Identification of parental mungbean lines for production of hybrid varieties

Five mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczeck) varieties from China (CM1 to CM5), two from Thailand (KPS1 and KPS2), and one from Korea (K7) were used as parents to produce 34 F1s. Hybrids were evaluated along with their parents in the field of the Asian Regional Center of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (ARC-AVRDC), Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. The hybrid vigor was determined from both heterosis and heterobeltiosis for major agronomic characters, including yield and yield components. Considering overall characters, the superior F1s were CM5 x K7, CM4 x K7, CM4 x KPS1 and CM3 x K7 while the most promising parental line for future hybrid production was K7. Although K7 per se had low seed yield per plant, its F1s gave significant heterobeltiosis in most crosses.