Abstract

                                The correlation coefficients among nine yield and yield attributing characters with their path effects towards kernel yield were investigated in F 3 generation for three crosses of groundnut during Kharif-2009. From association studies, kernel yield was significant and positively correlated with number of pods per plant, pod yield per plant, shelling percentage and hundred kernel weight for all the crosses. The path analysis indicated that among the nine traits studied, pod yield per plant exerted maximum positive direct effect on kernel yield per plant for all the three crosses. When both direct and indirect positive contributions were considered, number of pods per plant and pod yield per plant influenced kernel yield per plant. Thus, on the basis of correlations and direct and indirect effects, number of pods per plant, pod yield per plant, hundred kernel weight and shelling percentage were proved to be the outstanding characters influencing kernel yield in groundnut and need to be given importance in selection to achieve higher kernel yield.

Key words : Correlation, Path coefficient analysis, Groundnut.