Author (s): M. H. Rahman1 , M. A. Islam2 and * S. Begum3
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to investigate the highest pod yielding percentage of wild and cultivated genotypes of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) on the basis of intensity of raceme and flower production, pod production and floral abscission. Results revealed that total number of racemes and flowers plant-1 varied between 84.66 to 140.11 and 707.67 to 1564.70 respectively. Total number of pods plant-1 and the reproductive unit existed between 90.80 to 165.30 and 1721.79 to 2753.98 among the wild and cultivated genotypes. Percentage of abscission increased linearly with increasing time after first bud initiation and continued with the progression of nodal position in both types of genotypes. The abscission was greater in the secondary branches than in the primary branches in both genotypes. Percentage of floral abscission varied from 90 to 95 among the genotypes. It was observed that wild-1 was a high yielding genotype having the highest reproductive unit and lowest floral and pod abscission whereas, the cultivated-2 was a low yielding genotype. Results suggest that genotypic variation existed between wild and cultivated genotypes of pigeonpea in sink (raceme and flower) production indicating that increased sink production, and decreased abscission may be used as selection criteria in plant breeding program for the improvement of yield in pigeonpea.
Key words: Floral abscission, Pod yield, Reproductive efficiency, Wild and Pigeonpea
J. Expt. Biosci. 2(1): January 2011
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