Genetic Variability, Heritability and Diversity for Yield Contributing Traits in Reference Varieties of Wheat

Genetic variability study in 129 wheat varieties (80 bread and 49 durum wheat) revealed high magnitude of variability and high degree of heritability for majority of yield associated traits. Difference between the PCV and GCV was high for harvest index followed by number of grains per spike and grain yield/plant indicating the influence of environment on their expression. High magnitude of genotypic coefficient of variation (≥ 17.0%) was observed for spike length, plant height, grain yield/plant and flag leaf length, which indicates high degree of genetic variability and offers great scope for selection of these characters. High to moderate heritability coupled with high to moderate genetic advance as percentage of mean was exhibited for 7 traits viz., days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of tillers/plant, biomass/plant, flag leaf length and 1000 grain weight, which indicated the predominance of additive gene action in the expression of these characters and very high possibility of improvement through selection for all these characters. Bread wheat varieties viz., CPAN 3004, GW 322, HI 617, HI 1500, DWR 39, DWR 195, GW 89, UP 2113, NP 700 and NP 771 and durum wheat varieties viz., A-28, HI 8381, MPO 215, HD 4530, HD 4672, NIDW 295, Raj 1555 and UAS 415 were found to be superior for grain yield and other traits along with being divergent from other lines, which can be utilized as donors for developing superior genotypes with high grain yield.