Correlation and path analysis in advanced lines of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell)

Abstract

Thirty advance lines of bread wheat and their parents were evaluated at wheat research area of CCS HAU, Hisar, for morphological and quality traits to identify the most promising wheat lines. Correlation studies provide information of the nature and extent of association between any two pairs of metric characters. Moreover, understanding of the interaction of characters among themselves and with the environment has been of great use in enhancing the performance of a genotype. There was a positive correlation of the flag leaf with plant height, 100-grain weight, hectoliter weight and protein content whereas, negative correlation was observed with gluten content. Plant height also exhibited positive correlation with hectoliter weight and tiller per plant showed positive correlation with yield per plant. The path coefficient analysis takes into account the cause and effect relationship between the variables which is unique in partitioning the associations into direct and indirect effects through other dependent variables. Among the traits studied, days to 50 per cent flowering showed negative effect on grain yield. Tillers per plant and days to maturity exhibited positive direct effect on yield. The path analysis helps to resolve these correlations further and provide a clear picture in which component traits contribute towards dependent variable. So these traits can be used for effective selection of genotypes for grain yield.