Abstract:
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the genetic variability and correlation of one hundred wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accessions, during the growing season 2006 under the aegis of Plant Breeding and Genetics department, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa, Pakistan. The accessions were characterized for the parameters, days to emergence, days to heading, days to maturity, plant height (cm) and number of tillers plant-1. Results depict variation for all the traits. The entry [PARC/NIAR 002303(05)] took 5 days to emergence and the entry [PARC/NIAR 002450 (01)] emerged in 17 days with 24.35% coefficient of variation. The entry [PARC/NIAR 002303(05)] took minimum 82 days to heading and maximum 129 days were taken by the entry [PARC/NIAR 002450(01)] with 7.65 % coefficient of variation. Minimum days to maturity 130 were taken by [PARC/NIAR 002450(02)] and the entry [PARC/JICA 003852(02)] took 190 days to maturity. The accession [PARC/NIAR 002828(03)] was found with shortest
plant height (32 cm) and [PARC/MAFF 004276(01)] was noted with maximum plant height (199 cm) with coefficient of variation 32.46%. The accession [PARC/MAFF 004267(02)] produced maximum number of tillers plant-1. Days to emergence were found significant positive correlated with number of tillers plant-1 while significant negative correlation was noted for days to maturity with days to emergence. Days to heading were noted having significant positive correlation with plant height, while plant height was found positively significant correlated with number of tillers plant-1.
