Genetic variability, character association and component analysis in wheat

Ravi Shekhar Dvivedi; Brijesh Singh; V.N. Pathak; S.P.  Verma; K.K. Pandey

doi:10.21921/jas.v10i03.13765

Ravi Shekhar Dvivedi Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding S.M.M. Town Post Graduate College Ballia (JNCU, Ballia U.P.) India
Brijesh Singh Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding S.M.M. Town Post Graduate College Ballia (JNCU, Ballia U.P.) India
V.N. Pathak Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding S.M.M. Town Post Graduate College Ballia (JNCU, Ballia U.P.) India
S.P. Verma Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding S.M.M. Town Post Graduate College Ballia (JNCU, Ballia U.P.) India
K.K. Pandey Department of Agronomy S.M.M. Town Post Graduate College Ballia (JNCU, Ballia U.P.) India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21921/jas.v10i03.13765

Keywords: Wheat, (Triticum aestivum L), anova, genetic advance, co-relation coefficient and path analysis

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major crop in India after paddy among the cereals. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) expresses significance for all characters. The highest mean was observed for days to maturity (108.51) followed by plant height (82.03), days to 50% flowering (78.31) and number of grains per spike (56.44). The estimates of PCV were slightly higher than GCV for all traits. The highest genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation was recorded for Flag leaf area, Spike weight, Biological yield per plant and Harvest Index. High heritability (h2) coupled with high genetic advance for Biological yield per plant, Flag leaf area, Plant height and Days to 50% flowering. The results revealed that these traits may serve as effective selection attributes during selection in the breeding program for yield improvement in wheat. Grain yield per plant showed a highly significant and positive correlation with biological yield per plant tillers per plant and plant height. Its showed d significant correlation with the Harvest index, Spike weight and Spike length. It revealed that by increasing the value of these traits, grain yield can be drastically increased. Path coefficient analysis revealed that maximum positive direct contribution toward yield by Biological yield per plant, Harvest index, Days to 50% flowering and no. of seeds per spike. The results revealed that these traits may serve as effective selection attributes during selection in the breeding program for yield improvement in wheat. Genotypes were grouped into five distinct and non-overlapping clusters. Cluster (II) emerged with highest number of 8 genotypes. The maximum general inter-cluster distance was observed between cluster (III) and cluster (V) (566.18), and the maximum intra-cluster distance was found for cluster (IV) (360.80). Thus, crossing between the genotypes belonging to cluster pairs separated by very high inter-cluster distances as mentioned above, may result in maximum hybrid vigor and the highest number of useful segregates.