REDDI SEKHAR, MKAVITHA, GALIPOTHULA2017-07-202017-07-202015http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810025704EVALUATION OF GROUNDNUT (Arachis hypogaea L.) GENOTYPES FOR POD YIELD AND ITS COMPONENT TRAITSThe experimental material consisted of fifty genotypes of groundnut which were evaluated at dry land farm of S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati during kharif, 2014 so as to identify the genotypes with high yield and water use efficient genotypes. The analysis of variance revealed the existence of significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied. The genotypes viz., MLTG(SB)-3, MLTG(SB)-6, MLTG(VB)-11 and MLTG(VB)-2 showed high mean performance for pod yield and its components viz., number of primary branches per plant, number of sound mature kernels per plant, pods per plant, kernel yield per plant (g), leaf nitrogen (%) content at 60 DAS, leaf nitrogen (%) content at 80 DAS and shelling percentage. The estimates of genetic parameters revealed that dry matter per plant, number of sound mature kernels per plant, kernel yield per plant, pod yield per plant and number of primaries per plant registered high GCV and PCV estimates. High heritability (broad sense) was observed for all the traits. High GAM was recorded for dry matter per plant, number of sound mature kernels per plant, pod yield per plant, number of primary branches per plant, number of pods per plant, specific leaf area at 60 DAS, number of seeds per pod, shelling percentage and specific leaf area at 80 DAS indicating that these traits can be further improved by simple selection in the present breeding material. The D2 analysis revealed that the 50 genotypes had considerable amount of diversity and grouped into five clusters. Inter cluster indicated that clusters III and V were quite distant apart followed by IV and V, I and V, III and IV, I and IV and II and III in decreasing order of genetic distance. Hence, genotypes for these clusters namely MLTG(SB)-6, MLTG(VB)-9, MLTG(VB)-2, MLTG(VB)-11, Abhaya, IET-1531, INS-II-15 and AVT(D)1429 (Cluster-I), MLTG(SB)-3 and MLTG(SB)-2 (Cluster-II), TCGS 320 (Cluster-III), K-6 (Cluster-IV) and MLTG(SB)-12 (Cluster-V) were suggested for inclusion in hybridization programme for obtaining superior and desirable recombinants. Further, canonical root analysis confirmed the clustering pattern obtained by D2 analysis. A perusal of character association indicated highly significant positive association of kernel yield per plant with pod yield per plant. The other traits viz., number of sound mature kernels per plant, number of primary branches per plant, dry matter per plant, leaf nitrogen (%) content at 60 DAS and specific leaf area at 80 DAS exhibited significant positive association with pod yield per plant (g). These characters also exhibited strong and positive inter-se associations among themselves. Path coefficient analysis revealed that kernel yield per plant exerted the highest positive direct effect on pod yield per plant. It was also revealed that number of primary branches per plant, number of sound mature kernels per plant and leaf nitrogen (%) content at 60 DAS contributed indirectly to pod yield per plant through kernel yield per plant. These characters also exhibited highly significant positive association with pod yield as well as among themselves. Hence, these characters should be given due emphasis in formulating selection criterion for genetic improvement of pod yield potential with high water use efficiency in the present genetic material.en-USnullThesis