1Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics, TNAU, Coimbatore, India
2Department of Plant Pathology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, TNAU, Coimbatore, India
3National Pulses Research Centre, Vamban, Pudukkottai, India
4Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
5Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, TNAU, Coimbatore, India
*E-Mail: senthil_natesan@tnau.ac.in
Online published on 26 November, 2018.
Genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance of a character assist in setting up the breeding programmes for the improvement of the particular trait. In the current study high estimates of PCV and GCV were recorded for cob weight and single plant yield among the cross derivatives of UMI 1200 × CE 477. The GCV estimates of single plant yield (23.28 in BC1F1, 38.10 in BC2F1 and 33.23 in BC2F2) was observed in the cross derivatives of UMI 1200 × CE 477. Higher PCV and GCV values were obtained for cob weight and single plant in the other cross UMI 1230 × CE 477 also. The GCV values for single plant yield (39.00 in BC1F1, 39.00 in BC2F1 and 37.11 in BC2F2) were found among the cross derivatives of UMI 1230 × CE 477. The PCV and GCV values suggested sufficient variability and thus offers scope for genetic improvement through selection. Both the characters cob weight and single plant yield exhibited higher heritability associated with high genetic advance and hence direct selection of such characters would be effective in improving the yield.
Maize, variability, heritability, genetic advance, gene action
