Worth of genetic parameters to sort out new elite barley lines over heterogeneous environments

Abstract

Thirty six diverse elite barely lines and six checks were grown in the three environments with two replications during Rabi 2006-2007 to study coefficient of variability, heritability and expected genetic advance for ten characters i.e., Days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, total tillers per plant, number of effective tillers per plant, plant height (cm), number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight (g), biological yield per plant (g), harvest index (%) and grain yield per plant (g).The phenotypic coefficient of variability (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variability (GCV). Environmental coefficient of variability (ECV) was less than both the parameters except days to maturity in E2. Grain yield per plant has the highest coefficient of variability followed by number of grains per spike. High estimates of heritability in broad sense were recorded for 1000-grain weight and number of grains per spike followed by biological yield per plant and grain yield per plant. The characters which showed higher estimates of genetic advance coupled with higher estimates of heritability reflecting additive gene action, were grain yield per plant and number of grains per spike followed by biological yield per plant. Thus, selection of these characters should emphasized in barley improvement programme.