Correlation and path coefficient analysis for yield, yield components and quality traits in wheat

Abstract

Sixty advanced lines of wheat were procured from Wheat Improvement Project, JNKVV, Jabalpur. All these lines were evaluated at Seed Breeding Farm, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Jabalpur. The experiment was conducted during Rabi 2016-17 in randomized complete block design with three replications. Correlation and path analysis was performed for 19 traits of wheat. Grain yield/plant showed a significant positive correlation with the biological yield/plant, plant height, hectolitre weight, harvest index and thousand-grain weight. In path analysis, grain yield/plant exhibited the highest positive direct effect via biological yield/ plant followed by harvest index, whereas wet gluten per cent exhibited a low positive direct effect. However, a negligible negative direct effect was obtained by the number of spikelets/spike and plant height. Correlation and path coefficient analysis indicated that the biological yield/plant, harvest index and thousand-grain weight are more important traits for wheat improvement.