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Agric. Sci. Digest., 36 (1) 2016: 60-62 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION CENTRE
Print ISSN:0253-150X / Online ISSN:0976-0547 www.arccjournals.com

Genetic Variability, heritability and genetic advance of yield and related traits
of Spanish bunch groundnut(Arachis hypogaea L.)
G. Bhargavi*, V. Satyanarayana Rao and K.L. Narasimha Rao1
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding,
Agricultural College, Bapatla- 522 101, India.
Received: 05-09-2015 Accepted: 21-01-2016
ABSTRACT
Twenty diverse genotypes of Spanish bunch groundnut were evaluated during late kharif in 2012 to assess the variability,
heritability and genetic advance as per cent of mean for nineteen characters viz., days to 50% flowering, SPAD chlorophyll
meter reading at 40; 50; 60; 70 DAS and at maturity, days to maturity, number of mature pods per plant, biological yield per
plant (g), pod yield per plant (g), biological yield per hectare (q), pod yield per hectare (q), harvest index, 100 kernel
weight (g), shelling percentage, kernel yield per plant (g), kernel yield per hectare (q), oil content (%) and oil yield per
hectare (q). The results revealed that high PCV and GCV was observed for harvest index and pod yield per hectare (q)
respectively. High heritability accompanied with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was recorded for number of
mature pods per plant, biological yield per plant (g), pod yield per plant (g), biological yield per hectare (q), pod yield per
hectare (q), harvest index, kernel yield per plant (g), kernel yield per hectare(q) 100 kernel weight (g) and oil yield per
hectare (q) indicated the preponderance of additive gene action which may be exploited through simple selection methods.
Key words: Genetic advance, Groundnut, Heritability, Pod yield, Variability.
INTRODUCTION like days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, shelling
The cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a percentage, 100 kernel weight (g), harvest index, SPAD
major crop in most tropical and subtropical regions of the chlorophyll meter reading at 40, 50, 60, 70 DAS and SPAD
world and in India it ranks first among edible oilseed group. chlorophyll meter reading at maturity, kernel yield per
Groundnut is the rich source of edible oil (40-55%) and hectare (q), biological yield per hectare (q), pod yield per
protein (22-28%). Genetic variability is the prerequisite for hectare (q), oil yield per hectare (q) and oil content (%)
crop improvement, as this provides wider scope for selection. were recorded on plot basis. Whereas, observations such
The success of any breeding programme depends upon the as kernel yield per plant (g), number of mature pods per
quantum of genetic variability present in the population. plant, biological yield per plant (g) and pod yield per plant
Wider range of genetic variability helps in selecting (g) were recorded on 10 randomly selected plants per entry
desired genotypes. In addition to the genetic variability, per replication. The data were subjected to statistical
knowledge on heritability and genetic advance as per cent analysis and genetic parameters such as phenotypic
of mean helps in selection of a particular yield contributing coefficient of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficient of
traits. Therefore, it is necessary to have knowledge of genetic variation (GCV), heritability and genetic advance as per
variability, heritability and genetic advance as per cent of cent of mean were worked out as per Johnson et al. (1955)
mean present in the available genotypes. Hence, in present and Hanson (1963).
investigation an attempt was made to determine the RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
performance of 20 Spanish bunch genotypes to assess the The analysis of variance revealed significant
variability of important traits. differences among all the 20 genotypes for all the characters
MATERIALS AND METHODS studied, indicating a high degree of variability in the material
The experimental material comprised of twenty (Table 1). In the present study, the variation was also
Spanish bunch groundnut genotypes. The experiment was estimated character wise in terms of phenotypic and
laid out in randomized block design with three replications genotypic coefficients of variation (Table 2). Less difference
at Agriculture College Farm, Bapatla during late Kharif between phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and
2012. Each entry was accommodated in three rows of 5.0 genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) indicated less
m length with a spacing of 30 × 10 cm. In case of characters influence of environment on expression of these traits. High
*Corresponding author’s e-mail: bharu0713@gmail.com; 1Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural College, Bapatla-522 101, India.
 Volume 36 Issue 1, (2016) 61
PCV and GCV was exhibited by pod yield per plant (g) and

2.073**

114.069 **
0.1229
pod yield per hectare (q) indicating the greater variability

0.181

0.742

2.124
and scope for improvement of high yielding genotypes with
desirable character. These results were in accordance with
the findings of John et al. (2009) and Zaman et al. (2011).
Moderate PCV and GCV was recorded for number. of mature

24.951**
0.893

1.328
pods per plant, biological yield per plant, biological yield

3.583**
0.194

0.464
per hectare and 100 kernel weight indicated the greater role
of environment interaction with genotype in the expression
of variability. These results were in accordance with the
findings of Sudhir et al. (2008) for number. of mature pods
2.318**

60.291**
per plant and Zaman et al. (2011) for 100 kernel weight,
0.358

0.298

1.837

4.735
while days to 50% flowering, SCMR at 40 DAS, SCMR at
50 DAS, SCMR at 60 DAS, SCMR at 70 DAS, days to
maturity, shelling percentage and oil content exhibited low
PCV and GCV indicated the presence of low variability
101.280**

8.220 **
4.016

2.630

among the tested genotypes. Similar results were reported

TABLE 1: ANOVA for various yield and yield contributing characters of Spanish bunch groundnut in Late Kharif 2012

0.555

1.060

by John et al. (2009), Zaman et al. (2011) for days to 50%

flowering.
Heritability estimates were high for days to 50%
47.233**

flowering, SCMR at 40 DAS, SCMR at maturity, days to

3.812

4.752

0.867 **

maturity, number of mature pods per plant, biological yield

0.060

0.104

per plant, pod yield per plant, biological yield per hectare,
pod yield per hectare, harvest index, shelling percentage,
kernel yield per plant, kernel yield per hectare, 100 kernel
21.215**

weight, oil content and oil yield per hectare indicated little
0.990

5.107

34.949**

influence of environment on the inheritance of these

0.501

5.799

characters. Similar result was obtained by John et al. (2009).

The maximum value for heritability was recorded for days
27.615**

to maturity (92.59%) and minimum for SCMR at 50 DAS

18.158

7.885

9.812 **

(28.84%).
6.034

4.846

Heritability estimates along with genetic advance

as per cent of mean are more helpful in predicting the gain
under selection than heritability estimates alone. The
18.404**
1.432

8.304

estimates of heritability and genetic advance as per cent of

16.201**

mean were high for number of mature pods per plant,

12.216

4.598

biological yield per plant, pod yield per plant, biological

yield per hectare, pod yield per hectare, harvest index, kernel
34.322**

yield per plant, kernel yield per hectare, 100 kernel weight
0.600

4.98

and oil yield per hectare indicated that these characters were
less influenced by environment and governed by additive
236.050**

gene action which may be exploited through simple selection

8.478

14.180

methods. These findings were in agreement with Sudhir et

7.925**
2.216

1.357

al. (2008) and Zaman et al. (2011).

**= significant at 0.01 level
*= significant at 0.05 level

High heritability coupled with moderate genetic

advance as per cent of mean was observed for SCMR at 40
2
19
38
2
19
38

DAS, SCMR at maturity and days to maturity indicated the

role of both additive and non-additive gene actions in the
Replication
Replication

Treatments
Treatments

inheritance of these traits and improvement can be brought

about using breeding methods like diallel selective mating
Error
Error

or bi-parental mating followed by selection in advanced

62 AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE DIGEST
TABLE 2: Estimation of mean, range, genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation, heritability, genetic advance and genetic
advance as per cent of mean in 20 Spanish bunch groundnut genotypes in Late Kharif 2012
Character Mean Range GCV PCV Heritability Genetic GA as %
Min. Max. (%) advance of mean
Days to 50% flowering 26.58 24.00 30.00 5.57 7.08 61.74 2.39 9.00
SCMR at 40 DAS (No.) 38.80 34.23 46.30 8.05 9.90 66.24 5.24 13.51
SCMR at 50 DAS (No.) 41.34 37.63 46.43 4.43 8.26 28.84 2.02 4.91
SCMR at 60 DAS (No.) 42.15 36.63 48.23 6.08 9.02 45.47 3.56 8.45
SCMR at 70 DAS (No.) 42.16 39.03 47.90 5.49 7.67 51.25 3.41 8.10
SCMR at maturity 39.39 34.76 48.10 9.55 11.04 74.87 6.70 17.02
Days to maturity 104.16 96.00 119.00 5.50 5.72 92.59 11.36 10.91
No. of mature pods per plant 5.26 3.76 7.00 15.59 18.73 69.28 1.40 26.74
Biological yield per plant (g) 16.78 12.68 23.82 16.72 18.07 85.57 5.34 31.86
Pod yield per plant (g) 3.89 2.10 5.40 20.39 23.14 77.64 1.44 37.01
Biological yield per hectare (q) 51.46 38.96 72.96 16.71 18.24 83.91 16.22 31.53
Pod yield per hectare (q) 11.93 6.40 16.64 20.45 23.41 76.31 4.39 36.79
Harvest index (%) 0.23 0.12 0.30 20.00 24.41 67.11 0.07 33.76
Shelling (%) 70.81 62.83 75.40 4.40 5.56 62.62 5.08 7.17
Kernel yield per plant (g) 2.74 1.47 3.88 18.38 21.84 70.8 0.87 31.86
Kernel yield per hectare (q) 8.41 4.50 11.89 18.36 22.06 69.24 2.64 31.47
100 kernel weight (g) 30.55 25.53 45.03 14.08 15.78 79.64 7.91 25.89
Oil content (%) 44.88 39.10 47.53 4.68 5.80 65.25 3.49 7.79
Oil yield per hectare (q) 378.02 185.49 564.22 19.61 22.96 72.96 130.48 34.51

GCV= Genotypic coefficient of variation PCV= Phenotypic coefficient of variation GA= Genetic advance

generation, whereas, SCMR at 60 DAS and SCMR at 70 of environment in its inheritance. The traits controlled by
DAS expressed moderate heritability accompanied with low non-additive gene action can be improved by hybrids and
genetic advance as per cent of mean indicating these traits inter-mating among selected ones in early generation
are governed by non-additive gene action with little influence followed by selection.

REFERENCES
Hanson, W.O. (1963). In: Heritability in Statistical Genetics and Plant Breeding, [Hanson, W.O and Robinson, H.F. (eds.),
1982]. National Academy of Science and National Research Council, Washington D. C. pp. 125-139.
John, K., Vasanthi, R.P and Venkateswarlu, O. (2009). Studies on variability and character association in Spanish bunch
groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Legume Research. 32: 65-69.
Johnson, H.W., Robinson, H.F and Comstock, R.E. (1955). Estimates of genetic and environmental variability in Soybean.
Agronomy Journal. 47: 314-318.
Sudhir K.I., Venkataravana, P and Gururaja, M.R. (2008). Evaluation of new germ-plasm and advanced breeding lines of
groundnut under late kharif situation. Legume Research. 31: 254-258.
Zaman, M.A., Tuhina, K.M., Ullah, M.Z., Moniruzzam, M and Alam, K.H. (2011). Genetic variability and path analysis of
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