SELECTION CRITERIA FOR GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA L) BREEDING

Fourteen different groundnut varieties were evaluated for the stabilit y of thirty three characters over four different seasons with a view, to identifying stable characters to be employed as criteria of selecti on for kernel yield in breeding programmes, while the characters such as pod number and yield per plant were found to be relatively less sta ble, the other attributes viz., plant height, number of primary and se condary branches, canopy diameter, nodule number and mass, shoot dry w eight and total drymatter at 60 days were more stable. In view of the feasibility, stability and its direct positive correlation with kernel yield, it is suggested that canopy diameter per plant at 60 days be e mployed as a useful selection criterion in addition to traditional sel ection criteria such as pod number and yield per plant.