CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND GENETIC DIVERGENCE IN SPRING WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

The prescifi research vork s as ai med at to study the genetic divergence and relationship between yield and yield conLriblttilg characters in 40 genotypes of spring heat. The characters viz. plant heighL spikes/plant. spike length. grains/spike. 1000 grain weight. harvest index, vegetative period, grain filling period. days to nlaturit>:. and grainyield/ plant were investigated and significant variations were observed among the genotpes. Divergence analysis ci ustered the stud ed genotypes into 7 di verse eroups, he inaxinium number of genot) pes were clubbed in cluster I Followed by Cluster II. IV. V and A. The cluster Ill and \'ll contained IlliilifllUifl numbers 01 genotypes. Coniparisoii 01 cluster means br all the characters indicated considerable eenetie di veruellee between the groups. The highest intra-cluster distance was obtained For cluster VII followed by ('luster VI and cluster III. The naxinun inter-cluster disiance was observed heteen genotypes of cluster V and VI Followed In cluster VI and VII. and cluster II and V. The scattered diagram revealed that the genotypes 02. 016. 019. 022. 028. 036 and 037 took positions at the periphery of the diagranl .stmgs!esting that these varieties/lines were more diverged from rest of the Ltenot\ pes. Considering yield and contributing characters it appears that the genotypes (119 (6.54) and (337 (6.65) ere promising for high yield potentiality. iherebore. these two genotypes could he selected for yield improveilteilt program in spring wheat. Study of correlations showed that grain yieldplant was significantly and posidvely correlated with grains per spike at both phenotypic and genotvpic levels and with spikes/plant at phenotypic level. Among the studied characters, spikes/plant showed tIle highest phenotypic coefficient of \arialiomi bollowed by grain yield per plant. harvest index and 1000-uraiit weight. Study of heritability indicated that the characters spikes/plant. 1000-grain weight. harvest index and grain yield/plant were highly heritable. Path coefficient analysis also conhtrnled tllat spikes/plant. grains/spike. spike IcilztIl. 1000-grain weight, and harvest index influenced grain yield directly in positive direction. So. these characters shotild be taken int) consideration in selection for yield improvement