Variability and path analysis studies in F2 population of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

• Published in: Electronic journal of plant breeding Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 411 - 415
• Main Author: S. Subhashini, D. Kavithamani, B. Selvi and N. Vadivel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Indian Society of Plant Breeders 30.06.2020
• Subjects: gam and path analysis; gcv; heritability; pcv; variability studies
• ISSN: 0975-928X; 0975-928X
• DOI: 10.37992/2020.1102.072

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) F2 population of COS 28 x SPV 2308 and COS 28 x SPV 2307. These crosses were raised during Kharif’2018. Variability and path analysis was carried out for ten morphological traits viz., plant height, days to flowering, the number of leaves, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, panicle length, panicle weight, the number of primaries, 100 seed weight and grain yield per plant. The mean value was found to be higher in COS 28 x SPV 2307 for the traits namely plant height and the number of leaves per plant. The mean value was found to be higher in the cross COS 28 x SPV 2308 for the traits viz., flag leaf length, flag leaf width, panicle length, panicle weight, the number of primaries, 100 seed weight and grain yield per plant. Variability studies revealed that the high PCV was observed in both the crosses for all the traits thus showing high environmental influence except days to flowering and the number of leaves. High GCV, heritability and Genetic advance as percentage of mean was found to be high for the traits namely flag leaf length and flag leaf width in COS 28 x SPV 2308 and for the traits panicle length and the number of primaries in COS 28 x SPV 2307. The traits exhibit high GCV, heritability and GAM are additive in nature which could be used as the selection criteria for increasing the yield potential. Path analysis revealed that both the crosses showed high direct effect for grain yield per plant through the traits viz., flag leaf length, panicle length, panicle weight, the number of primaries and 100 grain weight. Flag leaf length, panicle length and the number of primaries exhibited high indirect effect through the trait panicle weight in both the crosses.