On-Farm Assessment of Green Gram Varieties for Yellow Mosaic Virus Resistance and Higher Yield in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu to Enhance Specificity

Abstract

An on-farm assessment was conducted during the kharif season of 2024 in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, India, to select a superior green gram variety for cultivation under the specified conditions. India occupies a leading position globally in pulse production and consumption, while also depending heavily on imports to meet domestic requirements. The growing demand for pulses, coupled with inadequate domestic availability, has created a significant supply–demand imbalance in the country. Seven farmers’ fields were randomly selected, and three high-yielding improved varieties of green gram, namely VBN 5, DGG 1, and LGG 630, were evaluated across five replications, along with a locally cultivated farmer-preferred check variety for comparison. Growth, nodulation, disease response, and productivity traits were evaluated by recording plant height, nodules per plant, branches per plant, pods per plant, MYMV incidence, grain yield (q ha⁻¹), and benefit–cost ratio. Among the genotypes evaluated, VBN 5 exhibited superior performance, producing the highest pod count of 31.8 pods plant⁻¹ and recording the lowest MYMV incidence (4.1%), together with the highest grain yield of 8.15 q ha⁻¹. It was followed by LGG 630 and DGG 1, which recorded 30.2 and 29.4 pods plant⁻¹, MYMV incidences of 5.1 and 5.3%, and yields of 7.90 and 7.20 q ha⁻¹, respectively. The findings indicated that VBN 5 was the most promising green gram variety, followed by LGG 630 and DGG 1. Its greater acceptance among farmers in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, was associated with reduced MYMV incidence, improved grain productivity, and a favourable benefit–cost ratio, making it a suitable option for local cultivation.