PHENOTYPIC VARIABILITY, CORRELATION AND PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSIS IN POLE TYPE FRENCH BEANS (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.)

Correlation and path analysis studies on 18 marketable pod yield pod and yield attributing traits in 44 accessions of French bean revealed that marketable pod yield per plant had highly significant and positive association with length of inflorescence, number of inflorescence per plant, number of flowers per inflorescence, pod length, pod weight, number of pods per plant pod width and number of seeds per pod indicating the possibility of improvement in these traits through simultaneous selection. Path analysis for green pod yield per plant revealed that traits like number of pods per plant and pod weight exhibited high positive direct effects on green pod yield per plant. Number of pods per plant being chief contributing character for green pod yield with indirect effects through number of inflorescences per plant, number of seeds per pod, number of pods per inflorescence and length of inflorescence. Keeping in view the direct and indirect contribution of component traits towards total green pod yield per plant, the indirect selection on number of pods per plant number of inflorescences per plant, number of seeds per pod, number of pods per inflorescence and length of inflorescence in French bean is suggesting rewarding.