69 Journal of Oilseed Brassica, 11 (1) January, 2020 Journal of Oilseed Brassica, 11 (1) : 69-76, January 2020 Variability, trait relationship and path analysis for seed yield and seed quality parameters in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Shubhendra Kumar Pandey, KK Srivastava*, Shivangi Negi, NA Khan and RK Singh Department of Seed Science and Technology, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya- 224229 UP, India *Corresponding author: kksrivastava29@gmail.com (Received: 18 September 2019; Revised: 21 October 2019; Accepted: 10 December 2019) Abstract Forty accessions of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) germplasm evaluated for yield as well as quality traits revealed significant differences among the accessions for seed yield contributing traits and seed quality parameters. The highest estimate of phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation was found for secondary branches per plant, harvest index. Higher estimates of heritability coupled with higher genetic advance was observed in harvest index and secondary branches per plant. The seed yield per plant, the most important economic trait, was positively and significantly correlated with 1000-seed weight, harvest index, number of seeds per at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. The characters showing significant positive correlation among yield and important characters would be highly effective and efficient in improving respective traits. Path coefficient analysis identified as plant height and 1000-seed weight important component having high order of direct effect and seedling dry weight via vigour index-II and seedling length via vigour index-II important component having high order of indirect effect on seed yield per plant. The characters identified above as important direct and indirect yield components merit due to consideration in formulating effective selection strategy for developing high yielding mustard genotypes. These components plays an important role in a crop for best selecting of genotypes for making rapid improvement in yield and other desirable characters as well as to select the potential parent for hybridization programmes. Keywords: Brassica juncea, coefficient of variation, correlation, genetic advance, heritability, path coefficient, variance Introduction Rapeseed- mustard group of oil seed crops is the second most important crop after groundnut. The production of rapeseed-mustard in 2017-18 was about 6.31 million tonnes with productivity of 1089 kg/ha. This has been largely due to the new integrated oilseed policy of Govt. Of India is the form of Technology Mission on oilseeds and resulted in yellow revolution. However, in Uttar Pradesh, it was grown on 6.26 lakh ha area with production of 5.82 lakh Million tonnes and productivity of 930 Kg/ha and had ranks third in area after Rajasthan and MP and third in production after Rajasthan and Haryana, India (Anonymous, 2017). Indian mustard [Brassica juncea ( L.) Czern & Coss.] is one of the most important oilseed crops of India. In order to incorporate desirable characters to maximize economic yields, the information nature and extent of genetic variability present in a population for desirable characters, their association and relative contribution to yield constitutes the basic requirement. The present study was under taken to find out genetic variability available, heritability and genetic advance, the association of different characters and their contribution to define seed yield. Materials and Methods The material of the present study consisted 40 genotypes including three checks viz., Vardan, Kranti and Narendra Rai- I of Indian mustard. There were grown in Randomized Block Design were conducted at Research Farm of Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Nagar, Ayodhya (UP) during Rabi, 2017-18. Crop was grown in single row of 3 meter spaced at 30 cm apart. The distance between plant to plant 15 cm was maintained by thinning. All the recommended cultural practices were adopted and the observations were recorded on five competitive plants from each replication viz., days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, plant height (cm), length of main raceme (cm) , siliqua on main raceme (cm), number of seeds per siliqua, 1000- seed weight (g), harvest index (%), biological yield per plant (g), speed of germination, germination per cent, root length (cm), shoot length (cm), seedling length (cm),