Induced genetic variability for quantitative and biochemical traits of local landraces of rajmash (Phaseolus vulgaris) of north-western Himalayas

The present study was carried out during rainy (kharif) seasons of 2020 and 2021 at Regional Horticulture Research Station (Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir), Bhaderwah, Doda, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir to evaluate genetic variability for quantitative and biochemical traits of local landraces of rajmash (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) of north-western Himalayas. Twenty-two induced mutant lines of rajmash generated with gamma rays and ethyl methane sulphonate were screened for quantitative, qualitative and anthracnose reactions under natural and artificial conditions in the field during kharif 2020 (M3) and 2021 (M4). The highly significant differences imply that induced mutant lines for different traits exhibited substantial amount of genetic diversity. Zinc content (55.38) and grain yield/plant (33.24) both had high phenotypic coefficients of variation, while 1000-seed weight (10.14) and protein content had low values (9.83). Zinc content had highest genetic advance, measured as a percentage of the mean, and the highest heritability, followed by grain yield/plant, iron content, number of pods/plant, number of clusters/plant, days to flowering and number of seeds/pod, whereas days to maturity and 1000-seed weight were moderate. The number of pods/plant (0.774), number of seeds/pod (0.556), number of clusters/plant (0.729), length of pod (0.648) and 1000-seed weight (0.620) all exposed a highly significant relationship with grain yield/plant but the days to flowering (-0.636) and days to maturity showed negative correlation (-0.602). It is obvious that the 9 induced mutant lines of Bhaderwah local and Poonch local i.e. R-BL-M3-1, R-BL-M3-9, R-BL-M3-10, R-BL-M3-12, R-BL-M3-13, R-BL-M3-14, R-PL-M3-18, R-PL-M3-20 and R-PL-M3-22 showed the minimum anthracnose disease incidence along with early emergence and superiority in grain yield/plant compared to controls. These mutant lines may be carried forward for the development of mutant genetic stocks and varietal development programmes of rajmash for north-western Himalayan region.