Uzma Aslam1, Zahid Manzoor2, Aqsa Mumtaz1, Iqra Khalid1, Muzamil Haider4, Amir Shakeel1 and Muhammad Usman4
1Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 2National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan 3Faculty of Agriculture, University of Layyah 4Department of Microbiology, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology
*Corresponding author: uzmaaslam522@gmail.com
Pea is the most important temperate grain legume grown globally, and in Pakistan, it is cultivated in large areas, predominantly in Punjab and other provinces. The variations present in the germplasm provide the raw material for any plant breeding program on which selection acts to develop improved cultivars. This study evaluated 30 pea genotypes in the field area of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. The trial was conducted under a randomized complete block design with three replications. Different morphological traits such as days to first blossom, days to 50% blooming, plant height (cm), number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, number of nodes/plant, 100-grain weight (g), pod width (cm), pod length (cm), seed yield/plant (g), internodal distance (cm) and days to maturity were noted. Collected data were analyzed for variance (ANOVA), correlation, and path analysis. Phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV), and cluster analysis. Correlation analysis revealed that the Plant height, nodes per plant, inter-nodal distance and seeds per pod are positively associated with seed yield per plant. The estimates of genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) were slightly lower than phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) for all traits under consideration. Cluster analysis grouped the 30 pea accessions into three main clusters based on various phenotypic traits. Path analysis showed that days to maturity had a maximum positive effect on yield/plant. The range of variation in the observed variables indicated the genotypes' suitability for use in variety development and breeding research.