Genotypic and phenotypic associations, direct and indirect effects of yield contributing traits on yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under sodic soil condition

The experiment was conducted to work out the correlation and path coefficient effects of their various attributes on grain yield in wheat with 108 genotypes along with 4 check varieties viz., KH-65, KRL-1702, KRL-1714, NW-1014. The experiment was conducted under sodic soil (pH = 9.5) in randomized complete block design with three replications. The yield and yield contributing traits were utilized for estimation of correlation coefficients. In general, genotypic correlation coefficients were higher than the corresponding phenotypic correlation coefficients suggesting that strong genetic correlation among the yield and yield contributing components of wheat. Grain yield per plant exhibited a highly significant and positive correlation with harvest index (0.477) followed by biological yield per plant (0.232), tiller per plant (0.153), days to 50% flowering (0.152), spike length (0.145) and days to maturity (0.132) in sodic soil condition. The highest positive direct effect on grain yield per plant was exerted by harvest index (1.439) followed by the biological yield per plant (1.295), spike length (0.013) and days to maturity (0.007). Therefore, these characters emerged as most important inter relationships of grain yield in wheat.