Genetic Variability for Yield and Yield Attributing Traits in Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn) under Irrigation in Central India

The present investigation was carried out to assess the genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation coefficient and path coefficient analyses in eighteen finger millet genotypes for seventeen yield and its contributing traits during the Kharif season of 2022, at the experimental station of Naini Agricultural Institute in Uttar Pradesh, Central India. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with each genotype in 3 replications. The analysis of variance for mean sum of squares due to genotypes showed significant differences for all the 17 quantitative characters. The genotypes showed the highest mean performance for seed yield per plant IE 175 (13.42) followed by IE 165 (12.42), IE 169 (11.17), IE 136 (11.01). Whereas, genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation were found high for number of ears per plant and harvest index. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean were observed for days to 50% flowering, plant height, finger length, ear head length, test weight. Moreover, seed yield per plant exhibited significant and positive correlations with number of fingers per ear, number of ears per plant, biological yield per plant, harvest index at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. It came out from the path coefficient analysis that traits like number of fingers per ear, number of ears per plant, biological yield per plant, and harvest index exhibit positive and direct effect on seed yield per plant at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Hence, the selection of genotypes based on the above-mentioned characters will be useful for crop improvement in Finger millet.