Genetic Variability and Association of Morpho-physiological Traits in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The experiment was conducted with 60 genotypes of bread wheat. These genotypes were grown in RBD using three replications during Rabi 2016-17 at Research Area of Wheat and Barley Section, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CCS HAU, Hisar. To study the variability, correlation and path analysis, data were recorded for yield and its component traits i.e. days to 50% heading, days to anthesis, grain growth rate at 14, 21, 28 days (mg/g/day), plant height (cm), number of effective tillers/meter, flag leaf length (cm), flag leaf width (cm), flag leaf area (cm2), spike length (cm), number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, 1000 grain weight (g), grain yield per plot (g), biological yield/plot (g) and harvest index (%). ANOVA showed highly significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits indicating adequacy of material and the traits studied for further assessment of genetic variability parameters. High value of GCV and PCV was recorded for grain yield per plot, followed by biological yield, indicating greater amount of variability among the genotypes. Highest heritability was recorded for days to 50% heading, followed by days to anthesis. Highly significant and positive association was perceived between grain yield and tillers per meter, plant height, number of grains per spike, number of spikelets per spike, flag leaf area, grain growth rate at 14, 21 and 28 days after anthesis, spike length, 1000 grain weight, biological yield and harvest index. The high direct effects were recorded for biological yield, harvest index, flag leaf breadth, number of effective tillers per meter and 1000 grain weight, in order.