Variability, heritability and genetic advance analysis of some important physiological traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The present study consists of 20 wheat diverse genotypes that were evaluated for two years Rabi 2007-08 and Rabi 2008-09 at experimental farm of Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sam Higginbottam Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh to study genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance for some important physiological traits viz. Nitrogen Use Efficiency, Nitrate Reductase Activity and Nitrogen Harvest Index with yield and yield components. The experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design with three replications. The combined analysis of variance for all the physiological, yield and yield component traits for both years of investigation as well as pooled data over two years were found to be significant due to genotypes, due to nitrogen level and variety X nitrogen interaction, indicating significant genetic variability among elite lines. The magnitudes of genetic and environmental effects involved in the expression of different characters were determined by phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation. The magnitude of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was found higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the characters during both years as well as pooled over two years.