Assessment of Genetic Variability, Cause and Effect Inter-relationship among Yield Component Characters in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to assess genetic variability parameters, correlation coefficient analysis, path analysis in 21 maize genotypes for 15 quantitative traits viz Days to 50% tasseling, Days to 50% silking, Days to 50% tasseling, anthesis – silking interval, Days to 75% maturity, Plant height (cm), Ear height (cm), Cob length (cm), Cob girth (cm), Cob weight (g), Number of grain rows per cob, Number of grains per row, 100 grains weight (g), Biological yield per plant (g), Harvest index (%), Grain yield per plant (g) in Randomized Block Design with three replications in Kharif season of 2022 in experimentation field, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University Of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj. Analysis of Variance revealed that high significant differences among the genotypes of all traits. Genotypes VL 19458, VL 19457, VL 183879, VL 19453 had depicted higher grain yield per plant. All the characters had expressed high to moderate estimates of heritability. GCV and PCV investigations revealed a high level of variation and the impact of environment in exhibiting of these traits. Grain yield per plant was positively and significantly associated at both genotypic and phenotypic levels, according to the correlation coefficient analysis between yield and yield attributing traits. In Phenotypic and Genotypic Path analysis a detailed analysis of diagonal values show positive direct effect on Grain yield per plant.