GENETIC STUDIES AND ASSOCIATION ANALYSIS OF MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERS IN BREAD WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) UNDER NORMAL SOWING CONDITION

A study was conducted to estimate the genetic variability and association analysis of economic traits in 24 F1 genotypes along with their 11 parents given in randomized block design with three replications during rabi season. The genotypes exhibited significant variation for all the characters studied. The estimate of PCV in all the traits studied were greater than those of the GCV, the close the proximity between PCV and GCV values for most of the characters indicated less influence of environment on the expression of the characters under study. Harvest index and grain yield per plant exhibits High PCV, GCV, heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean and the characters to be under additive genetic control and also scope of improvement through direct selection. The significant phenotypic and genotypic correlation of grain yield per plant were found positive for the characters plant height,1000 seed weight and protein content, ear weight, harvest index, number of spikelet’s per spike, spike length and number of tillers per plant. Biological yield per plant, number of grains per ear, days to maturity, plant height, ear length, harvest index, contribute towards grain yield as per path analyses, suggesting that these characters should be considered during selection for improvement in grain yield.