Genetic variability for yield contributing traits in bread wheat under irrigated condition of Chhattisgarh Plains

The present study evaluated thirty-six bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes, including four standard checks, under timely sown irrigated conditions during Rabi 2024–25 to assess genetic variability and identify key yield contributing traits. The experiment was conducted in a 6 × 6 simple lattice design, and observations were recorded for fourteen agronomic and physiological traits. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among genotypes for all characters, indicating substantial genetic variability. Narrow differences between GCV and PCV for most traits suggested limited environmental influence on trait expression. High heritability (72.78 %) coupled with high genetic advance as % of mean (21.67) for grain yield per plot indicated the predominance of additive gene action and the effectiveness of direct selection. Grain yield showed strong positive correlations with productive tillers per plant (0.705**), biological yield (0.633**), harvest index (0.621**), spike length (0.400**), and flag leaf length (0.396**). Path coefficient analysis identified biological yield (0.395), harvest index (0.333) and productive tillers (0.319), as the most influential traits due to their high positive direct effects on grain yield. Genotypes PBW975, GW575, GW576, AKAW5347, and MP3620 outperformed the standard checks, highlighting their potential for breeding programmes. Overall, selection based on productive tillers, biological yield, and harvest index would be most effective for improving wheat yield under irrigated conditions.