Genetic behavior of some selected Faba bean genotypes

Abstract

The study was carried out during 2002/03 and 2003/204 growing seasones in order to determine the genetic behavior of six faba bean genotypes grown in central region of Saudi Arabia. Results revealed that the studied genotypes significantly differed for all traits studied in each season except for plant height. Combined analysis of variance elucidates that years were significant impact on plant height, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/plant, seed weight /plant and seed yield. Genotype x season interaction was insignificant for all studied traits except for number of pods, seeds, seed weight and biological yield. Genotype Giza 402 showed the tallest plants, highest number of pods/plant, seeds, seeds weight per plant, biological yield and seed yield (t/ha). The highest estimates of broad sense heritability (h2) were obtained for flowering date 0.986, number of pods 0.96, number of seeds per plant 0.957 and maturity date 0.905 respectively in the first season. In the second season the highest value of h2 for flowering date, number of seeds per plant and maturity date were 99.9, 94.2 and 91.0 %, respectively. Significant positive correlations were detected between seed yield (t/ha) and each of number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, seed weight per plant and biological yield (t/ha). These findings indicate that selection for each or both of number of pods, seeds and seed weight per plant would be accompanied by high yielding ability under such conditions. Negative and significant correlations were observed between seed yield (t/ha) and each of flowering time (-0.691**), maturity date (-0.437**), number of branches per plant (-0.446**) and 100-seed weight (-0.540**).