Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Heritability for Yield and Associated Traits of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Genotypes

Abstract

The present experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2023-24 at the Research Farm, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, J.V. College, Baraut, Baghpat. The objective was to evaluate twelve agronomic traits across forty lentil genotypes using a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Observations were recorded on five randomly selected plants per plot for traits including days to germination, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, number of pods per plant, seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, seed yield per plant, biological yield per plant, and harvest index. Genotypic differences were evident, particularly in growth patterns. The genotype LC-3002 recorded the highest plant height (41.57 cm), while MC-6 was the shortest (19.03 cm), with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 6.62% for plant height and 0.57% for primary branches. Genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) were high for number of pods per plant, days to maturity, and biological yield, indicating significant genetic variability. High heritability (>80%) was noted for biological yield, days to flowering, and harvest index, suggesting strong potential for selection. In contrast, traits such as number of pods per plant, plant height, and 100-seed weight exhibited low heritability, indicating limited effectiveness of phenotypic selection. Positive correlations were observed between seed yield and traits such as number of pods per plant, biological yield, and plant height, while biological yield had a negative correlation with harvest index. These findings underscore the potential for selecting high-yielding genotypes based on traits with high heritability and positive correlations with seed yield.

Key words: Genetic variability, heritability, seed yield, biological yield