Department of Plant Breeding, Panjab Agricultural University, Hissar
Estimates of genetic variability, genetic advance and correlations were obtained for eight yield and quality characters in 33 varieties of hirsutum cotton grown in randomized blocks at Hissar in 1965–66. The varieties differed significantly for all the eight characters.
Yield per se exhibited the lowest heritability while its main components, e.g., boll number, boll weight and number of loculi had higher estimates. Yield had strongest association with number of bolls. Halo length showed no association with any yield character, suggesting that simultaneous improvement in yield and quality characters could be achieved through selection. Boll number, boll weight, number of branches and halo length, duly weighted, accounted for about 90 per cent. of the variability in yield.
