HERITABILITY, GENETIC GAIN, AND PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSES IN BLACK GRAM AT POONCH RAWALAKOT, AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Abstract

Black gram (Vigna mungo) is a principal pulse crop worldwide. The research aimed to screen the genetic diversity among 10 black gram genotypes using biometrical tools, such as, genotypic and phenotypic correlation, path coefficient analysis, and heritability and genetic gain. The highest genotypic and phenotypic variability resulted from pods per plant, plant height, primary branches, and seeds per pod. The study recorded very low estimated heritability for all the studied traits. The correlation coefficient indicated that seed yield per plant showed a positive and significant correlation with pods per plant and pod length, indicating that further use of these characteristics can improve the black gram yield. Path coefficient analysis revealed a positive and direct effect on seed yield per plant with plant height, days to 50% flowering, primary branches, branch length, pod per plant, and seeds per pod. These traits proved relevant for the direct selection criteria and future breeding programs. The investigation results can be very helpful in selecting the black gram's suitable genotypes with appropriate yield for cultivation in rainfed conditions of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.