Gene Action And Stability Analysis Of Certain Quantitative Traits In Maize

Abstract

In the present investigation fifty-four single cross hybrids (obtained through the newlinecrossing of 18 lines (females) with 3 testers (males) in line x tester mating design during newlineKharif 2018) along with their parental lines and 2 check varieties were evaluated at newlineStudent Instructional Farm, CS Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, newlineKanpur-208002 (U.P.), India during Rabi 2018-19 in Randomized Block Design. Each newlinetreatment grown in a single row of 4m length with 60x25cm spacing and replicated newlinethree times. Data on various quantitative traits such as plant height, number of cobs per newlineplant, number of kernel rows per cob, number of kernels per row, cob length (cm), cob newlinediameter (cm), cob weight (g), number of kernels per cob, 100-kernel weight (g), grain newlineyield per plant (g) and shelling percentage (%) were recorded on 5 randomly selected newlineplants per entry per replication while, data on days to 50% tasselling, days to 50 % newlinesilking, days to 75% dry husk, were recorded on plot basis. Data on germination newlinepercentage (%), seedling length (cm) and seed vigour index were recorded by following newlinestandard seed laboratory protocols. newlineHigh degree of variability was observed among the genotypes for all the newlinecharacters in all the environments and pooled data. High estimates of GCV and PCV newline(gt20%) were observed for grain yield per plant, cob weight and kernels per row in all newlinethe three environments indicated the presence of genetic variability for these traits newlinetherefore, selection for such traits would be effective. newlineHigh estimates of heritability in broad sense (61 to gt61%) coupled with high newlineestimates of genetic advance as percent of mean (gt20%) were reported for grain yield newlineper plant, kernels per cob, cob weight, kernels per row, cobs per plant, 100-kernel newlineweight, cob length kernel rows per cob and plant height in all the three environments newlineindicated the importance of additive gene action in the inheritance of these traits. newlineFrom all over study of character association and path coefficient it was found newlinethat the characters such as cob we