Abstract

The genetic Variability in flower production, flower shedding and pods produced per plant and its impact on seed yield of blackgram (Vigna mungo (L) Hepper) was studied in thirty five cultivars. There were significant differences for these traits between the different genotypes studied. Flower shedding is found to be a heritable trait with 53.04 per cent heritability. The seed yield of the crop is determined by the number of flowers produced and the number of pods set per plant, since these two traits are positively correlated with seed yield. The greater the number of flowers produced the lesser is the percentage of flowers shed as indicated by the significant negative cor- relation between these traits. The high co-heritability estimates between flower shedd- ing and flower production and also between pod number and seed yield suggest that desired recombination could be made between genotypes possessing high flower production and pod setting traits, and genotypes possessing low flower shedding percen tage. It is really the flower production and pod setting potential matter much in determining the yield potential than the flower shedding percentage in blackgram.

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