Studies on Analysis of Correlation Coefficient and Path Coefficient for Certain Quantitative Traits in Fieldpea (Pisum sativum L. var. arvense)

The experiment was conducted with twenty-two (22) genotypes of fieldpea including four (4) checks in Randomized Block Design with three replications at the experimental farm of department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Kamla Nehru Institute of Physical and Social Sciences Sultanpur 228118 (U.P.) India, during Rabi, season 2022-2023. Phenotypic data were recorded for nine characters viz. Days to 50% flowering, Plant height, Branches per plant, Number of pods per plant, Days to maturity, Harvest index, 100-seed weight, Biological yield per plant and Grain yield per plant. It was expressed in general Correlation coefficient, provide an indication of the type and extent of the relationship between yield and yield contributing components by measuring the magnitude of linear relationships between two variables and path coefficient analysis partitions the observed correlation coefficient into direct and indirect effects on grain yield. The maximum value of highly significant positive genotypic correlation was observed for days to 50% flowering with days to maturity (0.88), biological yield per plant with grain yield per plant (0.84), number of branches per plant with 100-seed weight (0.84) respectively. The high direct positive genotypic effect on grain yield per plant were exerted by days to 50 % flowering (0.78) followed by biological yield per plant (0.40). The very high indirect positive genotypic effects on grain yield per plant by harvest index via biological yield per plant (1.47). Correlation coefficient gives an indication of the type and degree of the relationship between yield and yield contributing traits by measuring the magnitude of linear relationship between two variables, that’s why it leads us in selection of yield and other desirable characteristics of plant in crop improvement program and path analysis has emerged as an important and widely used technique for understanding the direction of contribution of traits on grain yield. It contributes either directly or indirectly to the total grain yield of the plant and this technique provides information to breeders for selection of yield contributing traits for improvement of crop in plant breeding.