Genetic variability and heritability studies for seed cotton yield, yield attributing and fibre quality traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract

Ninety six cotton germplasm collections were evaluated for genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for fifteen quantitative traits during Kharif 2017 at Main Agricultural Research Station, Raichur. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for all the quantitative traits under study except Upper Half Mean Length (UHML), micronaire and seed cotton yield per plant. A wide range was observed for plant height, number of sympodia per plant, sympodial length at ground level, number of bolls per plant, ginning outturn and seed cotton yield per plant. High GCV and PCV were recorded for traits viz., number of monopodia, sympodial length at ground level, sympodial length at fifty per cent of plant height and number of bolls per plant. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for all the traits which indicated that selection could be effective for improvement in these traits except for fibre quality characters, ginning outturn and seed cotton yield per plant.