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Results and Discussion

The phenotypic and genotypic correlations among grain yield and its components in F4 progenies for two wheat crosses, namely, WL 711 x HD 2122 (cross 1) and HD 2122 x Sonalika (cross 2) are given in
Table 1. The genotypic correlation coefficients were higher in magnitude than the phenotypic correlation coefficients for almost all the traits in both the crosses. This indicated that the association between these traits was genetically inherited. It is clear from this table that yield was positively and significantly associated with tiller number per plant, number of grains per ear and 1000-grain weight in both the crosses. The direct effects of three component characters on grain yield (Table 2) indicated that tillers/plant had largest contribution followed by grain number and 1000 grain weight in cross 1. Jaimini et al (1974) and Quick (1978) also found tiller number and grain number/ear having high direct effect on grain yield. On the contrary, in cross 2, the character 1000 grain weight was having the largest contribution followed by number of grains per ear and number of tillers per plant. Ahmad et al (1978) and Gupta et al (1979) also reported high direct effect of kernel weight and grains per ear on grain yield.

The highly, significant and positive correlation of tillers/plants in cross 1 and 1000 grain weight in cross 2 with grain yield was due to the substantial direct influence of these characters in the two crosses, respectively, which were in agreement with the results reported by Paroda and Joshi (1970). Indirect effect of tiller number/plant via grain number/ear was also positive as compared to that via 1000-grain weight where it was negative in cross 1. Grain number/ear also had high positive direct effect on grain yield. Its negative contribution via 1000 grain weight in cross 1 and via tiller number/plant in cross 2 is approximately compensated by indirect effects through tiller number/plant in cross 1 and 1000 grain weight in cross 2. The 1000 grain weight in cross 1 and tiller number/plant in cross 2 though had high positive direct influence on grain yield, their, effects were negative through tiller nuniber/plant and grain number/ear in cross 1 and through grain number/ear and 1000-grain weight in cross 2, respectively. This is why their correlation coefficients were comparatively low.

Although results of the two crosses investigated differed in respect of maximum contribution made by component characters towards yield (tillers/plant in cross 1 and 1000-grain weight in cross 2), the positive and high direct effects of all three components on grain yield in both the crosses indicated that if an increase in grain yield is to be obtained, selection should be made for genotypes having more number of tillers, grains/ear, and higher 1000-grain weight. But in selection programme, there must be compromise between these three components so that the increase in one component is not nullified by the decrease in the other.


References

Ahmad Z, Sharma JC, Katiyar RP and Bhatia RS (1978) Path analysis of productivity in wheat. Indian J Genet 38: 299-303.

Dewey DR and Lu. KH (1959) A correlation and path coefficient analysis of components of crested wheat grass seed production. Agron J 51: 515-518.

Gupta RR, Ahmad Z and Dixit RK (1979) Path-coefficient analysis in macroni wheat. Indian J Agric Sci 49: 238-243.

Jaimini SN, Goyal SN and Tikka SB (1974) Estimation of correlation and-path coefficient analysis of some biometric characters in wheat. Indian J Agric Sci 44: 201-203.

Paroda RS and Joshi AB (1970) Correlation, path analysis and the implications of discriminant function for selection in wheat. Heredity 25: 383-392.

Quick JS (1978) Combining ability and in terrelationships among an international array of durum wheat. In: Proc 5th Int Wheat Genet Symp Vol 2 (ed. Ramanujam S): pp 635-647. New Delhi Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding.

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