Assessment of Genetic Potential of some Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) Genotypes in the Terai Agro-climatic Region of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a resilient grain legume with potential importance for crop improvement under variable production environments. The present study evaluated the genetic potential of 12 grass pea genotypes during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 rabi seasons at the Research cum Instructional Farm of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, West Bengal. The experiment was conducted in a randomised block design with three replications, and 12 quantitative characters were assessed. Combined analysis of variance indicated significant differences among the genotypes for the evaluated characters, confirming the presence of genetic variability within the tested material. Primary branches per plant, pods per plant, 100-seed weight, and yield per plant showed high heritability of 97.84%, 93.55%, 95.90%, and 94.65%, respectively, together with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean of 60.49%, 69.52%, 42.86%, and 50.88%, respectively. These combinations suggested comparatively greater scope for effective phenotypic selection for these traits under the conditions of the study. In contrast, plant height and pod length showed low heritability and low genetic advance, indicating stronger environmental influence and lower expected response to direct selection. Overall, the observed variability among the 12 genotypes provided a basis for identifying selection-relevant quantitative characters for future grass pea improvement programmes in the Terai region of West Bengal.