The Interrelationships between Yield and Yield Components in Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Under Two Water Conditions

Abstract

Twelve parental inbred lines of faba bean and 27 of their F1 hybrids were tested under drought and well-watered conditions, for two years (1995 and 1996) and at two locations in Germany. Path and correlation analyses were conducted to determine the most important selection criteria for yield under drought and well-watered conditions. The correlation coefficients between yield and yield components were reduced under drought. In the parental lines, under the two conditions, pods/plant, seeds/pod, maturity and plant height showed positive and significant correlations with yield/plant, whereas seed size had weak and negative correlation. In the F1 hybrids, under both conditions, only pods/plant showed significant and positive correlation. In both the inbred lines and their hybrids, under drought and well-watered conditions, the highest direct effects on yield/plant were exhibited by pods/plant and seed size. The direct effect of pods/plant on yield was more influenced by drought than that of seed size. The negative indirect effects of seed size through pods/plant and seeds/pod resulted in low correlation with yield.

Based on its high direct effects (0.59 < P >1.34) and high correlation coefficients (0.59 < r > 0.75), pods/plant was considered the most reliable selection criterion for yield under drought as well as under well-watered conditions