Multi-location Evaluation of Advanced Mungbean Lines under Different Climatic Conditions in Uganda

Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek var. radiata], or greengram is a popular crop especially in the drought prone areas of East Africa. It is rich in micronutrients and protein thus can help ameliorate malnutrition if incorporated in diets. Yield stability across target population of environments is a critical trait for mungbean breeding in the region. In this study, i) we examined the influence of climatic covariables on G X E for grain yield among mungbean genotypes ii) determined yield stability of mungbean genotypes across environments in Uganda. Field trials comprising of 40 mungbean genotypes were established in 9 environments in Uganda in an alpha lattice layout. Our findings showed that radiation and minimum relative humidity were the key factors responsible for G x E on mungbean yield. These contributed 40% of the G X E. Four mungbean genotypes; AVMU2021, AVMU2006, UMG2017-211 and UMG2017-263 exhibited both stability and adaptability across the test environments. Additional evaluation will be conducted for their potential release as varieties and also inclusion in the mungbean breeding program as parents. Keywords: Factorial regression; Genetic variation; Stability; G X E; Greengram; Yield