GENETIC VARIABILITY IN GUAR FOLLOWING HYBRIDIZATION AND IRRADIATION

Abstract

The present investigations were undertaken with a view to study the nature and
magnitude of variability in an experiment comprising of unirradiated 15 Fl'S and
15 F2S and the irradiated 15 Fl Ml'S and 15 F2 M2'S population of guar. It
was observed that irradiation caused earliness in flowering and maturity and
increase in 100-seed mass and reduction in the remaining characters. The
phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation increased for pod length, seeds
per pod, protein and gum content and reduced for days to flowering, maturity,
plant height, clusters and seed yield per p,ant in both F1Ml and F2M2 Le. the
irradiated populations. High estimates of heritability and high genetic gains were
observed for number of clusters and seed yield per plant in Fl and F2 populations.
The mean value was reduced and coefficient of variation was increased in
majority of the crosses in F2M2 or F2 population for some of the characters.
However, reverse was also observed for some characters.