Consequence of weather conditions for affecting crossability in three Vigna species

Eight intraspecific (four each of mungbean x mungbean and urdbean x urdbean) and 24 interspecific (eight each of mungbean x urdbean, mungbean x ricebean and urdbean x ricebean) crosses were made at five different dates of ten days intervals i.e., September 11–20, 21–30, October 1–10, 11–20 and 21–30 during kharif/late kharif seasons, 2015 to obtain a total of 32 crosses. The per cent crossability at five different dates indicated that it was the highest during October 1–10 in both intra-(mungbean x mungbean, 72.27%, urdbean x urdbean, 55.55%) and interspecific (mungbean x urdbean, 43.24%, mungbean x ricebean, 16% and urdbean x ricebean, 9.92%) crosses. Similarly, the percent ovule fertility recorded was also the highest during October 1–10 in both intra-(mungbean x mungbean, 90.00%, urdbean x urdbean, 83.33%) and interspecific (mungbean x urdbean, 75.00%, mungbean x ricebean, 71.42% and urdbean x ricebean, 60.00%) crosses. Optimum temperature (∼22°C), followed by low humidity (49.0) and comparatively enhanced sunshine (>8.5 hours) might be responsible for accelerating the highest pod sett during October 1–10 and thus may be suggested as appropriate period for obtaining highest pod setting in Vigna species studied.