The experiment on twenty three genotypes including three check varieties (GA 2, BGA 2 and RMA 7) of amaranthus (Amaranthus paniculatus L.) was conducted to work out the genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation, path coefficient and genetic divergence effects of their various attributes on seed yield. The analysis of variance revealed that mean squares due to treatments were highly significant for all characters except seed volume weight (g/10ml). The magnitude of phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than corresponding genotypic coefficient of variation for all the characters. The high estimates (>20%) of phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefficients of variations were found in case of harvest index, biological yield/plant and low estimates (<10%) were observed for protein content and seed volume weight. Correlation analysis indicated that seed yield per plant had high and positive association with inflorescence length, plant height and biological yield per plant, while negative association were found for days to 50% flowering. Path analysis identified biological yield per plant and harvest index as important components having high order of direct and positive effect. Higher indirect and positive contributions on seed yield per plant were made by biological yield per plant via days to maturity followed by harvest index via protein content, inflorescence length via plant height. The characters identified above as important direct and indirect yield components merit due consideration in formulating selection strategy in amaranthus for selecting high yielding genotypes. The estimates of heritability in broad sense (> 75%) were high for plant height, biological yield per plant, harvest index, days to maturity and inflorescence length. The high estimates of genetic advance in percent of mean (>20%) were obtained for harvest index, biological yield per plant, plant height, number of branches per plant and inflorescence length. The contribution of ten characters towards divergence showed the highest contribution by plant height followed by biological yield per plant. High heritability and genetic advance indicate that the additive nature of gene action and reliability of those characters for selection and emerged as ideal traits for improvement through selection.

The present investigation was carried out at the Students’ Instructional Farm, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya to evaluate a line x tester set of 45 hybrids (F1’s) and their 18 parents alongwith two checks for twelve characters. Forty-five crosses were constituted in Rabi, 2016-2017, whereas parents and crosses were evaluated in a yield trial in Rabi 2017-2018, in a randomized complete block design of three replications. Results revealed highly significant variations within parents and F1 genotypes indicating a wide genetic variability for the studied characters and the possibility of genetic improvement using such genetic material of faba bean. Parents, HB 10, HB 50, EC 454751 and EC 301470 showed desirable and significant GCA effects for grain yield per plant and some of the yield contributing traits to emerge as valuable donor parents for hybridization programme. Out of forty-five, eleven crosses emerged with positive and significant SCA effects for grain yield per plant. The high estimates of genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation and high heritability in broad sense alongwith high genetic advance in per cent of mean were recorded for number of pods per plant. A wide range of variation in the estimates of heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis in positive and negative direction was observed for grain yield per plant as well as remaining eleven traits. In case of grain yield per plant, heterobeltiosis ranged from -35.75 to 100.74 per cent, standard heterosis varied from -35.10 to 46.30 per cent over SV1 (HFB 1) and from -33.26 to 50.46 per cent over SV2 (Vikrant).

Background: Multi environmental trials (MET) is central activity in crop improvement programs for identification of superior genotype across environment before release as a variety. The aim of the present study was to select faba bean genotypes having high seed yield and most stable performance across different environments in gangetic plains of India. Methods: The material for the study consisted of set of 11 genotype of faba bean subjected to multi-locational seed yield trials for three years (2015-2018) at four locations. The test of significance for genotype x environment (GE) interaction and eight non-parametric measures of stability analysis were used to identify high yield stable genotype across the five environments. A new approach Combined Stability Index based on yield stability performance calculated based on the ranking of the used stability measures of all the genotypes. Result: Based on low value of Combined Stability Index, HB-12-37, (CSI(i) = 10) HB-11-15, (CSI(i) = 11), HB-11-32 (CSI(i) = 14) were identified as the most stable genotypes with high yield potential. These non-parametric measures were observed to be associated with high mean seed yield. The simple rank correlation coefficient, calculated using the ranks was used to measure the association among the eight stability statistics and mean seed yield. The nature of relationships among the non-parametric measures was assessed and these stability measures are categorized in three groups. The genotype HB-12-37 (G3) fall in section 1 were the most favourable genotype due to high seed yield as well as high stability performance according to plot of all non-parametric measures with seed yield. HB-12-37 (G3) which had higher seed yield (25.19 q / ha) and high protein content (24.85%) with better stability across the environments could be used in further breeding programmes of faba bean and recommended for release as variety for plains of India.

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