Estimate of heritability and co-heritability for yield and quality traits in segregating rice populations

Abstract

An investigation was conducted in kharif 2016 with 225 F3 segregating rice lines to estimate heritability along with genetic advance and co-heritability for yield and quality characters. Considerable amount of genetic variability was present among the lines for the traits under study which revealed that exploitable level of variability exist in the population. High heritability with high genetic advance was observed for traits viz. grain length, decorticated grain length, amylose content, plant height, stem length, length breadth ratio of decorticated grain, decorticated grain breadth, grain breadth, fertile spikelets/panicle, number of spikelets/panicle, 1000-grain weight, spikelet density, panicle length, biological yield/plant, panicle weight/plant and grain yield/plant. The positive and substantial co-heritability estimates were recorded by stem length and length breadth ratio of decorticated grain with grain yield/plant. This finding indicated that there is preponderance of additive gene action in the inheritance of these traits. This indicates the traits showing high heritability combined with high genetic advance should be more preferred during selection of potential rice lines.