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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. 4 (2025)

Effect of sowing dates on genetic variability, correlation and path analysis in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Ranchi conditions

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.10497
Submitted
12 July 2025
Published
20-11-2025 — Updated on 04-12-2025
Versions

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a vital staple crop, yet global climate change is expected to reduce its yield by about 6 % for every 1 °C rise in temperature. As genetic parameters that guide breeding strategies can vary under different environmental conditions, multi-environmental evaluation is essential. During the Rabi season of 2019-20, an experiment was conducted at the research farm of Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi to evaluate 28 wheat genotypes under three sowing conditions: timely sown, late sown and very late sown. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), heritability and genetic advance estimates, correlation analysis and path coefficient analysis. The analysis of variance revealed significant genetic variability among genotypes for most traits. Phenotypic variance exceeded genotypic variance for all traits, reflecting the environmental influence. However, high heritability coupled with high genetic advance for 1000-seed weight, number of effective tillers, grains per spike and grain yield per plant indicated the predominance of additive gene action and strong genetic control. Grain yield showed positive and significant associations with biological yield, effective tillers, plant height and grains per spike, which were further confirmed by path analysis as major contributors to yield. These results imply that simultaneous selection for these key traits can effectively improve grain yield across variable sowing conditions, thereby providing a robust basis for developing climate-resilient wheat breeding strategies.

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