Abstract: “Most of yield criteria are redundant and breeder spends extra efforts, time and labor to record and evaluate them. Therefore, this study was aimed to elucidate fundamental and redundant yield criteria in faba bean (Vicia faba L.) using correlation, path coefficient and heritability. A total of 109 genotypes of faba bean were sown in autumn at highland of Mediterranean region of Turkey, and grown in two successive years under rainfed conditions. As qualitative traits, rosette-like growth habit and pigmentation during seedling stage were fundamental traits for cold tolerance. Biological yield and harvest index as quantitative traits were found to be the most fundamental traits. As the other fundamental trait, the seed weight could be considered for selection in early breeding generations because they had the highest heritability”

Keywords: Faba bean, Vicia faba, heritability, path coefficient, selection criteria