Progress in genomic-driven breeding for improving the disease and insect pest resistance in black gram (Vigna mungo)

Abstract

Urdbean or black gram (Vigna mungo) is a short-duration pulse crop with a high nutritional profile, and its main cultivation areas are in South and Southeast Asia, including India. The production of black gram is constrained by various biotic stresses, particularly diseases like yellow mosaic disease, leaf crinkle disease, and powdery mildew. Additionally, insect pests like bruchids and pod borers also affect black gram production. These biotic stresses cause significant losses in yield and reduce yield quality. Breeding for resistance is the most desirable and economical approach for the management of diseases and insect pests. In the past, conventional approaches used in black gram breeding contributed to improving resistance to biotic stress in black gram, but the success was not at the desired level. Therefore, to enhance biotic stress resistance, the black gram breeding programs shifted their focus toward genomics. Recently, several genomics resources, including genome and transcriptome sequences, DNA markers, and genetic linkage maps, have been developed exclusively for the black gram. However, the progress of improving black gram resistance to biotic stress using these genomic resources is still very slow. In this review, we discuss the black gram genomic resources and their use in breeding programs for developing biotic stress resistance. In addition, we discuss the existing research gaps and offer our view on future research for combating the biotic stress in black gram.