Studies on variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and yield contributing characters in french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm under tarai region of Uttarakhand

Seventy four French bean germplasms were evaluated for twenty two quantitative traits to study the genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance during Jan-Feb in G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. Significant differences were observed among all genotypes. Higher genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variability were observed for plant height, seed yield per plant, pod yield per plant, pod yield per hectare, number of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant and 100 seed weight (42.45% and 43.30%, 39.72% and 42.34%, 27.59% and 32.12%, 27.59% and 32.12%, 25.01% and 28.14%, 24.56% and 26.76% and 22.65% and 22.96% respectively). High heritability coupled with high genetic advance over mean were observed for plant height, seed yield per plant, pod yield per plant, pod yield per hectare, number of pods per plant, 100 seed weight, number of pods per cluster, leaf length, single pod weight, pod diameter, pod length, number of pod clusters per plant, leaf width, seed length, number of seeds per pod and seed width (96.34% and 85.73%, 88.03% and 76.77%, 73.80% and 48.83%, 73.80% and 48.83%, 84.20% and 46.42%, 97.34% and 46.04%, 45.78% and 78.96%, 38.88% and 89.58%, 38.21% and 92.70%, 92.69% and 35.45%, 90.13% and 34.48%, 32.47% and 79.39%, 28.03% and 79.60%, 26.92% and 99.04%, 56.27% and 24.85%, and 97.82% and 24.01% respectively) indicate predominance additive gene action. Thus, there is ample scope for improving these characters through direct selection.