CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND GENETIC DIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF MAIZE (Zea mays L.) VARIETIES IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Banladesh during the period of Kharif-1 season in 2014 with 25 maize genotypes to study on character association, genotypic and phenotypic variance, heritability, genetic advance, genotypic and phenotypic co-efficient of variation, correlation co-efficient effect, path co-efficient effect and the genetic divergence considering different important yield and yield contributing characters. Analysis of variance showed the presence of significant variation among the tested genotypes for all the characters studied. Minimum differences of genotypic and phenotypic variances as well as high heritability coupled with high genetic advance in percent of mean were observed for almost all the traits of genotypes indicated additive gene effects of these traits. Correlation studies revealed highly significant positive association of total yield per plant with ear length, ear circumference, number of kernel row per cob, number of kernel per row, number of kernel per cob and 1000 kernel weight. Path analysis showed that day to 50% tasseling, ear length, ear circumference, number of kernel per cob and 1000 kernel weight had positive direct effect on the yield per plant. The genotypes were grouped into five different clusters. Cluster IV consist of highest 10 genotypes and cluster II had only two genotypes. The highest intra- cluster distance was computed for cluster II. The maximum inter cluster divergence was observed between cluster II and III and the lowest was between cluster I and IV. Considering diversity pattern and genetic status Barnali and VB-100 from cluster II; PAC-399 and 4536 from cluster III; BHM-9, Dekalb Super Gold, Dekalb 962 and Dekalb 9120 from cluster IV might be considered better parents for future hybridization programme.