Path and Correlation Analysis of Yield Its Components in Dry Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Lines Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye

Despite its significant economic value, dry grain pea yields remain low. Numerous characters may be associated with the desired properties that are being selected in peas. The cause-and-effect relationship between these two variables can be quantified through path analysis and correlation studies examining the mutual association between them. Only a limited number of studies on peas have been published in this area thus far. Local pea (Pisum sativum L.) ecotypes have been cultivated in Turkiye for many years. Therefore, using the correlation and path coefficient analysis technique, the current study was conducted to assess the degree of variability as well as the direct and indirect relationship between yield and its component characters of 20 dry pea genotypes, including local materials, in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkiye. The research was conducted using a randomized block design with 3 replications in trial areas 2 and 4, Doğankent Location, respectively. According to the results of the path analysis in the study, the highest negative and direct effect on yield was found to be through 100-seed weight (-0.217), while the highest positive and direct effect was through plant height (+0.063). The results revealed that the number of days to flowering and the number of days to pod set were important traits for early plant maturation and early pod set. The interaction effect between year and genotype (Variety*Year) was found to be statistically non-significant (P=0.9993), indicating that genotype responses were consistent across years. In conclusion, the study results revealed considerable diversity in the phenological development of the studied genotypes. Early-flowering and early-podding genotypes represent promising candidates for cultivation in regions with shorter growing seasons or for use in crop rotation systems.