Genetic Variability for Grain Yield and Its Various Components in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

A study was conducted at Crop Research Centre of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut (U. P.), during rabi 2010–2011. Range, CV, heritability, genetic advance was performed for yield and its contributing characters in 49 wheat genotypes. Analysis of variance for significant differences was among the all characters viz., days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of spikelets per spike, productive tillers per plant, ear length with awn, number of grains per spike, 1000 grain weight, and biological yield per plant, grain yield per plant, harvest index and gluten content. Abroad range of variation was observed for plant height and biological yield per plant, number of grain per spike and test weight. Phenotypic variance value for most characters was closer than the corresponding genotypic variance value showing little environment effect on the expression of these characters. The estimated value of broad sense heritability was found between 45% (productive tillers per plant,) and 95% (gluten content). Heritability values were determined as 92%, 92%, 89%, 85%, 84%, 71%, 68%, and 67%, for plant height, days to maturity, test weight, days to 50% flowering, ear length with awn, harvest index, number of grains per spike, and grain yield per plant respectively. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent over mean was observed for plant height, test weight, number of grain per spike and days to maturity suggesting selection for these traits would give good responses.