Saroj Bala, Santosh Kumar, Priyanka Jaiswal, Banshidhar and Shipra Kumari
Abstract
The present investigation was conducted to study correlation and path coefficient analysis for yield contributing traits in 90 genotypes of wheat along with four checks. The field trials were conducted at Main Experimental Station and Student Instructional Farm (SIF) of Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya during Rabi 2023-24 and 2024-25 resp. in Augmented Design. All the recommended packages of practices were followed to raise a good crop. Phenotypic correlation analysis in wheat revealed several significant associations among 12 traits. Days to 50% flowering was positively correlated with days to maturity and plant height. Plant height was positively linked with test weight and biological yield, but negatively with harvest index. Effective tillers per plant showed strong positive correlation with grains per spike. Test weight had a very strong positive correlation with biological yield but a negative one with harvest index. Grain yield per plant correlated highly with both test weight and biological yield. Path coefficient analysis identified biological yield per plant as having the strongest direct positive effect on grain yield, followed by harvest index. Grains per spike, maturity, flowering days, and plant height also had minor positive effects. Negative direct effects came from test weight, spike length, peduncle length, and tiller number. Significant indirect effects included positive contributions from plant height via biological yield and negative effects from harvest index via biological yield. Hence, these traits can be considered as important attributes for suitable selection criteria for both direct and indirect selection.