Genetic variability and Character Association Analysis for Yield and Yield Attributes in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at the Student Instructional Farm, Peeli Kothi, Tilak Dhari Post graduate College, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, during the rabi season of 2023–24 and 2024-25. The genotypes developed by crossing ten parents of half diallel fashion are evaluated in randomized block design with three replications. Genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation, and path coefficient analysis for yield and its attributes traits were estimated. The analysis of variance revealed that the treatments were highly significant for all studies fourteen traits. Genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) ranged from 1.29 (days to anthesis) to 18.43 (effective tillers per plant) and the phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) ranged from 1.96 (days to anthesis) to 19.86 (effective tillers per plant). The highest broad sense heritability was recorded for biological yield per plant (99.05%), while, highest moderate broad sense heritability was observed in number of spikelets per spike (86.45 %) and lowest heritability values were recorded for days to anthesis (43.55%). The genetic advance as percentage of mean ranged from 1.76 % for days to anthesis to 35.25 % for effective tillers per plant. Grain yield per plant positively correlated with effective tillers per plant, 1000- grain weight, chlorophyll content, plant height, biological yield per plant and harvest index. In other hand, Grain yield per plant showed negative significant correlation was observed with days to heading. Path analysis showed that effective tillers per plant, 1000- grain weight, biological yield per plant and harvest index showed the highest positive direct effects on grain yield per plant. Other traits had relatively low direct effects on grain yield per plant. However, traits such as the plant height, and chlorophyll content showed negative direct effects on grain yield. These results suggest that these traits are the most critical for directly influencing grain yield and should be prioritized in selection.