Understanding G × E Interaction for Nutritional and Antinutritional Factors in a Diverse Panel of Vigna stipulacea (Lam.) Kuntz Germplasm Tested Over the Locations

Abstract

Micronutrient malnutrition or hidden hunger is a serious challenge toward societal well-being. <i>Vigna stipulacea</i> (Lam.) Kuntz (known locally as <i>Minni payaru</i>), is an underutilized legume that has the potential to be a global food legume due to its rich nutrient profile. In the present study, 99 accessions of <i>V. stipulacea</i> were tested for iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), protein, and phytate concentrations over two locations for appraisal of stable nutrient-rich sources. Analysis of variance revealed significant effects of genotype for all the traits over both locations. Fe concentration ranged from 29.35-130.96 mg kg^-1 whereas Zn concentration ranged from 19.44 to 74.20 mg kg^-1 across both locations. The highest grain Ca concentration was 251.50 mg kg^-1 whereas the highest grain protein concentration was recorded as 25.73%. In the case of grain phytate concentration, a genotype with the lowest value is desirable. IC622867 (G-99) was the lowest phytate containing accession at both locations. All the studied traits revealed highly significant genotypic variances and highly significant genotype × location interaction though less in magnitude than the genotypic variance. GGE Biplot analysis detected that, for grain Fe, Zn, and Ca concentration the 'ideal' genotypes were IC331457 (G-75), IC331610 (G-76), and IC553564 (G-60), respectively, whereas for grain protein concentration IC553521 (G-27) was the most "ideal type." For phytate concentration, IC351407 (G-95) and IC550523 (G-99) were considered as 'ideal' and 'desirable,' respectively. Based on the desirability index, Location 1 (Kanpur) was identified as ideal for Fe, Zn, Ca, and phytate, and for grain protein concentration, Location 2 (New Delhi) was the ideal type. A significant positive correlation was detected between grain Fe as well as grain Zn and protein concentration considering the pooled analysis over both the locations where as a significant negative association was observed between phytate and protein concentration over the locations. This study has identified useful donors and enhanced our knowledge toward the development of biofortified <i>Vigna</i> cultivars. Promoting domestication of this nutrient-rich semi-domesticated, underutilized species will boost sustainable agriculture and will contribute toward alleviating hidden hunger.