GENETIC ANALYSIS AND REGRESSION STUDIES FOR YIELD AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES IN F2 SEGREGATING POPULATIONS OF GROUNDNUT CROSSES

GCV and PCV values were high for number of secondary branches per plant, pod yield per plant,
kernel yield per plant and Jassid incidence. Moderate GCV and PCV were observed for shelling out-turn and 100- kernel weight. Low values of GCV and PCV were recorded for days to initial flowering, days to maturity, number of primary branches, SCMR, late leaf spot and rust. This low variability may be due to the presence of both positive and negative alleles for these characters. All the characters showed high heritability values ranged from 66.67 % (number of primary branches per plant) to 99.50%. High heritability along with the GAM was high for number of secondary branches per plant, shelling out-turn, kernel yield per plant and 100- kernel weight, indicated the importance of additive gene action hence, mass selection procedure can be used to improve the pod yield. Regression coefficient values indicated that number of primary branches per plant had significant positive relation with pod yield (r2 = 0.4395), pod yield per plant with kernel yield (r2 = 0.9999), shelling out-turn with kernel yield (r2 = 0.4333) and SPAD chlorophyll meter reading with jassid incidence (r2 = 0.0026).