PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSES AND CORRELATION OF SEED YIELD AND ITS CONTRIBUTING TRAITS IN PIGEON PEA [CAJANUS CAJAN (L.) MILLSP]

Hundred pigeon pea genotypes were tested in a 10 x 10 simple lattice design at Areka Agricultural Research Center during 2009 rain feed cropping season. Correlation coefficients and path coefficients (partitioned into direct and indirect effects) were estimated on yield and its contributing traits. Seed yield had positive and significant phenotypic and genotypic association with plant height, biomass yield per plant, pods per plant, seeds per plant, days to maturity, days to flowering, seeds per pod, reproductive phase and seed yield per plant. Phenotypic path analysis showed that, days to maturity had the highest positive direct effect on seed yield followed by plant height and seeds per plant whereas; genotypic path analysis revealed that, maximum direct effect on seed yield was exerted by days to flowering and reproductive phase followed by seeds per plant and plant height. Thus, seeds per plant and plant height were the potent contributor to seed yield which could be used as indirect selection criteria. The results from correlation and path coefficient analyses showed that selection for yield improvement through days to flowering, plant height, seeds per plant, pod filling duration and biomass yield per plant appeared promising.