Genetic Variability, Path Coefficient and Genetic Diversity Analysis in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) Genotypes

The study was conducted on 24 lentil genotypes in Rabi 2011–2012 to study the extent of variability, heritability, genetic advance, extent of character association between yield and its components, direct and indirect effects of component characters on seed yield and genetic diversity. The high estimates of phenotypic coefficient of variation (>20%) were obtained for number of pods per plant (42.24%) followed by primary branches per plant (40.04%), secondary branches per plant (39.18%), yield per plot (25.64%) and 100 seed weight (20.43). High estimates of heritability (>80%) were observed for 100-seed weight (95.05%) followed by days to 50% flowering (86.05%), days to maturity (85.27%) and yield per plot (83.82%). High estimates of genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for seed yield per plot (44.24%) followed by number of primary branches (43.60%). High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for 100-seed weight and yield per plot indicating that these traits are governed by additive gene action. At phenotypic level, yield per plot exhibited highest positive correlation with 100-seed weight (0.607) followed by number of seeds per pod (0.603), number of pods per plant (0.570), number of secondary branches per plant (0.541) and number of primary branches per plant. Path analysis revealed that 100-seed weight had highest positive direct effect (0.458) on seed yield per plot followed by number of pods per plant (0.299), number of primary branches per plant (0.214), number of seeds per pod (0.152) and days to maturity (0.118). On the basis of Mahalanobis D2 Statistics, 24 genotypes were grouped into eight clusters. The highest divergence was observed between Clusters III and IV followed by IV and VII and III and V. Number of pods per plant (19.74%) contributed maximum towards genetic divergence followed by number of primary branches per plant (18.53%), number of secondary branches per plant (16.17%), yield per plot (13.61%) and 100-seed weight (10.38%).