The effect of growing conditions and the year of reproduction on sowing qualities of seeds, morphological and physiological characteristics in sprouts of Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek

Background. Mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) sprouts are of high nutritional value and are very popular in the world, as they are a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. In Russia, the consumption of V. radiata sprouts is only beginning to develop. Growing this crop for microgreens on a commercial scale requires cultivars with a rapid development rate and higher weight of sprouts. With this in view, the aim of this research was to study the effect of growing conditions and the genotype on morphological and physiological parameters of mung bean seeds and sprouts.Methods. Mung bean accessions from the VIR collection were analyzed. Germination energy, seed germination and seed vigor, and morphological characteristics were evaluated in seeds and sprouts of 16,000 plants. Four plant reproductions grown at Astrakhan (2015, 2017), Kuban (2005) and Adler (2016) Experiment Stations of VIR were studied. The effect produced by growing conditions and the genotype on morphological and physiological parameters of plants was identified using one- and two-way analyses of variance. Correlations between the traits were assessed using correlation and component analyses.Results. Specific individual features of the accessions produced the strongest effect on morphological and physiological characteristics of seeds and sprouts; weather conditions, the place and year of reproduction, to a lesser extent. Sowing quality of seeds depended more on the precipitation amount during the growing season than on the sum of active temperatures. When formed under dry conditions, seeds manifested better seed germination, germination energy of seeds, and seed vigor. Accessions with high and stable levels of seed germination, germination energy, and seed vigor, and weight of sprouts were identified.