Full Length Research Paper

Genotype × environment interaction, heritability and selection response for yield and yield contributing traits in mungbean

Hidayat Ullah¹*, Iftikhar Hussain Khalil¹, Iltafullah², Hidayat ur Rahman¹ and Ibni Amin¹

¹Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan.

²Cereal Crops Research Institute, Pirsabak, Nowshera, Pakistan.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: shabkadar@yahoo.com.  Tel: 0092-333-9196096.

Accepted 24 November, 2010

   Abstract

Developing and identifying suitable genotypes for diversified environment is the key factor of breeding programs. Thirty mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) genotypes were evaluated at two locations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during 2007 and 2008 using randomized complete block design with replications. Highly significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) were observed among the genotypes for yield and yield associated traits across years at both locations and also across years and locations. L × Y effect was highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) for peduncle length, pods cluster^-1, seeds pod^-1, 1000 grain weight and grain yield ha^-1. G × L interaction was highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) for pods plant^-1, clusters plant^-1, pods cluster^-1, pod length, seeds pod^-1, 1000 grain weight and grain yield ha^-1 indicating differential performance of mungbean genotypes over the two test locations and showing narrow adaptability. Means for peduncle length, pods plant^-1, clusters plant^-1, pods cluster^-1, pod length, seeds pod^-1, 1000 grain weight, harvest index and grain yield ha^-1 were 9.2 versus 8.3 cm, 15.6 versus 31.6, 6.1 versus 8.3, 3.5 versus 4.6, 9.1 versus 10.6 cm, 10.3 versus 12.4, 58.8 versus 68.6 g, 27.6 versus 28.7% and 2128.5 versus 2961.6 kg, respectively. The genetic variances for harvest index and grain yield were higher than environmental variance at both locations, and greater for pod length, seeds pod^-1 and 1000 grain weight at Swat only. Similarly genetic × year variances were non-existent for most of the traits. Heritability estimates for all the traits and expected response to selection for most of the traits were generally greater in magnitude at Swat than Peshawar, except peduncle length.

Key words: G × E interaction, heritability, quantitative traits, Vigna radiata, selection response.