Genetic Variability and Correlation Studies for Yield and Yield Attributing Traits in Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek]

Background: Mungbean is one important short duration pulse mostly grown in South and Southeast Asia. The level of variability available in the germplasm influences how well a breeding programme would be productive. Understanding the nature and extent of genetic diversity in breeding material is greatly helped by estimates of genetic variability parameters and character associations. The current study aimed to study genetic variability and character associations in mungbean for yield and its attributes, pre-requisite for formulating an effective breeding programme. Methods: The present experiments were carried out with 107 mungbean genotypes collected from NBPGR (New Delhi) and AAU-Zonal research station, Shillongani. The genotypes were evaluated in randomized complete block design over two replications for yield and yield attributing traits at the experimental farm Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during 2020-2021. Result: The traits like yield per plant, number of branches per plant, clusters per plant, pods per plant, plant height, 100 seeds weight and peduncle length exhibited a high to medium magnitude of genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV). Additionally, these traits showed high heritability and high genetic advance. The correlation studies revealed significant positive relationships between yield and all the assessed traits, with the exception of shelling percentage. The results of the path analysis indicated that a few traits, such as the number of pods per plant and the weight of 100 seeds, had a significant positive impact on seed yield. This suggests that when selecting for seed yield in mungbean, it would be advantageous to take into account these traits.