Variability of grain yield and some important agronomic traits in mungbean (Vigna radiate L.) cultivars as affected by drought stress

ABSTRACT: In order to study the effect of drought stress on grain yield and some important agronomic traits of mungbean cultivars, a field experiment was conducted in research field of Agriculture College of Ilam University in 2007-2008 cropping season. Experiment treatments were arranged as split-plot and complete randomized block design with three replications. The main plot was three drought stress levels as non stress (control), in moisture pressure of 0, -0.5 and -1.5 mega-pascal, and the sub plots were three mungbean cultivars of Parto, Govhar and Mehr. The results of analysis of variance indicated that drought stress had significant effect on grain yield, yield components, harvest index and biologic yield. Among different tension treatments, although severe drought tension induced decreased grain yield, but mild tension had not significant effect on grain yield compared to control. Severe and mild tension conditions compared to control reduced grain yield in rates of 30.9% and 10.6%, respectively. Among yield components, hundred grain weight and number of pods per plant had maximum grain yield variability as affected by drought tension. The Parto cultivar was the best cultivar compared to other cultivars in study region, because of high grain yield, harvest index, biological yield, number of seeds per pod, leaf area index and 100- grain weight. Selection of the best variety and avoid from severe tension were recommended for production of the highest grain yield in semi-arid conditions.