PRASANTHI, LPANIGRAHI, MAITRI2019-05-032019-05-032018D5717http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810101824D5717The present investigation was undertaken in 42 genotypes of blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] to study the variability, heritability and genetic advance as per cent of mean, character association and path coefficient analysis during rabi, 2018. The observations were recorded for eighteen yield, physiological (morphological and biochemical) and yield attributes viz., days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of clusters per plant, number of primary branches per plant, number of pods per plant, 100 seed-weight, harvest index, SPAD chlorophyll meter reading, seed yield per plant, leaf hairiness, leaf thickness, pod hairiness, protein content, carbohydrate content, amino acid content, Phenol content and YMV disease score. Analysis of variance indicated the existence of significant differences among the genotypes for all the characters. Among the 15 genotypes SRI and TBG-130 showed high mean performance for seed yield per plant. Analysis for genetic parameters revealed higher phenotypic coefficient and genotypic coefficient of variation, heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean for disease score for YMV, pod hairiness, leaf hairiness, carbohydrate content, clusters per plant, seed yield per plant and pods per plant indicating that simple selection would be effective in improving these traits. xiv Character association studies revealed that days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of primary branches per plant, clusters per plant, pods per plant and 100-seed weight showed significant and positive correlation with seed yield per plant indicating that selection based on these characters would bring about simultaneous improvement in the seed yield. Leaf hairiness, leaf thickness, pod hairiness and amino acid content showed significant association with the YMV disease score implying that selection based on these characters would aid in providing tolerance against YMV disease reaction. Path analysis indicated a direct selection for clusters per plant, pods per plant, and 100-seed weight would be effective due to high positive direct effect on the seed yield. Leaf thickness, leaf hairiness and pod hairiness, though had moderate negative direct effects on the YMV disease score but they recorded significant negative association with it, hence selection of these characters will be effective in imparting resistance against YMV. The top five genotypes for seed yield per plant namely SRI, LBG-752, LBG 623, TBG-130 and VBG 12-062 can be utilized for rabi cultivation. TBG-125 exhibited high leaf hairiness, leaf thickness and high pod hairiness, while the genotype TBG-129, along with high values for the morphological characters also had higher amounts of phenols and amino acid content and thus could be used for the development of promising lines for resistance to YMV disease.en-USnullThesis