GENETIC VARIABILITY, CORRELAT ION AND PATH CO-EFFICIENT ANALYSIS OF YIELD AND YIELD CONTRIBUTING CHARACTERS IN MUNGBEAN ( Vigna radata)(L.) Wilczek)

Abstract

Forty genotypes of mungbean (Vigna ivdkzta L. Wilzcck.) were studied in a field experiment conducted at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. Dhaka, during February 2008 to May 2008. The objectives of the study were to measure the variability among the genotypes for yield and yield contributing characters, estimate genetic parameters, association among the characters and their contribution to yield. There was a great deal of significant variation for all the characters among the genotypes. Considering genetic parameters high genotypic co-efficient of variation ((CV) was observed for number of primary branches/plant, number of secondary branches/plant whereas pod length and seed per pod showed low GCV. In all cases, phenolypic variances were higher than the genotypic Variance. High heritability with low genetic advance in percent of mean was observed for days to 50% flowering which indicated that non-additive gene effects were involved for the expression of this character and selection for such trait might not be rewarding. High heritability with high genetic advance in percent of mean was observed for number of primary branches per plant and secondary branches per plant indicating that this trait was under additive gene control and selection for genetic improvement for this trait would he efiective. The results obtained, showed that seed yield per plant had high positive and high significant relation with 1000-seed weight. Correlation studies revealed highest significant association of yield per plant with thousand seed weight at genotypic and phenotypic level. Path coefficient analysis revealed maximum direct contribution towards seed yield per plant thousand seed weight followed by pods per plant. Considering all the characters the 01 (BD-6901 ), G3 (BD- 6903), Cli (BD-6914), 012 (131)-691$). 030 (BD-6886), G37 (131)-6895). G39 (BD-6898) were selected for future breeding programme.