Evaluation of Garden Pea Genotypes for High Yield, Earliness and Nutritional Quality through Genetic Variability Analysis

Abstract

Garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important cool-season legume valued for its nutritional quality and high market demand. The present study was conducted at the Main Experimental Station, Department of Vegetable Science, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India, during the Rabi season of 2023–24 to assess genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance among 30 genotypes (including one check variety, Kashi Nandini) for 19 quantitative and qualitative characters. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among genotypes for all characters, indicating ample genetic variability in the material. Considerable variation was observed for phenological, morphological, yield, and quality traits. Genotype NDVP-23-18 recorded the highest pod yield (104.42 q/ha), along with superior values for the number of pods per plant (12.33), seeds per pod (10.07), total soluble solids (14.13 °Brix), ascorbic acid (26.43 mg/100 g), reducing sugar (2.85%), and protein content (22.74%). Genotype NDVP-23-9 was the earliest-maturing genotype, recording the fewest days to first flowering (33.00 days), 50% flowering (39.67 days), and first picking (60.00 days), as well as the shortest crop duration (84.00 days). High genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were recorded for total soluble solids, protein content, and plant height. High broad-sense heritability (>80%), coupled with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean, was observed for total soluble solids (50.17%), protein content (43.61%), plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and average pod weight, indicating greater scope for effective selection. The study identified NDVP-23-18 and NDVP-23-9 as promising genotypes for use in future breeding programmes aimed at developing high-yielding, early-maturing, and nutritionally superior garden pea varieties. These findings provide a strong foundation for genetic improvement in garden pea.