Assessment of Variability, Diversity and Performance of Indigenous Pigeonpea Germplasm for Yield and Nutritional TraitsAssessment of Variability, Diversity and Performance of Indigenous Pigeonpea Germplasm for Yield and Nutritional Traits

Background: Pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] is a perennial legume vital to subsistence agriculture in semi-arid tropics, providing food, fodder and soil enrichment. Genetic improvement of pigeon pea hinges on understanding the genetic variability among its genotypes. Methods: Fifty-six pigeon pea accessions were collected from various districts in Telangana, India. Forty-five accessions were characterized for yield, quality and nutritional traits in a randomized block design with two replications during the Late-kharif season of 2022. Data analysis included variance, heritability, genetic advance, correlation, path coefficient analysis, cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). Result: Significant genetic variation was found among the accessions for all traits. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), indicating substantial environmental influence. High heritability estimates and genetic advance were observed for traits such as single plant yield, pods per plant and iron content, suggesting strong selection potential. Correlation analysis revealed that traits like plant height, number of branches per plant and 100-seed weight had significant positive associations with yield. Path coefficient analysis identified pods per plant and 100-seed weight as having the highest direct positive effects on yield. Cluster analysis divided the accessions into four clusters, with cluster III showing superior performance in yield-related traits. PCA indicated that four principal components explained 69.16% of the total variability, with PC1 dominated by yield traits.