COMPONENT ANALYSIS FOR SEED YIELD AND YIELD TRAITS IN MICROSPERMA × MACROSPERMA DERIVATIVES OF LENTIL (LENS CULINARIS MEDIK.)

Eleven agro-morphological characters were studied for variability and their inter-relationships
using 95 advanced (F6) elite derivatives of microsperma x macrosperma crosses along with 5
checks namely Vipasa, EC-1(Markandya), PL-639, L-259, and L-4145 at Palampur. The present
investigation revealed sufficient variability for all the characters except seeds per pod. For 100-
seed weight, pods per plant and biological yield per plant, high heritability coupled with high
genetic advance indicated the predominant role of additive gene action in the inheritance of
these traits. On the basis of mean performance of different genotypes, it was observed that lines
HPCL-2290, HPCL-2301 and HPCL-2208 were superior to best check Vipasa for seed yield per
plant, pods per plant and number of fertile nodes per plant. Seed yield per plant showed positive
association with biological yield per plant, seeds per pod, pods per plant, number of fertile nodes
per plant, primary branches per plant and plant height. Path analysis revealed that biological
yield had highest positive direct effect followed by harvest index on the seed yield. Biological
yield not only had highest direct effect but several other traits, like pods per plant, number of
fertile nodes per plant, primary branches per plant and plant height had also contributed
significantly indirectly through it. Based on the present study a plant ideotype with higher biomass,
harvest index, pods per plant, number of fertile nodes per plant, primary branches per plant and
plant height would enhance the seed yield of lentil