Genetic Variability and Character Association of Yield and Related Traits in Advance Breeding Lines of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

Twenty-one advance breeding lines and four check varieties, Varuna, BIO-902, Kranti and Rajat of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) were evaluated in Randomized Complete Block design with three replications during 2001–02 and 2002–03 rabi season to estimate genetic parameter and study character association for 12 quantitative characters, viz., plant height (cm), primary branches/plant, secondary branches/plant, main shoot length (cm), siliquae on main shoot. siliqua length (cm), seeds/siliqua, 1000-seed weight (g), oil content (%), biological yield/plant (g), seed yield/plant(g) and harvest index (%). The PCV and GCV varied from 8.8 (seeds/siliqua) to 48.0% (seed yield/plant) and 1.4 (oil content) to 26.0% (secondary branches/plant), respectively. The higher estimate of heritability coupled with higher genetic advance for 1000-seed weight indicated that heritability could mainly be due to additive effects and selection would be effective for this trait. Seed yield/plant had positive and significant correlations with. plant height, secondary branches/plant, main shoot length, seeds/siliqua, 1000-seed weight and harvest index. Moderate to high direct positive effects of these characters except seeds/siliqua and main shoot length on seed yield were responsible for their positive and significant association with yield. Hence these characters merit consideration in the selection programme to improve yield. The characters under investigation could explain about 71.9% of the variability in the seed yield.