Correlation and Path-coefficient Analyses of Lint Yield and Other Traits in Upland Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Cotton breeders should have knowledge of traits that affect lint yield before embarking on a breeding program. Twelve diverse germplasm lines of upland cotton were used to investigate the effects of lint turnout, days to maturity, boll weight, number of bolls/plant, plant height, number of seeds/boll, boll width, boll length, seed index, number of locs/boll, number of fibers/seed, fiber density, on lint yield. The 12 lines were planted at two locations each during 2011 and 2012 at Stoneville, Miss. Simple correlation coefficients were subjected to path-coefficient analysis and direct and indirect effects were determined. Across all cultivar groups, lint turnout (0.52), plant height (0.43), number of bolls/plant (0.29), and boll weight (0.22) had the highest direct effects on lint yield. They were also positively and significantly correlated with lint yield. Boll length, fibers/seed, fiber density, number of locs/boll, and days to maturity were negatively correlated and with minimal impact on lint yield. Different path relationships between the naked seed and fuzzy seed groups and the okra and non-okra leaf groups were observed. For the okra leaf cultivars, lint turnout and plant height had the highest direct effects on lint yield. For the non-okra group on the other hand, boll weight and plant height had the highest direct effects; boll weight and number of bolls/plant had the highest direct effects on lint yield for the naked seed cultivars, whereas plant height, lint turnout, and boll weight had high direct effects on lint yield for the fuzzy cultivars.