Heritability and associations between plant height, number of grain per spikelet and grain yield in hybrid populations involving different sources of dwarfism in wheat

Abstract

The values for grain yield, number of grains per spikelet, and height of wheal planta (Triticum aeslivum L.) were estimated, as well as the environmental, phenotypic and genetic correlations between these characteristics. The experiment was carried out at the Itararé Experiment Station, in Itararé, SP, Brazil, on crosses of the standard height cultivar C-3 with the semi-dwarf cultivar Siete Cerros, and the dwarf cultivars Tordo, Vican-71 and Olesen. Broad sense heritability estimates for plant height and number of grain per spikelet were medium (0.525 and 0.459, respectively), and for grain yield it was low (0.255). Narrow sense heritability estimates were 0.815, 0.396 and 0.170, and the coefficients of determination were 0.615**, 0.460** and 0.174, respectively, for plant height, number of grains per spikelet, and grain yield. The phenotypic correlation between grain yield, plant height and number of grains per spikelet were positive and highly significant and the phenotypic correlation between plant height and number of grains per spikelet were nonsignificant except for the cross C-3 x Vican-71 for which it was positive and significant. The results suggest dual it will be possible to select plant types which combine semidwarf height, large number of grains per spikelet and high yield potential; however, large F₂ population will be required to ensure the frequency of desired recombinants.