Himani Rana, D.K. Rana and Chandni Negi
Abstract
Yield is a composite characteristic that relies on multiple independent traits. An experimental study was conducted during the spring-summer season of 2023 at the Horticultural Research Centre, Department of Horticulture, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India, to assess the genotypic and phenotypic association among pod yield and its component characteristics in the selected French bean genotypes. Additionally, using path coefficient analysis, the study aimed to determine the impact of various component characteristics on yield, both directly and indirectly. Fifty French bean genotypes were evaluated for nine horticultural traits in a Randomized Complete Block Design. ANOVA showed significant differences in the genotypes for all the traits studied. In the current study, pod yield exhibited a positive and highly significant correlation with pod weight (0.788, 0.711), followed by length of pod (0.520, 0.466) and the number of primary branches plant-1 (0.415, 0.340) at both the levels of genotypic and phenotypic, respectively. However, it exhibited a negative but highly significant correlation with plant height (-0.553, -0.529). Pod weight (0.546) had the highest positive direct effect on pod yield, followed by the number of days taken to first germination (0.241), plant height (0.189), and the number of primary branchesplant-1 (0.122). While the characteristics days to 50 percent germination (-0.719), days to first flowering (-0.555), pod width (-0.2013), and pod length (-0.0263) exhibited a negative direct effect on per plant pod yield. Hence, direct selection based on pod weight and the number of primary branches plant-1 and indirect selection for length of pod and plant height would be beneficial for the yield improvement of French beans.