Genetic analysis of bold seeded greengram (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) genotypes for yield and yield component traits

Abstract

Greengram (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is grown mainly in South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa and it is cultivated during the kharif, rabi and summer seasons depending on climate and irrigation. The sprouted greengram is rich in antioxidants which helps in maintaining gut health as well as preventing cardiovascular diseases. In the present investigation, a total of 20 bold seeded accessions of greengram were evaluated for 10 quantitative traits viz., days to 50 % flowering, plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, number of clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant, pod length (cm), number of seeds per pod, 100 seed weight (g) and seed yield per plot (g). High phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) estimates were recorded for number of branches per plant (26.97, 20.97), number of pods per plant (25.66, 20.47) and seed yield per plant (27.29, 25.92). These traits also recorded high heritability (h2) along with high genetic advance as percent of mean. The PCV was slightly higher than the GCV which indicated that the expression of these traits is less influenced by environmental fluctuations. Estimates of correlation coefficient revealed positive and significant association of seed yield per plot with the number of pods per cluster (0.49). The principal component analysis indicates that the traits viz., number of branches per plant, number of pods per cluster and number of pods per plant are the most influential principal component traits governing 84 % of variation among the bold seeded greengram genotypes. Hence, number of branches per plant, number of pods per cluster and number of pods per plant should be given due to importance in selection programme for the development of bold seeded greengram varieties.