Abstract

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a major oilseed crop of India. Hand picked selection or large seeded groundnut is gaining much importance in recent years in view of its export potential. In the yield improvement programme of groundnut, the knowledge on the phenotypic and genotypic inter-relationships between pod and kernel characteristics would help the breeder to formulate effective selection programme. But yield is a complex character and is influenced by a number of traits which in turn are interrelated. The interdependence of these characters will influence pod yield either directly or indirectly and as a result the information obtained in the association of these traits becomes unreliable. Therefore, path coefficient analysis permits the separation of direct effects from indirect effects and gives more realistic relationship of the characters and helps in effective selection. Hence the present study is aimed to analyse and determine the pod and kernel characters having greater inter relationship with pod yield.

Keywords: Groundnut, Yield