MOLECULAR BREEDING APPROACHES FOR YIELD ENHANCEMENT IN LEGUMES

Abstract

Legumes are a vital source of plant-based protein, essential nutrients, and soil nitrogen enrichment. Yield improvement in legumes has historically relied on conventional breeding; however, molecular breeding approaches offer more precise, efficient, and rapid strategies for crop improvement (Varshney et al., 2019). Techniques such as marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection, gene editing, and molecular mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have significantly contributed to identifying superior genotypes with enhanced yield potential (Chen et al., 2019). This review highlights the current molecular tools, their applications in legume yield enhancement, and challenges in integrating these approaches into breeding programs. The potential of combining genomic resources with advanced phenotyping and biotechnology to accelerate yield improvement is also discussed (Bhat et al., 2016)