Genetic variability, correlation and path analysis for yield and its components in f5 generation of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken with nineteen genotypes of wheat, (including one check) during Rabi 2015-2016 in a randomized block design with three replications at Field Experimentation Center of Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences, determine the magnitude of genetic variability Correlation and Path analysis for yield and its component traits in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum. L. Emm. Thell). Seventeen traits were studied in this investigation. Variability was measured by estimating genotypic and phenotypic variance (GCV and PCV), heritability (h2bs) and genetic advance for different quantitative traits. The mean sum of squares showed significant differences among all the characters. The maximum genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was observed for Biological yield per plant, followed by seed yield per plant, Grain filling periods, thousand grains weight, No of grain per spike, peduncle length, number of productive tiller per plant, plant height, and flag leaf width. Whereas, maximum phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was exhibited for Biological yield per plant, followed by Seed yield per plant, Grain filling periods, Number of productive tiller per plant, thousand grains weight, Main spike weight, No of grains per spike peduncle length, Flag leaf width, Flag leaf length, Number of grains per spike, Spike length and plant height. High heritability (h2bs) was recorded for no of grains per spike, Plant height, thousand grains weight, Biological yield, Grain filling periods, Days to 50% heading, Days to 50% flowering, Peduncle length, Spike length and Seed yield per plant. High genetic advance was recorded for plant height. Seed yield exhibited positive significant correlation with biological yield, Main spike weight, Spikelets per spike at genotypic level, while biological yield per plant showed positive significant association at both genotypic and phenotypic level. Plant height, Days to 50% flowering, Spike length, Peduncle length, Biological yield, Harvest index and Main spike weight displayed positive direct effects on Grain yield per plant at both genotypic and phenotypic level. The above mention traits should be given due emphasis for future bread wheat genetic improvement because they possess high genetic variance, heritability (h2bs) coupled with high genetic correlation among themselves which may yield high genetic advance under proper selection pressure in a breeding program.