Inter-Relationship between Seed Yield and Some Morphological and Biochemical Traits in Lentil (Lens culinaris L.)

Correlation Study with Path analysis was performed on 29 Lentil Genotypes to determine direct and indirect effect of some morphological as well as Biochemical parameters on Yield. Following traits were studied: Root Nodule number, Nodule weight, Primary Root Length, Secondary root numbers, Root Fresh and Dry weight, Plant Height, Pods per plant, Days to 50% Flowering, 100 seed weight, Leaf chlorophyll content, Seed Carbohydrate with Starch content, Seed Protein content and Yield. Considering both genetic Advance and GCV, it was observed that selection for the following characters viz. Plant Height, Pods per plant, Days to 50% flowering, 100 seed weight, Seed Protein content & Yield will be rewarding. Seed Yield per plant showed significantly Positive correlation with the following traits: 100 Seed weight, Pod number per plant, Plant height and seed starch. Negative association with yield was found for Days to 50% flowering. Path coefficient study revealed that there was a strong positive direct effect of 100 seed weight and Pod no. per plant along with Leaf Chlorophyll content on Yield. Hence, direct selection only for Pods number and 100 seed weight will be rewarding as these characters also gave higher heritability % along with high Genetic advance. Plant height gave strong negative direct effect on yield, but it gave a positive correlation due to high indirect effect in association with pod number. It may be due to short winter span of West Bengal which results into forced maturity of the crops. So short plants with higher pod numbers will be desirable for higher yield in short winter span condition.