MSc

The project entitled “Evaluation of yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp.
sesquipedalis (L.) Verdcourt) hybrids under rainshelter and open conditions” was
carried out at the Department of Olericulture, College of Agriculture, Vellayani,
during 2015-2017 to evaluate yard long bean hybrids under rainshelter and open
conditions for yield and quality.
The experiment was carried out in two parts. In part I, seeds of ten superior F1
hybrids of yard long bean with high yield and quality characters, selected based on
specific combining ability and per se performance in the previous M. Sc programme,
were produced in a crossing block during May-August 2016. In part II, the ten
hybrids along with a standard check variety (NS 634) were evaluated in open field
and rainshelter conditions as two separate experiments. Both the experiments were
conducted in Randomized Block Design with 11 treatments and 3 replications from
September 2016- February 2017.
The results of the field experiment showed significant difference among the
treatments for all traits studied. Highest yield plant -1 was recorded in VS 34 x VS 50
both in open field (1058.20 g plant -1) and under rainshelter (689.67 g plant -1)
followed by VS 50 x VS 26 (973.27 g plant -1 and 674.00 g plant -1 respectively). VS
54 x VS 26 recorded maximum pod length and girth in open field (69.36 cm and 3.34
cm respectively) as well as under rainshelter (68.42cm and 3.24 cm respectively).
Pod weight was maximum in VS 50 x VS 16 (28.69 g) and VS 54 x VS 26 (27.59 g)
in open field and rainshelter respectively. VS 50 x VS 13 recorded highest pods plant -
1
, fruit set percentage and pollen viability both in open field (72.27, 66.55% and
94.35% respectively) and rainshelter (55.67, 56.80% and 90.70% respectively).
Correlation studies revealed that in open field conditions, yield plant -1 was
significantly and positively correlated with fruit set percentage, pods plant -1 and
pollen viability and positively correlated with primary branches plant -1 and seeds
pod-1. Yield plant-1 was significantly and positively correlated with fruit set
percentage and seeds pod-1 and positively correlated with vine length, pods plant -1
and pollen viability under rainshelter. Under both rainshelter and open conditions,
pod weight was found to be significantly and positively correlated with pod length
and pod girth. Also, days to harvest was significantly and positively correlated with
days to first flowering.
Under both open field and rainshelter conditions, VS 34 x VS 50 and VS 50 x
VS 26 were found to be the highest yielders whereas VS 54 x VS 26 exhibited
maximum pod length and pod girth. Highest pods plant -1 and fruit set percentage was
recorded in VS 50 x VS 13. Hybrids grown under rainshelter conditions exhibited
maximum petiole length, pod weight, 100 seed weight, crop duration, keeping
quality, early flowering and harvest compared to open field. Vine length, primary
branches plant -1, fruit set percentage, pods plant -1 and yield plant -1 were maximum for
hybrids grown under open field conditions.