GENETIC DIVERSITY, CORRELATION AND PATH CO-EFFICIENT ANALYSIS OF WHITE MAIZE (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Seventeen white maize inbreed lines were collected from CIMMYT, Mexico and Bangladesh and laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications in the experimental farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during October, 2016 to April, 2017. Mean performance, variability, correlation matrix and path analysis on different yield contributing characters and yield of maize inbreed line were calculated. The mean performance of the maize inbreed lines showed that the maximum grain yield/plant (170.01 g) was recorded in the genotype of CLTHW15008, whereas the minimum grain yield/plant (44.52 g) was recorded in CLTHW15007. The phenotypic co-efficient of variation was higher than the genotypic co-efficient of variation for all the yield contributing traits. In correlation study, significant positive association was recorded for grain yield/plant with base diameter of plant (1.00), leaf breadth (1.00), cob length (0.979), cob diameter (0.930), number of row per cob (0.979), number of grain per row (0.999), 100-grain weight (0.992). Path analysis revealed that plant height (0.412), leaf breadth (0.073), days to 50% flowering (0.280), number of rows per cob (0.462), number of grain per row (0.209) had positive direct effect on yield/plant. Base to cob distance (-0.214), base diameter (-0.614), leaf length (-0.467), days to maturity (-0.262), cob length (-0.725), cob diameter (-0.355), 100-grain weight (-0.472) had negative direct effect on grain yield. In diversity analysis the clustering pattern denoted that, cluster II was the largest cluster comprising of 6 genotypes and cluster III belonged to 4 genotypes of maize. The maximum inter-cluster divergence was observed between cluster I and V (58.22) followed by cluster I and III (48.35). Considering diversity pattern, genetic variability and other agronomic performance CLTHW15008 from cluster I; CLTHW15004, CLTHW15005, CLTHW15006, CLTHW15015 from cluster II might be considered as potential parents for hybridization program for further improvement of the crop.