Variability and Correlation Studies in Dolichos bean (Dolichos lablab L.)

Background: Dolichos bean (Dolichos lablab L.), 2n = 22 is an important leguminous vegetable crop which provides protein, minerals and vitamins. The exploitation of variability is of great importance and is a prerequisite for the effective screening of superior genotypes. Keeping this in view, the present investigation was carried out to assess the variability and correlation for yield and other components which are useful to select the promising genotypes. Methods: The study on variability and correlation in Dolichos Bean genotypes for yield and quality was conducted at the College Orchard, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. Twenty lablab genotypes, sourced from various locations, were planted in a randomized block design with three replications during the kharif and rabi seasons of 2021 and 2022. Observations on growth, yield and quality traits were recorded and analysed for variance, variability and correlations. Result: In the kharif season, Ankur Gold yielded the highest green pods per plant (487.50 g), while Acc.7 yielded the lowest (89.59 g). In the pooled analysis, Ankur Gold (469.80 g) had the highest and Acc.6 (87.49 g) had the lowest green pod yield per plant. The study suggests using a selection index based on the number of racemes per plant, raceme length, number of pods per plant, green pod yield per plant and pod length to identify high yielding lablab genotypes.