Character association and path analysis in advanced breeding lines of rabi sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]
The field experiment was carried out using advanced breeding lines of rabi sorghum to study association among the yield and its component traits, direct and indirect effects of traits on the yield. Association studies indicated that seed yield per plot showed significant positive correlation with traits viz., plant height (rp=+0.7243, rg=+0.7409), ear head length (rp=+0.6002, rg=+0.6021), 100 seed weight (rp=+0.1593, rg=+0.1880), fodder yield (rp=+0.9434, rg=+0.9476) and lodging percentage (rp=+0.5263, rg=+0.5646) at both phenotypic and genotypic level.Genotypic correlation was higher magnitude than phenotypic correlation. Revealed increase in ear head length will increase the seed yield. Partitioning of yield and yield components both at phenotypic and genotypic levels into direct and indirect effects revealed that positive direct effects of ear head length (Ppi=+0.2533, Pgi=+0.5241), ear head diameter (Ppi=+0.0669, Pgi=+0.2580), days to maturity (Ppi=+0.0338, Pgi=+0.1193), fodder yield (Ppi=+0.6484, Pgi=+0.7461) were relatively high and followed by less lodging percentage (Ppi=+0.1751, Pgi=+0.2263). Residual effects were Pr=0.1303 and Gr=0.0624 at phenotypic and genotypic levels. Indicating importance of these characters and can be strategically used to improve the seed yield of sorghum.