Study on genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for seed yield and component traits in Rice

Astudy on genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for seed yield and component traits was made in 40 genotypes of rice during kharif 2011-2012 at SHIATS, Allahabad. The analysis of variance showed highly significant differences among the treatments for all the 13 traits under study. The genotypes namely CN 1446-5-8-17-1-MLD4 and CR2706 recorded highest mean performance for panicles per hill and grain yield. The highest genotypic and phenotypic variances (VG and VP) were recorded for spikelets per panicle (3595.78 and 3642.41) followed by biological yield (355.72 and 360.62) and plant height (231.48 and 234.35).High heritability (broad sense) coupled with high genetic advance was observed for plant height, flag leaf length, panicles per hill, tillers per hill, days to maturity, spikelet's per panicle, biological yield, harvest index, 1000 grain weight and grain yield, indicating that selection will be effective based on these traits because they were under the influence of additive and additive x additive type of gene action. Highest coefficient of variation (PCV and GCV) was recorded for tillers per hill (18.42% and 17.23%), panicle per hill (19.76 % and 18.68%), spikelet's per panicle (34.30 and34.07 %), biological yield (28.31 % and 28.12 %), 1000 grain weight (15.57 % and 15 31 %) and grain yield (46.66% and 23.54 %), indicating that these traits are under the major influence of genetic control, therefore the above mentioned traits contributed maximum to higher grain yield compared to other traits, indicating grain yield improvement through the associated traits.