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Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.), one of the most widely grown edible legumes in Asia, plays important roles in the improvement of agricultural cultivation systems as well as human diets. As an understudied crop, however, most mungbean varieties are characterized by unstable yields, poor disease resistance, and unsuitability for mechanical harvesting, thereby leading to a low production income. We, therefore, developed Jilv 20, a new mungbean cultivar with a dull seed coat, by crossing Bao 942-34 with Weilv 9002-341. After 11 years of selection and evaluation, Jilv 20 has shown wide adaptability, early maturity, high yield, halo blight resistance, and suitability for mechanical harvesting. The growth period of Jilv 20 is 79.5 and 66.7 days in the spring and summer sowing seasons, respectively, and the average plant height is approximately 56.4 cm. In this study, average yields were 1737.9, 1532.3, and 2045.1 kg/hm2 in northern spring-sowing, northern summer-sowing, and southern sites, respectively; these values were respectively 27.83%, 28.48%, and 6.96% higher than those of control cultivar Zhonglv 5, which has been popular in past decades because of its wide adaptability. The average protein and starch contents of Jilv 20 seeds were 25.0% and 49.56%, respectively. Further application and extension of Jilv 20 in China should contribute to mungbean production, breeding, and industrial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the expansion of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) planting areas and the increase of consumer demand, it has become imperative to screen high-quality mung bean cultivars. In this study, the agronomic traits, fresh bean characteristics, and sensory evaluation of boiled beans were analyzed for 26 mung bean cultivars. The results showed that the variation coefficient and genetic diversity index of six agronomic traits of mung bean ranged from 9.04% to 44.98%, 1.68 to 1.96, respectively, with abundant genetic variation, and the highest was the grain yield. Mung bean cultivars with higher grain yield had more advantage in the number of branches, number of pods per plant, and 100-seed weight. The fresh bean traits were relatively stable, with an average coefficient variation of 8.48%. The trait with the highest genetic diversity index was the number of seeds per pod (2.03). The cultivar with the highest total sensory evaluation score of boiled beans was Zhanglv 3 (75.67), which had more advantages in taste and color. Through the comprehensive evaluation of grey relational analysis, the cultivars suitable for fresh food processing were Zhonglv 3 (0.960), Jilv 11 (0.942), Zhonglv 1 (0.915), CES-78 (0.899) and Kelv 2 (0.896). Generally, the high-quality cultivars with higher yield and fresh food processing characteristics were CES-78, Kelv 2, Zhonglv 16, and Zhonglv 2. This study provided a preference for the breeding of fresh mung bean cultivars, development of new products and improvement of mung bean resource utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High yields, high stress resistance, and wide adaptability are important cultivar traits, especially for crops sensitive to the photoperiod and temperature. Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is a typical short-day plant, traditionally cultivated in Asian countries, and consumed all over the world. However, there has long been relatively little research regarding its genetic improvement until in recent decades. Zhonglv 5 is a mung bean cultivar that was developed via crossbreeding in China in the early part of this century. It has since played an important role in improving mung bean production in the country because of its high yields, high stress tolerance, and wide adaptability. We herein describe the development of Zhonglv 5, summarize its yield performance and adaptability in diverse eco-regions within China, and predict its potential future uses to provide information relevant for mung bean breeding, production, trade, and related industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulses are good natural sources of micronutrients. In this study, the concentration and composition of folates in seeds of 102 pulse varieties newly-developed in China, including mung beans, adzuki beans, cowpeas, faba beans, peas, and common beans, were analysed. The total folate content ranged from 21 to 278 μg/100 g dry weight (DW) among these pulse crops, with the highest in faba beans (88–278 μg/100 g DW), followed by cowpeas (101–246 μg/100 g DW), and the lowest in common beans (21–66 μg/100 g DW). 5-Formyltetrahydrofolate and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate were the two dominant folate vitamers. In addition, the effect of soaking (30 °C for 12 h) and boiling (100 °C for 20 min) on folate retention in pulses was evaluated. Compared to the unprocessed pulses, a 1.41-fold (average) enhancement of total folates was observed in soaked pulses. Folate retention ratios in boiled pulses depended on varieties, ranging from 64% to 82%, with the average of 76%. During the boiling process, 13% of total folates was lost through leaching and 29% by heating degradation on average. This research provides an overview of folate content and retention in raw and cooked pulses. The results will help to guide industrial or household preparation of pulses to maximise folate retention and the identified pulse varieties rich in folates could be for direct use or as breeding materials for folate biofortification. • The folate contents of 102 pulses were analysed; total folates ranged from 21 to 278 μg/100 g DW. • Faba bean and cowpea were good sources of folates. • The dominant folate vitamers in pulses were 5-CHO-THF and 5-CH 3 -THF. • Soaking at 30 °C for 12 h increased the folate content 1.41-fold on average. • On average, boiled pulses had a folate retention rate of 76%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]