Genetic analysis and inter-relationship of yield attributing traits in Amaranthus germplasm

Abstract

In the present investigation 67 germplasms including four checks of amaranthus spp. maintained in research plot of Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke to collect information on the extant of variability, degree of association of different yield components, their direct and indirect effect on seed yield and extant of genetic diversity among the genotypes. The experiment was conducted in the research plot of Ranchi Agriculture College farm during rabi 2013. Amaranthus are summer annual weeds and are commonly referred to as pigweed. Catkin-like cymes of densely packed flowers grow in summer or autumn. The analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among germplasm for eleven characters and significant for remaining two characters studied. This indicated the inherent genetic differences among the genotypes for all the fourteen quantitative characters and thirteen qualitative characters under the present study. A wide range of phenotypic variability observed for plant height, seed yield per plant, insect infestation, days to maturity and days to 50% flowering. The genotypic a phenotypic coefficient of variance was highest in number of branches per plant among all other quantitative traits followed by plant height and petiole length respectively. Genetic Advance were being observed by plant height followed by days to 50% flowering at 5%.