Correlation And Path Analysis Of Grain Yield Components In Some Maize Zea Mays L. Genotypes

Present study was aimed to investigate the genotypic association among grain yield components and their direct and indirect effects on yield. Correlation studies revealed significant positive d phenotypic relationship of grain yield with plant and ear height ear length and diameter and hundred kernel weight. Therefore ear length and diameter and hundred kernel weight had high positive direct effects on grain yield. Flowering day such as days tasseling had high negative direct effect on yield. These result depicted that ear length and diameter may be used as reliable criteria for improving grain yield. Heritability estimates described the genetic attributes of the traits under study. All the traits except ear height and grain yield had non additive type of gene action with high heritability. The exploitation of these traits would be effective in hybrid maize breeding. Ear height and grain yield showed both additive and non additive type of gene action with environmental influence due to high environmental variance. These traits can be utilized effectively through selection in varietal development.