Analysis of yield performance and trait association at critical irrigation stages in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Thirty bread wheat genotypes were evaluated during the Rabi 2022-23 at wheat experimental field, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding of RPCAU, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar. To know the correlation between yield and yield attributing traits three irrigation was given during critical growing stages of wheat. First irrigation was given during crown root initiation stage (CRI), 2nd irrigation given during tillering stage and 3rd irrigation was given during jointing stage. All the genotypes were evaluated under randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Observations were recorded on randomly selected plants for Plant height, Days to 50 % flowering, Days to maturity, Number of effective tillers per plant, Number of grains per spike, Canopy temperature, Soil temperature, Soil moisture, Spike neck diameter, Canopy cover, Relative water content, Root mass per unit soil weight, Leaf thickness, 1000-grain weight and Yield per plant. Phenotypic correlation (PCV) and genotypic correlation (GCV) analysis showed that Yield was positively correlated with soil moisture, neck diameter, leaf thickness, number of tillers per plant, canopy cover, relative water content, thousand grain weight, number of grains per spike and root mass per unit soil weight. While, canopy temperature, soil temperature, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity and plant height was negatively correlated with yield. Number of effective tillers per plant showed highest positive correlation with yield in PCV as well as in GCV analysis. Highest negative correlation was observed for days to maturity in PCV analysis, while Highest negative correlation was observed for soil temperature in GCV analysis.