SHANTHI PRIYA, MAPARNA, PAPANA2018-08-142018-08-142017http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810064260D5515The present investigation was undertaken to generate information on variability and genetic parameters, character association and path analysis in 168 genotypes and five checks of groundnut under organic and inorganic fertilizer managements separately. The experiment was conducted at dryland farm of S.V. Agricultural college, Tirupati, during kharif 2016. Analysis of variance in respect of 14 characters revealed the existence of significant differences among the entries for all the characters under both organic and conventional fertilizer managements except for number of primary branches per plant, shelling percentage and harvest index which were nonsignificant under organic fertilizer management and significant under inorganic fertilizer management indicating the presence of considerable amounts of genetic variation for different traits in the present material. Based on mean performance the genotypes viz., ICG-13099, ICG-13942, ICG-13723, ICG10384 and ICG-11687 under organic management whereas under inorganic fertilizer management the genotypes viz., ICG-434, ICG-13942, ICG-11651, ICG-12879 and ICG-332 were found promising for yield and its contributing characters. The high estimates of GCV and PCV were recorded for number of immature pods per plant, kernel yield per plant, pod yield per plant, number of mature pods per plant, number of pegs per plant, total number of pods per plant under both the managements; for 100 seed weight and plant height under organic management and for number of primary branches per plant under inorganic fertilizer management indicated the presence of genetic variability for these traits and less influence of environment. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for the characters days to 50% flowering, 100 kernel weight, plant height, number of mature pods per plant, number of immature pods per plant and total number of pods per plant under both the fertilizer managements. Similarly high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for pod yield per plant under organic management and for number of primary branches per plant and shelling percentage under inorganic fertilizer management. This indicated the preponderance of additive gene action and selection may be rewarding for improvement of these traits. Further, moderate heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for number of pegs per plant, kernel yield per plant and sound mature kernel percentage under both the fertilizer managements, while the traits viz., harvest index and pod yield per plant also recorded moderate heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean under inorganic fertilizer management. Improvement can be brought about in these traits through simple pedigree method of breeding and phenotypic selection would be effective. The character association analysis revealed that significant positive association of harvest index, 100 seed weight, number of mature pods per plant, total number of pods per plant, shelling percentage, number of pegs per plant and kernel yield per plant with pod yield per plant under both the fertilizer managements, indicating the possibility for simultaneous selection of these characters would result in improvement of pod yield in the genotypes under both organic and inorganic fertilizer managements. Path analysis revealed that kernel yield per plant under organic management and kernel yield per plant and total number of pods per plant under inorganic fertilizer management recorded high positive direct effects on pod yield per plant. Thus, emphasis could be given for these characters during selection in order to improve pod yield under both organic and inorganic fertilizer managementsen-USnullThesis