Genetic Variability in Garden Pea (Pisum sativum L.): A Review

The estimation of variability parameters, particularly heritability and genetic gain, holds significant importance in assessing the potential for character improvement through selection. It is observed that selection based on highly heritable traits tends to yield more successful outcomes. Hence, the utilization of heritability, in conjunction with other measures of variability, enables the prediction of gains under specific selection intensities. Additionally, the concept of predicted genetic gain provides insight into the degree of change achievable in a trait through simple selection. However, the process of selecting for features related to yield and quality can be enhanced by having access to information regarding the correlation between these traits. This can be further improved by doing a path coefficient analysis to gain a deeper knowledge of the relationship between the important characteristics. In order to enhance the traits that did not exhibit a favorable response to selection, it becomes necessary to divide the non-additive component of genetic variance through the process of hybridization, which can be accomplished by conducting genetic divergence studies.