KUMARI, DR. MEENUKUMARI, ANNU2018-09-152018-09-152018-09-15Th-5144http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810073061A Field experiment was conducted at the Central Horticultural Experiment Station, ICAR- IIHR, Aiginia Bhubaneswar, during the kharif season of 2017-18. The experiment was laid out in the complete randomized block design with 30 genotypes grown in 3 replications in order to study morphological characterization of dolichos bean accessions, genetic variability of various traits, to examine the nature and magnitude of character association and path coefficient analysis and to study the extent of genetic divergence among the accessions of dolichos bean. A potential range of variability was recorded for pod length, pod width, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, hundred seed weight and fresh pod yield per plant. The result showed that there was considerable amount of variability existing among the genotypes and significant differences were found among the genotypes analyzed for twenty three quantitative characters as well as in seventeen qualitative characters. The genotype IIHR-B-DB-65 showed variably purple color pods in contrast to rest of the genotypes and can be used in crop improvement programme for developing anthocyanin rich dolichos bean pods. The genotype IIHR-B-DB-21 showed highest pod yield per plant (1160 g) with longest pod length (13.24 cm) and highest average pod weight (146.79 g) among all the genotypes excluding the check variety Arka Swagat (1183.33 g). This genotype can be taken in crop improvement programmes in the regions of Odisha as high yielding genotype with elite pod traits. The genotype IIHR-B-DB-57 recorded earliness for flowering (67 days) followed by IIHR-B-DB-15 (68 days). The genotype IIHR-B-DB-57 took 93 days for fruit setting which is earliest among all the genotypes under experimental trial. Therefore it can be taken as donor parent for the purpose of earliness in crop improvement programme. Phenotypic Coefficient of Variation and Genotypic Coefficient of Variation were highest in case of fresh pod yield per plant followed by pod beak length followed by bud width. The trait yield per plant has positive correlation with fresh pod length, pod width, number of seeds per pod, number of fresh pods per plant, 100 seed weight and average pod weight at genotypic level as well as at phenotypic level. Days to first harvest exerted highest positive direct effect on pod yield per plant followed by average pod weight, number of pods per plant and days to first flowering. Therefore direct selection can be routed to select high yielding genotypes of dolichos bean through these traits. Experimental findings stated that highest inter-cluster D 2 value was reported to be maximum between cluster IV and VI followed by IV and V. Hence, the genotypes from these clusters can be used for the development of promising varieties or transgressive segregants. Pod beak length recorded highest contribution to the divergence followed by fresh pod length. Moderate contribution to genetic divergence was recorded by remaining traits.From the divergence analysis, it can be concluded that geographical distribution does not find conjugation with the genetic diversity .ennullThesis