Path coefficient analysis of different wheat varieties under varying degree of shade

Yield components and some morphological characters were studied in five wheat varieties in order to find out the genetic association of different characters towards grain yield under different degree of shades. The experiments were laid out in split-plot design with three main plot treatments consisting of three levels of light exposures i.e. full sunlight, 2/3 and 1/3 of full sunlight and five sub-plot treatments consisting of five varieties of wheat at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar during 2010–11 and 2011–12. Path coefficient analysis showed highly positive direct effects of fertile spikelets spike⁻¹ and grain weight spike⁻¹ during both years and 1000 grain weight in 2011–12 and moderate direct effect of sterile spikelets spike⁻¹ during both the years.