Association of grain iron content with grain yield and other traits in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)

A study was conducted with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) to analyse and determine the traits having greater interrelationship with grain iron using correlation and path analysis. Four parental lines (IS 2263, IS 13211, IS 10305 and SPV 1359) and 12 hybrids generated by crossing the parents in a full-diallel fashion during postrainy season 2011-12 in Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India, were used. Data were recorded on plant height, days to 50% flowering, 100-grain weight and grain yield. All the characters showed positive indirect effect through 100-grain weight and days to 50% flowering, indicating that direct selection for grain size might be helpful in improving the grain iron content. Negative indirect effects of 100-grain weight through other characters were more prominent than its positive direct effect on the grain iron content, thus direct selection for grain weight should be practiced to reduce the undesirable indirect effect. The days to 50% flowering exhibited a positive direct effect and a positive non-significant association with the grain iron content. Hence, selection for this character may be rewarding during the development of iron-rich cultivars. A very high residual effect (0.836) revealed that some more characters closely related with grain iron content need to be included apart from the characters studied

V P L Gayathri Suravaram, K Radhika, A A Kumar, P Janila, 'Association of grain iron content with grain yield and other traits in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)', Journal of Research ANGRAU, vol. 40(3), pp.105-107, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, 2013