Genetic variability and heritability analysis for yield and morphological traits in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) genotypes

Twenty four sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) genotypes (SS 97-2 (S1), PARC-SS-1, No. 1500, No. 1692, T-3-DADU, 1572-T, S-98-6, SS-95-4, No. 1761, No. 1542, No. 1620, No. 1728, SP-1832, SS-97-10, SS 98-3, No.1828 (2001), F-9806, R-19, No. 1623, BR-123, PARC-SV-2, SS-95-RG, SS-95-RG and BMR-RED UNI) were evaluated for yield and various morphological traits to ascertain genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance at Arid Zone Research Institute, PARC, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan during 2013. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with three repeats. Each genotype was planted in 4 rows of 5 meter long keeping row to row distance of 50 cm. Data for days to 50 percent flowering, plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area index, days to maturity, 1000 grain weight, stalk yield and grain yield were recorded. Data for all traits were found significant which showed high level of variability in almost all the characters of sorghum which can be highly responsive to selection. The results further revealed that phenotypic co-efficient of variation were slightly higher in magnitude than respective genotypic co-efficient of variation in all characters studied. The higher genotypic and phenotypic variance components than the environmental variance estimates were found in case of days to 50 percent flowering, plant height, leaf area index, days to maturity, 1000 grain weight, stalk and grain yield. It showed that expression of these traits in sorghum population can be used further in breeding programme. The estimates of high heritability was linked with high genetic advance over mean for plant height, leaf area index and grain yield in sorghum genotypes indicating that selection based on these traits would be rewarding.