Development of powdery mildew resistant genotypes in garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) through generation mean analysis approach

Generation means analysis (GMA) approach was followed to estimate the nature and magnitude of gene action in garden pea. Two powdery mildew susceptible lines Palam Priya and Green Pearl and three resistant genotypes, Sugar Giant, VRPMR-10 and DPP 9411 were used in crossing. The presence of additive gene action for the inheritance of pod yield and related traits in crosses Palam Priya x Sugar Giant and VRPMR-10 x Sugar Giant, suggested success of selections in the early generations for obtaining transgressive segregants. Positive additive gene effects for powdery mildew incidence suggested to defer selection to the later generations in both the crosses. The selection intensity was kept in mild in the earlier and intense in the later generations in cross Green Pearl x DPP-9411 which had duplicate type of epistasis for pod yield and other traits. Five fixed lines (F₈, BCF₇) were retrieved from these three crosses with resistance to powdery mildew disease. Of these, line ‘DPPMR-09-9’ and ‘DPPMR-09-2’ were superior for pod yield.