Unveiling the genetic divergence and phenotypic association in elite Pakistani wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes

The present study was designed to assess genetic divergence between commercial bread wheat genotypes based on yield and its related traits and to carry out phenotypic correlation. Twenty bread hexaploid wheat varieties were assessed for mean performance, correlation analysis and genetic distance. Randomized complete block design was used with three replications during growing season, 2018-2019 at Wheat and Barley Research Institute, Tandojam. The mean squares depicted significant differences (P<0.01) for all the investigated traits among the tested genotypes, proving that used genetic resources possess a great potential for further breeding experiments. Regarding mean performance, the genotypes Sassui and TD-1 displayed desirable performance for a variety of traits, unveiling their importance in wheat breeding programs. The results also showed that tillers plant-1, grains spike-1 and seed index developed significantly positive (P<0.05) interrelationship with grain yield plant-1. This demonstrates that genotypes possessing higher extent of these traits may be chosen in selection for developing high yielding bread wheat genotypes. The larger genetic distance was witnessed between Johar-78 and TD-1, followed by SKD-1 and TJ-83, SKD-1 and Mehran-89, SKD-1 and Johar-78, TD-1 and Khirman, TJ-83 and Imdad-05, Mehran-89 and TD-1 and Johar-78 and TJ-83. These paired showed wide genetic distances, which may also be preferred in wheat hybridization program. Keywords: Genetic distance, hexaploid wheat, morphological traits, trait