Legume Research - An International Journal

The experimental material comprised 21 hybrids generated by crossing seven diverse varieties of field pea (Pisum sativum L) in diallel mating design. The set of 21 hybrids and parents were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications to study the gene action for yield and its attributing traits. The component analysis indicated preponderance of non-additive gene action in the inheritance of aD the traits studied. The value of H₂/4H₁ was less than 0.25 for all the characters studied indicating the asymmetrical distribution of positive and negative alleles in the parents. The ratio (4DH₁)^0.5+F/(4DH₁)^0.5 -F was greater than unity for days to flowering, days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, seed yield per plant and harvest index indicating presence of excess of dominant genes in the parents. The graphical analysis indicated importance of partial dominance and positions of parental arrays in the graphs were scattered suggesting parental diversity for the various traits studied.