VARIABILITY AND CHARACTER RELATIONSHIP IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the experimental field of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur during the period from October, 2009 to March, 2010.Variability, heritability, genetic advance, simple correlations and path analysis were studied for grain yield and other ten morpho-physiological characters in twenty five varictics of maize. The genotypes differed significantly for all traits studied. Highest genotypic co-efficient of variation was observed for total grains per cob (13.26) and cob length (9.807).1000-grain weight (97.55), total grains per cob (97.06), grain yield per plant (70.29), cob diameter (72.32), days to tasseling (87.24) and cob to tassel height (72.79) exhibited high broad sense heritability. The heritability values were moderate for tassel height, plant height and days to silking, while low for cob length and days to maturity. Genetic advance in percentage of mean was high for total grains per cob (26.88), 1000 grain weight (16.87), cob to tassel height (13.74) and tassel height (12.71). Genetic advance in percentage of mean moderate for cob diameter, grain yield per plant, days to silking and cob length, while low for the remaining traits. Grain yield per plant was showed significant positive correlation with plant height (r = 0.260*).Tassel height (r = 0.227), 1000-grain weight (r = 0.144),cob diameter (r=0.213) and cob length (r=0.194) showed positive and insignificant association with grain yield per plant. Grain yield per plant showed negative and insignificant association with cob to tassel height (r= - 0.006) and days to maturity (r = -0.006). Highest and positive direct effect on grain yield per plant was exhibited by plant height (0.2158).