Genetic Variability and Divergence Analysis in Blackgram [(Vigna mungo L.) Hepper]

Abstract

A research has been conducted at the Crop Research Centre of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut in order to assess the genetic variability, character association studies and genetic diversity in 30 genotypes of Black gram in randomized block design during the Kharif season in the year 2022. According to the results of Analysis of Variance in eighteen quantitative traits it has been observed that all the traits under study show significant difference. It shows that there is sufficient genetic variability in all the genotypes under study. Genetic variability analysis gives the measures of genetic coefficient of variation and phenotypic coefficient of variation which was found to be high in number of secondary branches, weight of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant, dry leaves weight per plant and straw weight. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean has been found in plant height, number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, weight of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant, weight of total pods per plant, dry leaves weight per plant, green leaves weight per plant, straw weight per plant and seed yield per plant. High estimates of heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean of the characters under study reveal that the characters are there is less influence of environment and prevalence of additive gene action is high which aids in selection. Correlation analysis of yield contributing traits show high positive correlation with yield in all characters under study except days to 50% flowering and days to maturity which have negative correlation with yield. Path analysis results indicated that the characters such as biological yield, harvest index, dry leaves weight per plant, and weight of total pods per plant had highest direct effect on yield. Both correlation and path analysis study helps in the selection of independent traits which lead to genetic improvement in the dependent trait i.e. seed yield per plant. Genetic diversity analysis based on Mahanalobis D2 analysis with eighteen component characters produced three clusters of which Cluster I was the largest containing 16 genotypes while Cluster II and Cluster III had seven genotypes each. Cluster I experienced the highest intra-cluster distance, whereas Cluster II experienced the smallest intra-cluster distance. Cluster I and Cluster II had the greatest inter-cluster distance, whereas Cluster II and Cluster III had the smallest inter-cluster distance suggesting that selection of parents from these clusters would be suitable for the hybridization programme.