Variability and correlation analysis in the germplasm of cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] in hyper hot arid climate of Western India

The 44 accessions of cluster bean collected from Rajasthan, Gujarat  and Maharashtra were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replicates during summer and kharif seasons of hyper hot and dry climate of Rajasthan to estimate the presence of genetic variability, inter-characters associations, to identify a suitable high yielding with short duration accession of guar for cultivation during summer and to compare the relative performance of the genotypes in two seasons.  The high degree of genetic variability was estimated during both seasons for seed yield per plant (g), 100-seed weight (g.), number of seeds per pod, number of pods per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of branches per plant, number of clusters per plant, plant height (cm.), number of days to 50% flowering and number of days to maturity. The moderate to high heritabilities coupled with moderate to high expected genetic advance were observed for all studied traits. Number of seeds per pod, number of pods per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of clusters per plant, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity had positive and significant correlations with seed yield per plant. A promising unbranched with determinate growth habit genotype IC 421811-P6, developed through single plant selection yielded 20.6 gm seed per plant.The accessions IC 415109, IC 28272, IC 329036, IC 373427, IC 370490 during summer season and during kharif season IC 370478, IC 370481, IC 421811, IC 421817 and IC 402303 during kharifseason exhibitedsuperiority in terms of seed yield over best check.