Gene effects for yield contributing characters in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]

Abstract

Six generations (P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2) derived from three crosses (BDN 708 X BSMR 571, BDN 708 X BDN 2010-1 and BDN 711 X SKNP 0632) between different parents (BDN 708, BSMR 571, BDN 2010-1, BDN 711 and SKNP 0632) along with check BDN 716. The material was evaluated during Kharif 2018 in randomized block design with randomization of generation replicated twice at Agricultural research station, Badnapur. The estimates of six parameters model revealed the significant contribution of both additive and dominance gene effects in most of the traits studied. Generally in the crosses, additive x additive (i) and dominance x dominance (l) type of gene action played an important role in the inheritance of the plant days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, number of pods per plant and 100-seed weight. However, dominance (h) type of gene action had major contribution in the inheritance of characters viz., days to 50% flowering and days to maturity. All the characters under study except number of seeds per pod and seed yield per plant showed duplicate type of gene action for two or three crosses.