GENETIC VARIABILITY FOR YIELD AND ITS CONTRIBUTING TRAITS IN INDIAN MUSTARD (BRASSICA JUNCEA L.)

The present investigation was undertaken to assess the extent of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and its related traits in Indian mustard. Thirty genotypes of Indian mustard were evaluated in a Randomized Block Design with three replications during the rabi season. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed highly significant differences among genotypes for all the ten traits studied, indicating the presence of substantial genetic variability. High genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were observed for seed yield per plant, number of siliquae per plant and biological yield. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percentage of mean was recorded for seed yield per plant, indicating the predominance of additive gene action. The results suggest that selection based on these traits would be effective for yield improvement in Indian mustard.