Selection indices in Bread Wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]

The discriminant-function technique was used to construct selection indices in 52 genotypes of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Sixty-three selection indices involving grain yield per plant and its five components were constructed using discriminant function technique. In general, the more the number of characters included in a selection index, the better was its performance. The index based on five characters viz., grain yield per plant, 100 grain weight, days to maturity, harvest index and number of effective tillers per plant which had highest genetic advance and relative efficiency of 155.77g and 1867.41%, respectively followed by an index based onfive characters i.e. grain yield per plant, biological yield per plant, 100-grain weight, days to maturity, harvest index which possessed genetic gain and relative efficiency of 53.85g and 1856.78% respectively. The use of both these indices is advocated for selecting high yielding genotypes ofbread wheat.