Genetic Variability and Heterosis Analysis for Yield and Its Components in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

An experiment was executed to assess the material in respect to nature of gene action through genetic component analysis, genetic variability, heterosis, heritability and genetic advance of yield and yield contributing traits in ten parents and their twenty-five F1s grown at Crop Research Farm Nawabganj, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur during Rabi, 2021-22 and 2022-23. The observations were recorded on fourteen quantitative characters. The analysis of variance reflected highly significant differences among the parent for all characters. The variability for all the characters studied was highly significant in parents and F1s. High value of genotypic coefficients of variation and Phenotypic coefficients of variation was observed in F1 generation for number of grains per plant and grain yield per plant. Low GCV and PCV were observed in F1 generation for days to 50% heading, days to 50% anthesis, days to maturity, plant height, spike length and 1000-grain weigh. The moderate heritability was expressed for days to 50% heading, physiological maturity, days to 50% anthesis, number of grains per spike, number of grains per plant and grain yield per plant and low heritability for plant height, harvest index and 1000 grain weight. The high genetic advance was recorded for number of grains per plant, grain yield per plant and harvest index while low genetic advance for physiological maturity, 1000 grain weight and plant height. Cross combination IC574476/DBW187 was also exhibited desirable heterosis for number of spikelets per spike, grain weight per spike, grain yield per plant. K1317/ GW322 was also exhibited desirable heterosis for plant biomass and grain yield per plant; IC574476 / K68 was also exhibited desirable heterosis for number of tillers per plant, 1000 grain weight, grain yield per plant while hybrid K9351/ K68 was exhibited desirable heterosis for number of tillers per plant and spike length.