Insights into Trait Associations Influencingseed Yield in Summer Green Gram [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek]

Abstract

Greengram [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] is an important short-duration pulse crop valued for its nutritional quality, adaptability, and suitability for diverse cropping systems. However, seed yield is influenced by several interrelated component traits, necessitating correlation and path coefficient analyses to identify effective selection criteria. This study assessed associations between seed yield and component traits in summer greengram [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] to identify useful selection criteria. Forty genotypes were evaluated in a randomised block design with three replications during summer 2025 at the Pulses Research Station, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. Data were recorded for 15 quantitative traits, and genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficients and phenotypic path coefficients were estimated. Genotypic correlations were generally greater than phenotypic correlations. Seed yield per plant showed significant positive associations with biological yield per plant (r_g = 0.708**, r_p = 0.661**), number of pods per plant (r_g = 0.667**, r_p = 0.612**), and number of clusters per plant (r_g = 0.457**, r_p = 0.453**) at both levels. Harvest index was also positively associated with seed yield (r_g = 0.394*, r_p = 0.411**), while number of branches per plant showed significant positive associations (r_g = 0.392*, r_p = 0.366*). Phenotypic path analysis indicated strong positive direct effects of reproductive phase duration (3.073), days to 50 per cent flowering (2.676), biological yield per plant (0.943), and harvest index (0.782). Number of pods per cluster (0.229) and number of clusters per plant (0.214) had moderate positive direct effects. The residual effect of 0.1148 indicated that the analysed traits explained most of the variation in seed yield. Overall, biological yield, harvest index, clusters per plant, and pods per cluster may serve as useful selection criteria in greengram improvement.