Assessment of shift in interrelationships, path coeficient analysis and selection indices for the seed yield and its contributing characters inF2, F3 and biparental population in mustard

The present study was carried out to assess shift in interrelationship, path coeficient and to formulate selection indices in mustard consist of F , F and BIP generations in three crosses (ACN-9 X PC-6, Kranti X PC-6, TAM-108 X PC-6) during rabi 2023-24 and 2024-25 2 3 in randomized block design with two replications. Key yield contributing traits were observed including days to irst lower, days to -1 -1 -1 maturity, plant height, number of branches plant , number of siliquae plant , siliquae density on main branch and seed yield plant . The results on comparative analysis of the mean value indicated that the BIP population consistently outperformed than F2 and F3 population for seed yield and it’s contributing characters. This indicated that biparental mating may help in releasing more variability than seling. Medium to high GCV and PCV, high heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for number -1 -1 -1 of branches plant , number of siliquae plant , siliquae density on main branch and seed yield plant in F , F and BIP generations. The 2 3 -1 -1 correlation study revealed that positive signiicant association of seed yield plant with number of siliquae plant and siliquae density on main branch in all the generations. However, intermating in early segregating generations cause shifts in the genetic – correlations were observed in few yield contributing traits in BIP generation. Path coeficient analysis indicated that seed yield plant 1 -1 was highly inluenced directly by number of siliquae plant , siliquae density on main branch, days to maturity and days to irst lower in all the crosses and their contribution was more in all the crosses except F of C-III cross. Discriminant function analysis 3 -1 exhibited 80.16% to 98.77% increase in relative eficiency over direct selection for seed yield plant was observed for direct selection -1 -1 of number of siliquae plant in different generations of all the three crosses. This indicates, selection for number of siliquae plant in -1 early generation will be more eficient for seed yield plant except F of C-II cross in which siliquae density on main branch is more 2 eficient.