Study on genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and its contributing characteristics using line x tester analysis in green gram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek)

The present study involved 115 treatments (19 parents, 48 F1’s, and 48 F2’s) arranged in a Randomized Block Design during the 2023 kharif season at three locations: Daleep Nagar Research Station (Kanpur), Saini Research Station (Kaushambi) and the Student Instruction Farm (CSAUAT Kanpur). The experimental material consisted of 16 parental lines (KM2419, KM2421, KM2447, IPM208, IPM322, IPM604, SML660, SML681, HUM228, PM2108, NM215, KM2449, KM2452, KM2454, KM2457, KM2458) and three testers (PDM139, KM2195, K851). These lines were crossed using a line × tester design to develop 48 F1’s, evaluated for 11 traits: days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, branches per plant, clusters per plant, pods per plant, seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, harvest index, protein content, and seed yield per plant.. In the F1 generation, high heritability was noted for several traits, including the number of clusters per plant with values of E1 (88.99), E2 (89.60), E3 (83.56) and a pooled estimate of (91.84) and low values of heritability were recorded for plant height in E1 (57.70) whereas in the F2 generation, the number of clusters per plant was E1 (85.35), E2 (88.64), E3 (84.96) and pooled (85.73); number of pods per plant, values were E1 (82.55), E2 (90.85), E3 (85.47) and pooled (86.02); harvest index E1 (86.68), E2 (82.01), E3 (88.61) and pooled (92.99) whereas The low values of heritability were recorded for days to 50% flowering in E1 (68.22). In F1, the moderate GCV was observed for seed yield per plant E1 (14.12), E2 (11.18), E3 (14.65) and pooled (13.14) whereas number of seed per pod E1 (8.48), E2 (8.45), E3 (8.79) and pooled (7.56); harvest index E2 (9.85); protein content E1 (4.26), E2 (3.62), E3 (4.01) and pooled (3.23) had low GCV. In F2, the moderate PCV was observed for number of cluster per plant E1 (10.80), E2 (11.34), E3 (10.58); number of pods per plant E2 (13.37) whereas 100 seed weight E1 (8.62), E2 (8.41), E3 (7.52) and pooled (6.76); protein content E1 (4.71), E2 (3.85), E3 (3.98) and pooled (3.25) had low PCV. The moderate GCV was observed for number of branches per plant E1 (13.22), E2 (10.13), E3 (11.46); number of cluster per plant E2 (10.68) in F2 whereas 100 seed weight E1 (7.74), E2 (7.41), E3 (6.44) and pooled (6.11); protein content E1 (4.57), E2 (3.76), E3 (3.93) and pooled (3.21) had low GCV in F2. The high genetic advance as % of mean was recorded for number of cluster per plant E1 (23.52), E2 (23.55) and pooled (20.30); 100 seed weight E1 (20.96), E2 (20.2), E3 (20.93) and pooled (20.16); seed yield per plant E1 (27.48), E2 (20.80), E3 (29.23) and pooled (26.58) in F1 while days to maturity E1 (6.32), E2 (8.27), E3 (5.96) and pooled (7.21) and protein content E1 (8.51), E2 (7.33), E3 (8.16) and pooled (6.58); plant height in E1 (9.60) showed low values for genetic advance as % of mean in F1. The high genetic advance as % of mean was recorded for harvest index E1 (30.00), E2 (20.95), E3 (28.58) and pooled (23.09); number of branches per plant for E1 (26.11) and E3 (22.35) in F2 whereas days to 50% flowering E1 (8.84), E2 (9.35), E3 (6.88) and pooled (7.86); day to maturity E1 (6.42), E2 (8.02), E3 (5.80) and pooled (6.45) and protein content E1 (9.15), E2 (7.59), E3 (8.00) and pooled (6.54) showed low values for genetic advance as % of mean in F2.