Vol. 10, Issue 7 (2021)

Author(s):
Srikanth P, Shanti R Patil, Anita D Ingle, Vandana S Madke, Sapana B Baviskar, Thikare D and Ingole H

Abstract:
The present study was conducted at experimental farm of Agricultural Botany Section, College of Agriculture, Nagpur. During Rabi 2020 in M₄ generation, 79 mutants along with two checks (NLK-73 and Ratan) were evaluated in three replications. Data were recorded on days to first flower, days to maturity, plant height, number of branches plant^-1, number of pods plant^-1, 100 seed weight and seed yield plant^-1. Analysis of variance indicated that the mean square due to between family were highly significant for all traits, which reveals that the mutant progenies had significant amount of genetic variability among themselves. Intra class correlation (t) leads to the inference that differences between individuals within a family are large for all the characters except for days to first flower, but each family distinctly differentiated from others also at lower level in M₄ generation hence, equal weightage to σ²f and σ²w were suggested to be considered for selection in M₄¬ generation. Moderate genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation was recorded for plant height, number of pods plant^-1 and seed yield plant^-1 and low for other characters. High heritability was recorded for plant height and moderate heritability was observed for days to first flower, days to maturity, number of pod plant^-1, 100 seed weight, seed yield plant^-1 and low heritability for number of branches plant^-1. Genetic advance as a percentage of mean were moderate for seed yield plant^-1, plant height, number of pods plant^-1 and low for 100 seed weight, days to first flower, number of branches plant^-1, days to maturity. Three characters plant height, number of pods plant^-1 and seed yield plant^-1 exhibited moderate genotypic coefficient of variation, moderate heritability and moderate genetic advance as percentage of mean. Hence were suggested to be considered as a criteria for selection. But as only number of pods plant^-1 was the only character which was less influenced by environment, hence considered for selection. As equal weightage to σ²f and σ²w was supposed to be given during selection, 73 individual plants from 38 mutant progenies exhibiting significant superiority over check for number of pods plant^-1 were identified for their evaluation for one more generation in M₅ before forwarding to yield trials.