Genetic Analysis for Variability and Relationship Studies for Seed Cotton Yield and Its Yield Attributing Traits in Bt Cotton Hybrids (Gossypium hirsutum)

The experiment was conducted during kharif 2014 at Regional Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand to study the genetic variability, broad sense heritability, genetic advance and correlation among the eight traits and their direct and indirect effects on seed cotton yield by using path coefficient analysis. Indirect selection is a useful means for improving yield in cotton crop. With these objectives 56 Bt cotton hybrids were grown in randomized complete block design with three replications. The hybrids exhibited a considerable variation among all the traits. The estimates of PCV value were of higher magnitude than GCV for all the traits under study. The heritability estimates were found moderate to high for most oftraits. Seed cotton yield was positively correlated with lint yield, number of bolls per plant, number of sympodia per plant and average boll weight at both genotypicand pheno typiclevel, which indicated that higher mean values for these traits can increase the seed cotton yield. Path coefficient analysis showed that lint yield, number of bolls per plant, number of sympodi aperplant and average bollw eight were major character shaving positive direct effect and significant association with seed cotton yield. The information obtained from the current studies will be utilized in successful cotton breeding programme.