GENETIC VARIABILITY AND CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF COUNTRY BEAN (Lablab purpureus L.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with 37 country bean lines at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, during September 2008 to March 2009. 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 (GCV) was observed for yield per plant, pod weight and number of inflorescence per plant whereas low genotypic co-efficient of variation (CICV) was observed days to first flowering and number of flower per plant. In all cases, phenotypic variances were higher than the genotypic variance. High heritability with low genetic advance in percent of mean was observed in days to first 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. 1-ugh heritability with high genetic advance in percent of mean was observed for yield per plant indicated that this trait was under additive gene control and selection for genetic improvement for this trait would be effective. The results obtained, showed that yield per plant had high positive and high significant relation with number of pod per plant. Correlation studies revealed that highest significant association of yield per plant with fruit diameter and number of fruit per plant at genotypic level. Considering all the characters the G21. G3, 08, 035 and G19 were selected for future breeding programme.