Trait Association and Path Analysis for Yield Improvement in Garden Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Aims: Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is one of the most important legume crops in India. It improves the genetic diversity of the crop to generate high-yielding varieties of field pea. This research aims at investigating the variability and identify the relative value of main and secondary qualities as selection criteria for increasing productivity. Study Design: The experiment was laid out in the Augmented Complete Block Design. Place and Duration of Study: Study was conducted in the Regional Horticultural Research and Training Station field, Jachh, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Himachal Pradesh from between October, 2019 to April, 2020. Methodology: The experiment materials comprised of 115 genotypes alongside 6 check varieties evaluated during the year 2019-20. The data generated was subjected to genetic variability, correlation and path analysis. Results: Pod yield (q/ha) had showed a significant and positive correlation with the number of pods per plant, 100-seed weight, number of seeds per pod, and total soluble solids and. Pod yield (q/ha) and number of pods per plant had the most positive and direct influence on seed production per plant, according to path analysis. Number of pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, and days to 50 percent flowering all had a highly favorable indirect influence on pod yield (q/ha). The characters identified above as important direct and indirect yield component. Conclusion: A significant positive correlation coefficient was observed between pod yield (q/ha) and multiple agronomic traits, including days to marketable maturity and pod length, while a negative correlation was found with the pea leaf miner; additionally, path coefficient analysis demonstrated that characteristics like pod length and number of seeds/pods had provided a significant direct effect on pod yield (q/ha) at both genotypic and phenotypic levels.