Induced mutagenesis confers earliness and salt tolerance in ricebean (Vigna umbellata)

Abstract
Ricebean (Vigna umbellata [Thunb.] Ohwi and Ohashi) is an underutilized legume valued for its dual role as a protein-rich pulse and high-quality forage crop. However, its commercial adoption is limited due to late maturity and susceptibility to salinity stress. Eleven M5 mutant lines derived from gamma-irradiated seeds of the late-maturing variety BRB-1 were evaluated under single-site field trials and controlled salinity assays. Several mutants flowered and matured ∼2 weeks earlier than BRB-1 and showed higher mean forage protein and seed/forage yield under these single-site trials. One line displayed superior germination and seedling performance under in-vitro salinity screening. These results indicate that induced mutagenesis can generate promising early-maturing and salt-tolerant candidates; however, multi-location and multi-season evaluations and physiological/molecular validation are required before recommending release or broad dual-purpose deployment.

Author
Mehdi Rahimi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plgene.2025.100556

ISSN
2352-4073

Publish Date: 30-Oct-2025