Genetic Studies on Variability, Heritability and Genetic Gain of Yield and Yield Related Traits in Foxtail Millets (Setaria italic L.)

The present work comprised of 40 foxtail millet advanced breeding lines obtained from small millet scheme, MARS, Dharwad. These lines with checks viz., DHFT-109-3 and HMT-100-1 were evaluated in replicated yield trial at millet scheme, MARS, Dharwad, during rabi 2020-21 for assessing genetic variability, heritability, and genetic gain among 17 traits. Wide range of variation provides an ample scope for selection of superior and desired advanced breeding lines by the plant breeders for further improvement of these characters. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the traits under study. In the present study foxtail millet advanced breeding lines exhibited moderate PCV and GCV for the most important economic traits viz., panicle length (18.01 and 15.85 % 15.85% and18.01%), panicle girth (15.25% and 15.45%), productive tiller per plant (18.44% and 19.40%) and straw yield per hectare (19.92% and 21.39%). The high phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation were observed for characters viz., specific leaf area (21.08% and 22.44%), specific leaf weight (20.52% and 26.72%), grain yield per plant (9.32% and 10.99 %), grain yield per plot (8.85 % and 10.49%) and straw yield per ha (19.92 and 21.39). Most of the traits viz., plant height(79 %), flag leaf length(98%), flag leaf width ( 80%), number of productive tillers per plant (90%), panicle length(98%), panicle girth (97 %), SPAD at 50 per cent flowering (92%), test weight (63%), specific leaf area (88%), specific leaf weight (87%), grain yield per plant(71%) and straw yield per hectare (87%) showed the high estimates of broad sense heritability (h2 b) indicating the reliability of the estimates for variation between advanced breeding lines and effectiveness of selection.