Inter Relationship Among Grain Minerals And Grain Yield Components In Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Knowledge of association between yield and its component characters and among the component characters themselves can highly improve the efficiency of selection in plant breeding. Hence, association and path analysis studies were conducted among 58 genotypes of sorghum on nine quantitative and six nutritional traits. Traits panicle weight, 100 grain weight and panicle width showed positive and high significant correlation with grain yield per plant. Quality traits total iron and total zinc recorded moderate and significant positive correlation with grain yield indicating no compromise of yield for improving quality. Also high and positive significant interrelation between Fe and Zn help in simultaneous improvement of both the micronutrients. Partitioning of yield and yield components into direct and indirect effects revealed that high positive direct effect was exhibited by the character panicle weight on grain followed by total iron content. Taking into account the indirect effects, high and positive indirect effect was exhibited by 100 grain weight and total iron on grain yield via panicle weight. Hence panicle weight, 100 grain weight, panicle width, total iron and total zinc can be considered as important traits for selection in improving the grain yield owing to their positive associations with grain yield.