Determination of Gene Action and Heritability for Some Biometrical Traits in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) Using F2:3 Families

ABSTRACT: Information on genetic parameters and heritability is useful to plan selection criteria for yield improvement in crop plants. In order to estimate genetic parameters and heritability in lentil, 120 F2:3 families of a cross between the lines ʹL-3685ʹ and ʹLc74-1-5-1ʹ were evaluated under field conditions, at Shahrekord University Research Farm, in 2012. Days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, leaf area, pods per plant, seeds per plant, 100-seed weight and seed yield per plant were recorded. The simple additive-dominance model using two-parameter model based on m and [a] fitted for all traits, indicating that both of the parameters, m and [a] (additive gene effect), were highly significant for all studied characters. Variance components analysis showed that additive component of variance (VA) was highly significant for all evaluated traits. Relatively high heritability was observed for days to flowering (0.54) and days to maturity (0.59). Low heritability of seeds per pod, pods per plant and seed yield per plant showed that environmental factors strongly influence these characters. Since heritability of such characters will be improved as generations advance, it could be concluded that selection for improving yield and its components should be practiced in more advanced generations.