Screening of Genetic Variability for Yield and its Components in Horse Gram [Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam). Verdc]. Local Germplasm

Abstract

A investigation was done to estimate the extent of genetic variability for seed yield and ten quantitative traits in 44 genotypes of Horse gram. For all of the traits, the analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between genotypes, indicating a high degree of variability. For all of the characters, the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was lower than the phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV). Most of the traits between GCV and PCV had the smallest differences, indicating a lower predominance of environment in the expression of these characters. As a result, breeders could undertake direct selection based on phenotypic values of the traits. Seed yield plant-1, number of clusters plant-1 and number of pods plant-1 all had high genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation. Protein content followed by days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, seed yield plant-1, number of pods plant-1, plant height, number of clusters plant-1, 1000 seed weight, number of primary branches plant-1 and pod length all had high estimations of heredity in the broad sense. Number of pods plant-1 had the maximum heritability (broad) coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean followed by number of clusters plant-1, days to maturity, plant height and days to 50% flowering. As a result, these characters are mostly controlled by additive gene action, and hence characters can be improved through selection.