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-CHES) and the Department of Vegetable Science at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar, with the objective of enhancing yield in lablab bean (Lablab purpureus L.), an important legume vegetable. A total of 32 biparental progenies were evaluated in randomized block design with 3 replications for a comprehensive set of traits directly influencing pod and seed production. The results revealed significant variation among the progeny lines across all measured characteristics. Key growth phases, such as days to first germination (2–5 days) and days to first harvest (64–112 days), varied widely, identifying lines suitable for shorter cropping cycles. Important structural components like stem diameter, branch number and inflorescence count also showed considerable variation, indicating differences in plant architecture. Crucially, yield-related traits exhibited a broad range: pod number per plant (36–185), individual pod weight and seed characteristics like size and 100-seed weight (19.36–43.31 g). This directly translated to a wide spectrum of pod yield per plant, with the top-performing line, BP-12, yielding 1120.00 g. The extensive genetic variability observed confirms that the breeding process successfully generated a valuable pool of diverse genetic material. Promising lines, including BP-1, BP-12, BP-21 and BP-18, which excelled in multiple yield attributes, have been identified for further evaluation. The selection of these superior biparental progenies is expected to produce individuals with yields in the subsequent generations.