Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
*Present Address: Department of Forage Research, Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar.
Online published on 25 January, 2012.
Genotypic, phenotypic and environmental correlation coefficients and the path-coefficients were studied at the genotypic level using 90 varieties of barley. Considerable amount of variation among varieties was present for grain yield and its component characters. The number of tillers, the number of grains and 1000-grain weight were found to be positively associated with grain yield both at the genotypic and the phenotypic level. Negative and significant association was observed between yield and other characters like days to 75% anthesis and ear length. Path coefficient analysis revealed very high direct effect of the number of tillers, the other characters like the number of grains and 1000-grain weight also had high direct eoffects on grain yield. The interesting fact which emerged out of this study was that number of tillers showed major direct and indirect effect and was mostly responsible for the existing correlations of the most of the characters with grain yield. Thus breeding for early and high tillering varieties with bold grain could lead to further improvement in barley.
