Genetic variability analysis for quantitative traits in a germplasm set of grasspea (Lathyrus spp.)

Diversity among 368 accessions of grasspea from diverse indigenous and exotic sources was assessed for various agronomic traits. Analysis of variance for quantitative traits revealed that all accessions were significantly different and a wide range of variability exists for most of the traits studied. Coefficients of genotypic and phenotypic variations suggest that there is good scope for seed yield improvement through pods/plant, seed yield/plant, biological yield and harvest index. Seed/pod, pod length, pod width, 100-seed weight, and seed yield/plant had low genetic advance which indicates that these traits are governed by non-additive gene action. Path analysis and genotypic correlation revealed that biological yield/plant and harvest index/plant were the most important yield component that could be used as selection indices for further improvement in grasspea germplasm. Promising lines like BioR 202, ET 48116, EC200324, JBT29/83, RSR/SSC-1/12 may be used in future grasspea breeding programme for improving yield/plant; number of pod/plant; harvest index and biological yield.