Genetic Variability and Association Studies on Yield and Yield Attributing Traits in Blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper)

Aims: Low and static productivity (450–800 kg/ha) is one of the main obstacles in blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) crop. The low productivity is due to inadequate seed systems, a lack of access to genetic and genomic resources, and a lack of active breeding initiatives. Hence the present study was carried out to assess the variability and association among yield contributing traits for blackgram improvement programmes. Place and Duration of Study: The field study was carried out during 2019-2020 in V.O. Chidambaranar Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University at Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding. Study Design and Methodology: A total of 60 F4 progenies developed from the cross IC 436656 x KKB14045 in blackgram for the assessment of per se performance, genetic variability and association studies. Results: Based on the production of a single plant, seventeen offspring were determined to be promising. The traits viz., number of clusters per plant, number of pods per plant, and single plant yield showed high PCV and GCV, which indicated that there was a high level of genetic variability in the population. The variables of plant height, number of clusters / plant, number of pods/plant, and single plant yield showed significant heritability and high genetic advancement, indicating additive gene action. Single plant yield was positively and significantly correlated with the traits viz., plant height, number of clusters / plant, number of pods / plant, and number of seeds / pod. Therefore, choosing these characteristics is crucial to creating high yielding blackgram cultivars.