Correlations and heritability estimates of yield and yield attributing traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The research was carved out to examine the correlations of yield components with grain yield and to determine the extent of transmission of traits from parents to their offspring by heritability estimates. The experimental material consisted of eight wheat genotypes viz. Moomal, Kiran-95, Sarsabz, TD-1, Imdad, Sahar, Sasuee and Sundar. The mean squares from analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied. The variety TD-1 produced maximum tillers per plant, more spikelets per spike, gave higher grain yield per plant (g), more seed index (g) and harvest index (%). Sarsabz produced longer spike length, more spikelets and grains per spike, however Sundar recorded taller plants. The correlation coefficient (r) indicated that tillers per plant, spike length, spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, seed index and harvest index were significantly and positively correlated with grain yield per plant. The higher correlations coefficients of yield components with grain yield also suggested that yield components can reliably be used as indirect selection criteria to improve grain yield in wheat. The regression coefficient (b) indicated that a unit increase in tillers per plant, spike length, grains per spike, spikelets per spike, seed index and harvest index caused a substantial increase in grain yield per plant. The coefficient of determination (r2) further suggested that major portion of total variability in grain yield plant was attributable to traits such as tillers per plant, spike length and harvest index. The heritability estimates in broad sense were higher for plant height, tillers per plant, spike length, spikeletes per spike, grains per spike grain yield per plant, seed index and harvest index which suggested that these traits had more genetic variance and less influenced by the environmental factors, hence could be improved through selection from segregating populations.