Pedigree Selection for Plant Seed Yield and Its Components in Broad Bean (Vicia faba L.)

Pedigree selection for plant seed yield was conducted in the segregating population Giza 843xMisr1 of faba bean at the farm of experiments of Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, Egypt over three consecutive seasons, (2021/2022 to 2023/2024). Highly significant differences were observed among the families selected for four selection criteria i.e. number of pods/plant, number of seeds/plant, weight of hundred seed and seed yield/plant across the F3, F4 and F5-generations. Selection based on these criteria led to a gradual decrease in both of genotypic (G.C.V.%) and phenotypic (P.C.V.%) coefficients variation for all the measured traits from the F3 to the F4 then the F5-generations. Broad sense heritability estimates were the lowest in F3 families and increased in F4 then decreased in F5 families for the selection criteria and some of the correlated traits. Expected genetic gain due to selection declined in F4 compared with F3 as consequence of selection pressure applied in the F3-generation. Average direct gain for the families selected for seed yield/plant led to highly significant increase in seed yield/plant compared with the highest parent and check cultivar by (10.36 and 14.63%) in F4 and (10.84 and 11.80%) in F5, respectively. Six families selected no. 15, 29, 37, 53, 77 and 92 in F5-generation showed significant increase in plant seed yield, number of seeds/plant, weight of hundred seed comparing with the highest parent and check cultivar.