Variation of Quantitative Characters on Pigeonpea Populations of Local Cultivars in Yunnan Province

Eight local cultivation pigeonpea populations in Yunnan province were investigated and analyzed on their variance in plant heigh,diameter of stem,canopy,pod numbers per plant,ratio of pod damaged by pests,seed weight per plant and other quantitative characters.Results showed many variances existed either among or within populations.The results showed a high degree of positive correlations between grain yield per plant and pod numbers per plant,but only low degree of positive correlations between grain yield per plant and plant height or stem diameter.There were no obvious correlations between grain yield per plant and other characters.Pod numbers per plant,ratio of pod damaged by pests and 100-seed weight gave the most contribution to seeds yield per plant; their path correlation coefficients were 0.855 1、-0.237 4、0.179 9 respectively.Choosing the plants with more pod numbers,larger seeds and lower pest-damaged ration in breeding program,would give opportunities to get new varieties with high grain yield and strong pests resistance.