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Plant Gene and Trait, 2013, Vol.4, No.3, 9
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covariance analysis for all possible combinations of
thirteen characters. The results are tabulated and
presented for individual density level (Tables 1~4).
The correlation established with grain yield by the all
characters showed high fluctuation among the four
plant density levels. The genotypic correlation
coefficients worked out among the characters revealed
(Figure 1) that grain yield per plant established strong
positive significant correlation with fresh weight of
the inflorescence in all the plant density levels, except
high plant density. Length of the primary inflorescence
and plant height also showed very high positive
correlation with grain yield under very high and
normal plant density levels, respectively. Similar
results were also obtained by Shukla and Singh (2003)
for length of the inflorescence. These results indicate
that among the various component traits fresh weight
of the inflorescence contributed more towards grain
yield in all the density levels, except high plant density.
However, fresh weight of the inflorescence showed
higher positive correlation towards grain yield in high
plant density level. Length of the inflorescence and
plant height had strong positive correlation with grain
yield under very high and normal plant density levels,
respectively. Fresh weight of the inflorescence, length
of the inflorescence and number of secondary branches
per inflorescence had strong positive significant
intercorrelation among themselves in all the density
levels, except low plant density level. This result is in
corroboration with the findings of Shukla and Singh
(2003). Plant height had positive correlation with
diameter of the inflorescence, fresh weight of the
inflorescence and length of the primary inflorescence
under very high, high and normal plant density levels.
These results reveal that the selection exercised for
any one of these four component traits
viz.,
fresh
weight of the inflorescence, length of the primary
inflorescence, number of secondary branches per
inflorescence and plant height may lead not only to
improvement of the character concerned, but also to
the simultaneous improvement of other traits. Days to
50 percent flowering showed negative correlation with
grain yield in all the four plant density levels. No
significant negative and inter correlations were
observed for any trait with grain yield in all the four
plant density levels.
Table1 Genotypic correlation for different characters in very high plant density (D
1
: 30 cm × 20 cm)
Characters DFF
LAF
LI
DI
FWI
NR
LR
NSB
TCC
PC
Grain yield per plant
PH
-0.299 -0.273 0.122 0.757**
0.316
-0.002 -0.149 -0.014 -0.093 -0.105
0.181
DFF
0.293 -0.254 -0.411
-0.277
-0.023 -0.399 -0.414 -0.314 -0.531
-0.281
LAF
0.273 -0.312
0.219
0.411
0.086
0.135
0.402 -0.149
0.332
LI
0.388
0.820**
0.411
-0.132 0.589
0.216
0.159
0.694*
DI
0.614
0.044
-0.033 0.342
0.147
0.015
0.346
FWI
0.427
-0.074
0.636* 0.142
0.034
0.817**
NR
-0.174 0.159
0.226 -0.131
0.466
LR
0.330
0.688* 0.152
0.085
NSB
-0.143 0.557
0.515
TCC
-0.137
0.347
PC
-0.064
Note: *Significance at 5 per cent level; **Significance at 1 per cent level; PH: Plant height; DFF: Days to 50 per cent flowering;
LAF: Leaf area at 50 per cent flowering; LI: Length of the primary inflorescence; DI: Diameter of the inflorescence; FWI: Fresh
weight of the inflorescence; NR: Number of rachis per inflorescence; LR: Length of the rachis per inflorescence; NSB: Number of
secondary branches per inflorescence; TCC: Total carbohydrates content; PC: Protein content