Erect plant growth habits were exhibited among the 64 germplasm of yard long bean. Green (94%) and greenish-purple (6%) stem colour, and 39% pale green, 50% intermediate green, 11% dark green leaf colour were found. The germplasm exhibited, 28% ovate and 72% ovate-lanceolate leaflet; 63% mostly above the canopy, 17% throughout the canopy and 5% in the upper canopy in raceme position. The germplasm produced 100% violet flower. Pendent (67%) and 30-900 from erect (33%) pod attachment to peduncle were found. In the case of the edible pod, 78% absent and 22% uniformly pigmented pod pigmentation; 56% straight and 44% slightly curved pod curvature; 73% green and 27% purple pod colour were found among the yard long bean germplasm. Days to first flowering and first edible pod harvest ranged from 58 to 83 days and 68 to 94 days, respectively. Edible pod length and width ranged from 14 to 52.6 cm and 0.40 to 0.95 cm, respectively. The germplasm produced 6.06 to 22.39 g pod weight. Seeds per pod ranged from 8 to 19 and pods per plant ranged from 1 to 210. The highest CV was noted in pods per plant (95.24%) followed by pod weight (27.74%), pod length (27.32%), seeds per pod (13.93%), pod width (10.08%) and the lowest in days to first edible pod stage (6.27%). On the basis of different qualitative and quantitative characters, the germplasm AR-186, AMA-170, RC-129, TRMR-120, RAI-71, RC-98, TRMR-109, RC-135, IAH-199, AMA-409, TT-15 may be selected as elongate pod (45.25 to 52.60 cm); RAI-153, RAI-71, TT-3, RC-129, TRMR-109, AH-12, BARI Barbati-1, RAI-108, TRMR-43 as flat pod (0.82 to 0.88 cm); AR-186, RC-129, AH-12, AMA-170, AR-266, IAH-315 and TRMR-120 as maximum pod weight (17.52 to 22.39 g); TRMR-109, TRMR-32, RC-22, TT-80, RC-161, RC-165, TRMR-120 and RAI-108 as the maximum number of fruits (132 to 210); AHI-75, ZS-33, RAI-108, ZS-26, IAH-285, AR-265, KAS-27, RC-135 and IAH-342 as early flowering (58 to 64 days). The sufficient seeds will be kept in conservation for future use.
Qualitative variation was found among the 9 qualitative characters like growth habit, stem colour, leaf colour, leaflet shape, raceme position, pod attachment to the peduncle, immature pod pigmentation, pod curvature and pod colour. Wide variation was found among the 7 quantitative characters such as days to flowering and edible pod stage, length, width and weight of edible pod, number of pods per plant and seeds per pod. Some germplasm is still fruiting stage. Few potential germplasm were identified and the germplasm could be used for varietal development of yard long beans.