Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

FIELD EVALUATION OF BREAD WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) GENOTYPES UNDER TEMINAL HEAT STRESS IN GANGETICPLAINS OF WEST BENGAL

Soumitra Mohanty, Subhra Mukherjee, A.P. Dash and S.K. Mukhopadhyaya

Abstract

Present study investigated the genetic variability, correlation and path analysis on various yield attributing traits of forty nine bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L) genotypes enduring with terminal heat stress. Wide spectrum variability was revealed for all the characters studied which could provide scope for improvement through selection. High PCV, GCV, heritability, GA, GA (%) of mean was observed in the characters viz., proline content, number of tillers plant-1, number of spikes plant-1, number of grains spike-1 and yield plant- 1 under late heat stress condition. Yield plant-1 was found to have significant positive association with plant height, number of tillers plant-1, number of spikes plant-1, spike length, number of spikelets spike-1, number of florets spike-1, number of grains spike-1, floret fertility and grain weight spike-1 at both genotypic and phenotypic levels; While a significant negative correlation was observed with chlorophyll-a and total chlorophyll content at both the levels and chlorophyll-b at genotypic level only. Considering path coefficientanalysis, number of tillers plant-1, spike length, number of florets spike-1 and floret fertility were mentioned as selection criteria as these traits possessed higher direct effects as well as significant positive correlations with yield plant-1 under late heat stress.