GENETIC VARIABILITY, CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND PATH ANALYSIS OF YIELD AND ITS COMPONENT CHARACTERS IN LENTIL

Abstract

Genetic variability, character association and path analysis between yield and its contributing traits
were studied in 41 genotypes of cultivated lentil. Highly significant differences between genotypes
were recorded for most of the characters studied except internode length, number of seeds/pod and
seed weight. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation coupled with high heritability
and high genetic advance in 100 seed weight, harvest index, biological and graiil yields per plant
and also seeds and pods per plant indicate the predominance of additive gene effects in controlling
these traits. Correlation and path coefficient analysis revealed that biological yield/plant, 100 seed
weight, number of pods and seeds per plant were the most important characters for realizing
improvement in grain yield in lentil