GENETIC ANALYSIS OF MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS OF SPRING WHEAT (Triticu,n aestivum) UNDER DROUGHT STRESS

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the period from November 2013 to April 2014 in rabi season in the experimental fietti of Sher-e-llangla Agricultural University. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka to unravel the role of morphophysiological characters in spring wheat tinder drought stress. In this experiment 30 wheat genotypes were used as experimental materials. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. During the experimental period no irrigation was provided for creating drought environment. Mean performance, variability, correlation matrix and path analysis were estimated on different yield contributing characters and yield of wheat genotypes. The longest plant (84.00 cm) was recorded in genotype Sonalika, while the shortest plant (53.33 cm) in the wheat genotype BD-489. The highest grain yield per plant (9.02 g) was recorded in Sonalika, while the lowest (5.24 g) in 130-489. Phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation for all the yield contributing traits. In a correlation study, significant negative association was recorded for grain yield per plant of wheat genotypes with days to starting of heading (-0.265), days to starting of maturity (-0.267) and root number (-0.343), while the non significant negative association for number of grains/spike (-0.183), chlorophyll content (- 0.097), dry matter content (-0.003) and root length (-0.058). On the other hand. significant positive association was recorded for grain yield per plant "vith plant height (0.688), number of spike/rn2 (0.269), number of spikelts/spike (0.630), peduncle length (0.640) and weight of 1000 grains (0.201), while non significant positive association was obsenred with leaf area index (0.007). Path analysis revealed that (lays to staring of heading, plant height, number of spike/rn2, number of spikeklets/spike, number of grains/spike, dry matter content, peduncle length and weight of 1000 grains had positive direct effect on yield per plant, on the other hand, days to starting of maturity, chlorophyll content, leaf area index, root length and root number had negative direct effect on yield per plant. In consideration of yield contributing characters and yield Sonalika performed better under drought condition followed by 80-7617. SARI (Jom-25, SARI Gom-23 and BD-7650.