Character Association and Path Coefficient Analysis for Grain Yield and its Component Traits in Pearl Millet [Pennisetum Glaucum (L.) R.Br.] Hybrids

Abstract

The present study was carried out on twenty six genotypes of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.] with view to find out the correlation and path co efficient values among the grain yield components. Grain yield/plant had significant positive association with harvest index (0.800, 0.884) whereas it exhibited significant negative association with days to 50 per cent flowering (-0.381,-0.474) and days to maturity (-0.365,-0.459) at phenotypic and genotypic levels. Path analysis revealed that harvest index (1.0608, 1.0857) and dry fodder yield per plant (0.6208, 0.4415) had highest positive direct effect on grain yield per plant at phenotypic and genotypic level. This indicating that grain yield was mainly a product of direct effects of harvest index and dry fodder yield per plant so selection based on these characters would improve grain yield/plant.