An Estimate of Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance for Grain Yield and Yield Components in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Problem: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the principal cereal crops grown worldwide and one of the important staples of nearly 2.5 billion of world population. India ranks second position in terms of both in area and production after china. The substantial improvement in production is utmost necessary to feed the growing population.

Objective: In India, wheat requirement by 2030 has been estimated at 100 million metric tons and to achieve this target, wheat production can be increased either through horizontal approach i.e. by the increasing area under cultivation or through vertical approach i.e. varietal/ hybrid improvement. For effective selection and utilization of superior genotype in the germplasm lines, knowledge of genetic parameters such as genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance is essential.

Materials and Methods: The experimental material comprised of ten parents, their 45 F1s and 45 F2s developed by the crossing of 10 parents viz. HUW 510, HUW 234, HUW 468, UP 2338, HD 2402, RAJ 1972, HD 2329, LOK-1, SONALIKA and K 65 in half-diallel programme to study the fourteen characters. The final trial of F1, F2 including parents was conducted during Rabi 2014-15 with three replications employing Randomized Complete Block Design at Research Farm, BRDPG College, Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Result: Wider range of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was observed for all the traits in F1 generation ranged from 2.19 (days to 50% flowering) to 13.47 (leaf area index) while, genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) ranged from 1.50 (days to 50% flowering) to 11.28 (leaf area index). High heritability was observed in both F1 and F2 generation for leaf area index and day to maturity while, moderate to low level of heritability was recorded for other characters. The high value of genetic advance was not recorded in both F1 and F2 generation. Only moderate to the low value of genetic advance was observed for all the fourteen characters under study.

Conclusion: Estimate of phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation of fourteen characters in both generations reveals sufficient variability indicating ample scope for genetic improvement of these traits through selection. Moderate level of heritability accompanied with a moderate level of genetic advance was observed for plant height, leaf area index, days to maturity and grain yield per plant in both F1 and F2 generation indicates additive gene effect and selection may be effective.