Trait association and morphological diversity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes
Abstract
Efforts were made to analyze the genetic variability, correlation and path coefficient analysis of yield and its contributing traits in 49 wheat genotypes. The study revealed highly significant differences among the genotypes for yield and its contributing components except grain length and grain breadth. The higher magnitudes of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were observed than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV). The estimates of GCV and PCV were high for plant height, number of tillers per meter, spike weight, spike length, number of grains per spike ,number of spikelets per spike, flag leaf area, 1000-grain weight, grain yield. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance in percent of mean was observed for Flag Leaf Area, Biological Yield/meter, and No of Grains/Spike indicating that these traits were under additive gene control and selection for genetic improvement for these traits would be effective. The magnitude of correlation coefficients at genotypic level was higher than phenotypic correlation coefficients. This revealed a strong inherent association between different traits. Path analysis showed that harvest index had highest direct positive effect on grain yield followed by biological yield, number of tillers per meter, spike weight and number of grain per spike thereby indicated that these were main contributors to the grain yield. The mahalanobis D2 analysis showed the 49 germplasm clustered into 7 clusters. This shows the germplasm to become moderately divergent. Cluster pattern revealed that, cluster 2 was the largest group consisting of 16 genotypes which was followed by cluster 4 (11 genotypes), Maximum difference among the genotypes within the same cluster was shown by cluster 7 (4.95). So, these characters should be taken into consideration in selection for yield improvement.
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