Estimation of genetic variability, correlation and path analysis for yield and some yield contributing characters in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The present investigation was conducted at the Student Instruction Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, during the rabi season of 2022-2023, to estimate the genetic variability, correlation, and path coefficient analysis of yield and its contributing characters in cross combination. 10 wheat cultivars were grown in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for all the 14 traits viz., days to 75% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of effective tillers plant-1, spike length, number of spikelets spike-1, number of grains spike-1, grain weight spike-1, biological yield, 1000-grain weight, harvest index, seed hardness (kg/seed), protein content and grain yield was carried out for testing the significance of differences among treatments. Among these characteristics, the highest value was observed for biological yield, followed by days to flowering, days to maturity, number of grains spike-1, plant height and grain yield. On the other hand, the grain weight was found to be the lowest. High heritability estimates were recorded for days 75% flowering followed by days to maturity, grain yield, number of effective tiller plant-1, biological yield, spike length, number of grains spike-1, seed hardness, harvest index, plant height, grain weight, 1000-grain weight, protein content and number of spikelets spike-1. High genetic gain was observed for grain yield followed by biological yield and number of effective tiller plant-1. The correlation coefficients were estimated among fourteen characters at genotypic and phenotypic levels in parents, F1 and F2 generations. Grain yield exhibited positive relationship with days to flower (75%), days to maturity, number of grains spike-1, seed hardness and protein content. Selection for these traits might lead to higher productivity. Path coefficient analysis exhibited high positive and direct influence of number of biological yield followed by number of effective tillers plant-1, grain weight spike-1, harvest index, number of grains spike-1, number of spikelets spike-1, spike length, 1000-grain weight, protein content, and days to 75% flowering with grain yield plant-1, suggested that these traits may play an important role in improvement of yield in wheat crop.