As a traditional crop in east or southeast Asia, the genetic study on mungbean is much lagged. In the 1930s, Bose discovered that the color of young pods and flower was controlled by the same pair of genes and that seed coat gloss is a recessive trait controlled by a single gene. In recent years, the demand for mungbean has increased. This has led to greater focus on its genetic research. Studies on genetic effects and heritability of agronomic traits, such as yield and disease resistance, have been widely conducted. These efforts have provided a strong base for molecular genetics research in mungbean.