Study on genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for grain yield and yield component traits (Linum usitatissimum L.)

The present investigation was carried out at Crop Research Center (Chirori), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, during rabi season 2016-17. The experimental material comprised of forty diverse linseed accessions were obtained from Project coordinating unit (Linseed), CSAUA&T, Kanpur. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design (RBD) in three replications, to estimate the relative high magnitude of phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation was observed for number of secondary branches per plant, seed yield per plant, number of primary branches per plant and biological yield per plant. Environmental influence was very meager on expression of these characters of the genetic material under study as it was evident by narrow gap between genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation. High estimates of genetic advance were observed for only one trait i.e. number of capsules per plant and moderately observed for plant height and harvest index. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for the traits viz., number of secondary branches per plant, number of primary branches per plant, biological yield per plant and seed yield per plant, indicating that heritability may be due to additive gene action and simple selection based on these characters may be effective. High estimates of genetic advance as percentage of means were recorded for number of secondary branches per plant, seed yield per plant, number of primary branches per plant and biological yield per plant.