Character Association and Path Analysis in Rice

Thirty one genotypes of rice were evaluated for high grain yield. The results indicated that high estimates of genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation were recorded for plant height, number of reproductive tillers per plant, panicle length, biological yield per plant, harvest index, test weight, number of grain per panicle and grain yield per plant. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance were revealed for plant height, number of reproductive tillers per plant, panicle length, biological yield per plant, harvest index, test weight, number of grain per panicle and grain yield per plant. Improvement in grain yield can be made by selecting these yield contributed characters having high heritability coupled with high genetic advance. Grain yield per plant showed significant and positive association with number of reproductive tillers per plant, panicle length, days to maturity, number of grain per panicle biological yield per plant and harvest index at both genotypic and phenotypic level. Thus, it can be inferred that selection based on any one of these traits either alone or in combination, will result in identifying high yielding strains. Path coefficient analysis of genotypic and phenotypic exhibited high positive and direct effect of harvest index, number of grains per panicle, test weight, biological yield per plant and plant height on grain yield per plant.