GENETIC DIVERSITY, CORRELATION AND PATH CO-EFFICIENT ANALYSIS FOR YIELD OF COMMERCIAL MAIZE VARIETIES (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

The experiment was held in the experimental area of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka during January to May 2015 to study the genetic diversity, correlation and path co-efficient analysis for yield and yield contributing characters of maize. For the accomplishment of the experiment 37 maize genotypes were used as experimental materials that was basically laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Mean performance, variability, correlation matrix and path analysis on different yield contributing characters and yield of maize genotypes were calculated. The maximum grain yield/plant (163.84 g) was recorded in the genotype of DEKALB-9120, whereas the minimum grain yield/plant (60.00 g) was from the genotype of BHM-7. In fact, phenotypic co-efficient of variation was higher than the genotypic co-efficient of variation for all the yield contributing traits. In correlation study, significant positive association was recorded for grain yield/plant of maize genotypes with cob length (0.502), cob breadth(0.196),row per cob(0.524), seed per row(0.882), seed per cob(0.986), cob weight(0.642) and 100-seed weight(0.994). Path analysis revealed that leaf per plant (0.74) had positive direct effect, leaf length (0.23) had positive direct effect, cob length (0.39) had positive direct effect, cob breadth (0.13) had positive direct effect and seed per cob (2.26) had positive direct effect on yield/plant. Plant height (-0.12), diameter of leaf (-0.81), row per cob (-0.73), seed per row (0.06), cob weight (-0.57) and 100-seed weight (-0.77) had negative direct effect on grain yield. Clustering pattern denoted that, cluster V was the largest cluster comprising of 13 genotypes and cluster II and III belonged to three genotypes of maize. The maximum inter-cluster divergence was observed between cluster I and II (14.57) followed by cluster I and IV (13.09).Considering diversity pattern, genetic status and other agronomic performance Khaivutta, PAC-984 and DEKALB super gold from cluster V; BARI Mishty-1 and DEKALB-962 from cluster VI; Pacific-984, BM-5 and HP-222 from cluster II and III might be considered better parents for efficient hybridization program.