Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is one of the earliest domesticated food legumes after chickpea and pea in the world. It is been produced in many countries including China, Ethiopia, Egypt, northern Europe, the Mediterranean region, central Asia, East Asia, Latin America and as a minor crop in India. The crop is affected by many diseases and alternaria leaf blight (Alternaria spp.) is one of the seriousthreat to faba bean production. Twenty-five lines of faba bean were selected from three international nurseries and were evaluated at ICARDA-FLRP-Amlaha during 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, to identify resistant lines against alternaria blight disease. A wide range of variation to disease reaction was observed among faba bean genotypes. One faba bean line (S2011-134) found tolerant, six genotypes (S2011-116, FLIP15-139, FLIP15-156, FLIP15-159, FLIP15-164-S2 and FLIP15-169) were found moderately tolerant and 16 genotypes were found susceptible to alternaria blight. The faba bean genotypes showed resistance to the disease scoring (0–9) with high yield as compared to the checks, Giza and Gwalior local. The identified sources of resistance can be utilized in faba bean breeding programmes for the development of disease tolerant cultivars with high yield.

A unique trait, i.e. yellowing of apical/young leaves in response to low temperature and high relative humidity was identified in a chickpea genotype, ICCX110069. To determine inheritance pattern of this trait, ICCX110069 was crossed to four other genotypes, GL14050, GL14049, GL14059 and SAGL152117, that exhibited normal green apical leaves under similar environmental conditions. The F₁, F₂, F₃, BC₁F₁ and BC₁F₂ generations were generated. A ratio of 13 normal green leaf: three yellow leaf was found to be the best fit, indicated digenic gene action with suppressor effect of normal green leaf over the expression of yellowing of apical/young leaf trait. The chlorophyll content was significantly lower, while guaiacol peroxidase activity was significantly higher in yellow leaves of ICCX110069 as compared to green leaves of the same genotype and of GL14049, indicating the competence of antioxidative defence mechanism involvedwith the expression of this trait.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important food legume crop grown in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. In India, kabuli chickpea is grown in central India in ~0.5 million ha, predominantly under short winter (< 110 days). Efforts are underway to select promising genotypes at the Food Legume Research Platform (FLRP), Amlaha, located in intensive kabuli chickpea growing area of India.Sixty-four kabuli chickpea lines were evaluated for agronomic traits during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 crop seasons at FLRP following simple 8 X 8 lattice design with two replications. The analysis of variance over two years revealed significant variation exists for days to flowering, plant height, maturity period, biomass, seed size and seed yield. It was observed that with similar maturity time (106 days), FLIP09-432C produced 2273 kg/ha, which out-yielded the popular variety in central India, JGK-3 by 15%. The breeding lines, FLIP09- 436C, FLIP09-171C, FLIP09-373C and FLIP09-247C were also found promising for earliness (104–110 days), and high yielding with the good yield ability (1003–2273 kg/ha). These promising genotypes for a short duration with good yield have been selected and can be used for various chickpea breeding programmes to develop high yielding varieties in central India.

The reproductive stage in many crops, including maize, is very sensitive to heat stress and the genetic overlap between gametophytic and sporophytic phase gives an opportunity to select superior stress tolerant genotype at gametophytic stage. An attempt was made to evaluate the response of cyclic pollen selection in the F₁ and F₂ generations on the performance of F₃ generation progenies for seed yield and yield contributing traits under natural heat stress conditions. In this direction three groups of F₃ progenies, namely (i) pollen selection in F₁ and F₂ generations (GG), (ii) pollen selection only in F₂ generation (CG), (iii) no pollen selection in F₁ and F₂ generations (CC) were screened for heat stress at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Bheemarayanagudi. The GG progenies recorded significantly higher chlorophyll content, more number of pollen grains per anther and less pollen sterility compared to CG and CC group of progeniesunder heat stress. Further, the F₄ progenies obtained through cyclic pollen selection (in F₁, F₂ and F₃) were also tested for heat stress tolerance at seedling stage. The significant improvement for heat stress tolerance was recorded in F₄ progenies derived through cyclic pollen selection as compared to control (no pollen selection for heat tolerance in any generation) F₄ progenies. The results indicated that cyclic pollen selection in F₁, F₂ and F₃ generations improved the heat stress tolerance of the progenies in the succeeding generations. To provide genetic evidence for the effect of pollen selection for heat tolerance, the control F₂ (C) and selected F₂ (G) populations were compared for the segregation of SSR markers. The selected F₂ (G) population showed significant deviation from normal Mendelian ratio of 1:2:1 and showed skewness towards the alleles selected from male parent. The results provide strong evidence for an increase in the frequency of parental alleles in the progenies that impart heat stress tolerance.