Variability and correlations between characters in Centrosema pubescens

Abstract

With the objective of evaluating performance, variability and associations between characters, a randomized block experiment was carried out at Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, to compare twenty-one populations of Centrosema pubescens Benth. The characters analysed were: green matter yield, dry matter yield, number of main stems, length of main stem, mean internode length, number of pods per plant. The result obtained demonstrated the existence of high genetic variability for the characters studied. High phenotypic correlations were observed between most of the characters and that in some cases the environmental correlations were significant. Under the conditions of this experiment the populations EEI-35/76, IZ-243, IZ-245, IZ-246, IZ-345, IZ-724 and the cv. Deodoro were the most promising on account of good vegetative development and high seed production.