Journal of Environmental Biology

Association studies for agro-physiological and quality traits of triticale X bread wheat derivatives in relation to drought and cold stress

 

Dorin Gupta*¹, R.K. Mittal¹,? Anil Kant ¹ and Mohar Singh²

¹Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Advanced Centre for Hill Bioresources and Biotechnology,

CSKHPKV, Palampur-176 0 62, India

²Department. of Fruit Breeding, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni-173 230, India

(Received: February 02, 2005 ; Revised received: July 05, 2005 ; Accepted: August 10, 2005)

Abstract: Correlation coefficient analysis conducted on 22 triticale x bread wheat derivatives along with six checks to select true- breeding derivative(s) for future hybridization programme with tolerance to drought and cold stress conditions as well as better quality traits revealed significant correlation of grain yield with spikelets per spike, biological yield, harvest index, leaf area index. Interestingly, the grain yield and drought susceptibility index showed no association. However, with cold tolerance it showed significant positive correlation indicating the desirability of certain plant traits under cold stress. The grain yield exhibited no association with quality traits which might assist in the predictability of high yielding varieties with high protein, total sugars, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars. Path coefficient analysis revealed that biological yield had the highest positive direct effect on grain yield followed by harvest index, specific leaf weight, stomatal number, 1000 grain weight, stomatal size, spikelets per spike and days to heading. Therefore, indirect selection for these plant traits in order should be exercised in selecting drought tolerant genotypes. Two genotypes (RL-124-2P₂ and RL 111P₂) were found to be drought and cold tolerant with high grain yield, spikes per plant, spikelets per spike and leaf area index.

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