Pulses are notably good nutritive complements of carbohydrate-rich staple diets, such as, wheat, maize, and rice. Mung bean is an essential pulse crop with different proteins and antioxidants proven beneficial for health. The yield of mung bean in Pakistan is comparable to the world average, but overall production is low because of several biotic and abiotic factors. Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) is one of mung bean’s most damaging diseases, limiting its productivity, causing significant losses in yield and an overall gap in production. The presented investigation progressed to comprehending the genetics of resistance to CLS in mung bean. A minicore set of 293 mung bean genotypes developed and maintained by the World Vegetable Center, Taiwan, served as samples in the study. Observed CLS attacks occur during flowering and reduce the yield by decreasing the number of pods per plant. The genetics to resistance against CLS has a single recessive gene controlling it; hence, homozygous recessive plants will be CLS-resistant. Therefore, single gene transfer methods, such as, backcross breeding, are recommendable for incorporating CLS resistance in high-yielding mung bean genotypes.

Keywords: Cercospora, CLS, generation mean analysis, mung bean, minicore

Key findings: Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) negatively correlates with number of pods per plant (PPP), and PPP positively correlates with seed yield per plant (SYPP). Thus, ultimately, CLS reduces plant yield by reducing PPP. Genotype VI000105 BG was the most susceptible, and genotype VI004954 BG was the most tolerant to CLS. Both genotypes can be valuable in different breeding programs to focus on CLS resistance as an objective. None of the checks were resistant to CLS. Resistance to CLS has the control by a single recessive gene.