Character Association and Path Analysis for Yield and its Attributing Traits in Urdbean Genotypes and its Triple Test Cross F1 Hybrids

This research delves into the association and path coefficient analysis between yield and its attributing traits among 111 diverse lines of urdbean. 27 lines, three testers, and Eighty-one F1 hybrids were grown in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications during Kharif 2023 at the Crop Experimental Research Farm of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kalyanpur, Kanpur (U.P.). The analysis of variance for parents (27 lines and three testers) and their 81 triple test cross hybrids indicated highly significant genotypic differences across all 12 quantitative traits under study viz., days to 50% flowering (DFF), days to 75% maturity (DM), plant height (cm) (PH), number of primary branches per plant (NPB), pods per plant (NPP), pod length (cm) (PL), seeds per pod (NSP), biological yield per plant (g) (BYPP), seed yield per plant (g) (SYPP), harvest index (%),(HI), 100-seed weight (HSW), and protein content (%) (PC). All the traits studied showed a significant positive correlation with seed yield, except for days to 50% flowering, and days to 75 % maturity at phenotypic and genotypic levels. Path analysis revealed that all the traits had high direct positive effects on seed yield except for days to 50% flowering and days to 75 % maturity at phenotypic and genotypic levels. Therefore, these traits should be the primary focus in black gram breeding programs aimed at yield improvement.