Morphological characteristics of selected coarse cereals and pulses from tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh

Introduction

Coarse cereals and pulses constitute an essential component of the traditional diet in tribal regions due to their nutritional richness, adaptability to marginal soils, and resilience to climatic stress. These crops contribute significantly to daily food intake while also supplying vital nutrients such as proteins, dietary fibre, minerals, and bioactive compounds. Morphological characteristics such as grain shape, size, surface texture, and overall appearance are important quality attributes that directly influence consumer preference, storage behaviour, processing suitability, and market demand. These external grain traits are often linked with varietal identity and reflect the genetic makeup as well as the growing environment of the crop. Tribal farmers traditionally cultivate indigenous varieties that exhibit unique morphological features, developed through generations of selection and adaptation to local agroecological conditions. These native crops represent valuable genetic resources that remain under-documented and underutilized in modern agricultural systems. Cereals, belonging to the family Poaceae (Gramineae), and pulses, from the family Leguminosae (Fabaceae), are two major food groups that form the dietary base for a large segment of the global population. In many developing regions, cereals and pulses serve as primary staples; however, traditional post-harvest practices and limited diversification may affect their nutritional contribution (Shadan et al., 2014) [8] . In the tribal regions of Andhra Pradesh, coarse cereals and pulses form the backbone of both agriculture and food culture. Indigenous varieties grown by tribal communities display distinctive morphological traits that influence grain quality and usability. Therefore, a systematic evaluation of their morphological characteristics is essential for quality assessment, conservation planning, and the promotion of these nutritionally important crops for sustainable food systems. www.extensionjournal.com

Materials and Methods Sample Collection

The raw materials required for the present study were collected from six tribal mandals, namely Seethampeta, Gummalakshmipuram, Gudem Madugula, Maredumilli, Hukumpeta, and Dumbriguda, with the support of the respective Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and Regional Agricultural Research Stations (RARS) located in tribal districts of Andhra Pradesh -Alluri Sitarama Raju, Parvathipuram Manyam. These centers facilitated access to coarse cereals and pulses that were traditionally grown and consumed in the respective tribal regions. The samples were selected based on their local availability, cultural relevance, and nutritional importance to the tribal communities. Representative samples were collected in their whole (seed) form and brought to the laboratory for further processing. The collected materials were stored in clean, dry, airtight containers until further analysis. A detailed visual and scientific documentation of the cereals and pulses collected from the tribal regions of Andhra Pradesh, including their scientific names, common names, and representative plant and grain images, is presented below figure 1.

Assessment of Morphological Characteristics

The cereal and pulse samples were visually examined to record their morphological characteristics, including grain shape, surface texture, size, and overall external appearance.

Observations were carried out under natural daylight by spreading the samples on a clean white surface. Special attention was given to characteristics such as smoothness, glossiness, uniformity, and general structural features of each grain type (Baryeh, 2002) [2] .

Results and Discussion

The morphological characteristics of selected coarse cereals and pulses collected from the tribal and control regions of three districts of Andhra Pradesh exhibited noticeable variations in terms of grain shape, surface texture, size and uniformity (Tables 123). These variations are mainly attributed to differences in genetic diversity, agro-climatic conditions, and traditional cultivation practices followed by tribal communities.

Tribal pulses showed distinct variations in colour and physical appearance across the three districts. In Alluri Sitarama Raju district, kidney bean exhibited a dark red, shiny and smooth surface, red gram displayed a deep reddish brown colour with smooth, oval-shaped grains, and cowpea presented a cream colour with a black eye and smooth, oval form (Table 1). In Maredumilli district, green gram maintained a green to light green hue with smooth, shiny, small oval-shaped grains, black gram appeared black and smooth, and cowpea was brown to reddish-brown with light speckles, a dry surface, and an oval to round shape (Table 2). In Parvathipuram Manyam district, red gram showed a brown mixed with pale cream colour and oval shape, moth bean exhibited light green to brownish cream with orange eye spots, smooth surface and small oval grains, and black gram ranged from black to dark grey with a smooth matte surface, cylindrical to oval in shape with a visible hilum (Table 3). Among cereals, distinct variations were also observed across the districts. In Alluri Sitarama Raju district, finger millet appeared dark reddish brown, small, round, and smooth with a matte finish, little millet displayed a light tan to pale yellow colour with small round to oval-shaped grains, and rice exhibited off-white to cream colour with a smooth, opaque surface (Table 1). In Maredumilli district, sorghum showed a cream to pale yellow colour with a smooth, uniform round shape and slight sheen, finger millet appeared dark reddish brown and round with a smooth surface, and foxtail millet presented a golden yellow hue with a semi-glossy, smooth texture (Table 2). In Parvathipuram Manyam district, little millet displayed a light tan to pale yellow colour with small round to ovalshaped grains, finger millet was dark reddish brown, small, round, and smooth, and foxtail millet exhibited a golden yellow colour with a semi-glossy and smooth surface (Table 3). These variations in pulses and cereals reflect genetic and environmental influences, consistent with earlier reports that kidney beans display diverse colours from white to mottled brown and pinkish black (Singh & Chandra, 2020) [9] , pigeon pea exhibits a wide spectrum of pigmentation in seeds and pods (Sameer Kumar et al., 2017) [7] , cowpea genotypes differ in testa colour and texture patterns (Arya et al., 2021) [1] , and finger millet grains are small, round, and smooth (Ramappa et al., 2011) [6] . Oo et al. (2022) [5] also reported considerable variation among 46 cowpea genotypes in seed colour, shape, and eye colour, grouped as brown, creamy, and black seeds; rhomboid, ovoid, and crowder shapes; and tan/brown, greenish, reddish brown, and black eyes. Such diversity, also noted in Vigna radiata by Katiyar et al., 2008 [3] and Kaur et al., 2017 [4] , and in Indian mustard by Yadav et al., 2013 [11] , highlights the genetic variability influencing seed quality and market preference.

In cereals, pericarp pigmentation affects the visual appearance and consumer preference (Wang et al., 2023) [10] . Overall, this diversity in tribal pulses and cereals is important for sensory quality, consumer acceptance, and market preference.

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