Heritability Estimates of Quantitative Characters in Mung Bean (<i>Phaseolus aureus</i> Roxb.)¹

Abstract

Heritability (broad sense) estimates of nine quantitative characters were obtained in the F 2 of five crosses of mung bean strains. The estimation procedure used was the direct method wherein environmental variance was approximated with the use of the parents. Days to maturity had the highest heritability estimate with a mean of 71.2% for the five crosses. Mean estimate of heritability of 8.6% for seed yield was the lowest. In the F 3 , heritability (broad sense) estimates for seed yield and its components, namely, pods per plant, seeds per pod, seed weight, and seeds per plant were calculated by variance component analysis in one of the five crosses. Seed weight had the highest estimate of heritability which was 85%, whereas number of seeds per plant had the lowest value of 26%. Seed yield had an estimate of 47%. Based on the F 2 data, maturity range had the highest expected genetic progress (37% of the mean) obtainable by selecting the top 5% of the F 2 progenies. Seed yield had only 5% expected genetic progress. The implications of these results to breeding programs designed to maximize yield levels in mung bean were discussed.