GENETIC DIVERSITY AND INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YIELD CONTRIBUTING CHARACTERS IN F 6 POPULATIONS OF Brassica napus L.

Abstract

This research was carried out at experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, to study the variability, correlation, path analysis and genetic diversity during November 2018 to February 2019 growing seasons with 38 populations. The genotypes were found significantly variable for most of the characters. The maximum plant height was observed by the population G11. Maximum primary branches per plant G9. Comparatively phenotypic variances were higher than the genotypic variances for most of the characters studied. The high GCV value was observed for number of secondary branches per plant (27.20). Days to maturity (70.73) exhibited the highest value of heritability followed by seed yield per plant (67.69) while 1000 seed weight (12.49) exhibited the lowest value of heritability. High heritability with high genetic advance as percent of mean was noticed for secondary branch per plant (43.83), total siliqua per plant (33.52), seed yield per plant (30.96). The significant positive correlation with seed yield per plant was found in number of primary branches, total number of siliqua, days to maturity. Path co-efficient analysis revealed that days to 50% flowering (0.286), days to maturity (0.212), plant height (0.069), root length (0.164), primary branches (0.375), total siliqua per plant (0.383), siliqua length (0.067) and 1000 seed weight (0.082) had the positive direct effect on yield per plant. On the basis of cluster analysis, all the genotypes were classified in six clusters. The highest inter cluster distance was observed between cluster I and IV (34.61). The lowest intercluster

distance was observed between clusters IV and V (3.20). Considering group distance and other agronomic performance populations G9 (Nap205 x Nap2013), G16 (Nap248 x Nap9901), G23 (Nap9908 x Nap0130), G29 (Nap9905 x Nap2037), G30 (Nap248 x Nap2012) and G31 (Nap9906 x Nap2001) might be suggested for future breeding programme.