An Evaluation of Germplasm Accessions in Guar

germplas m accessions of guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L) Taub) were evaluated for a number of component characters including yield. A study of heritability, expected genetic advance and phenotiypc correlation coefficients suggested that there was ample scope for testing snme of the stocks in yield trails and exercising selectioU for lhese traits simultaneously. One of the accessions was promising in yield with field resistance to bacterial blight as weJl. Some of these accessions are under further evaluation directly and in breeding programmes to improve seed yield. Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L) Taub) has assumed great significance in recent years mainly because of the gum content in its seed; Guar gum has diversified uses as in textiles, cosmatics, mining, explosives, food processing and oil industries. As a primary step in breeding for improved performance, it was felt desirable to evaluate the potential of the available germplasm of 300 accessions maintained at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi. The results on evaluation of these accessions are reported and discussed in this paper.