ANALYSIS OF GENETIC VARIABILITY AND HERITABILITY FOR SEEDCOTTON YIELD IN A SINGLE SEED DECENT POPULATION

摘要

Variation is very important for the plant breeders and selection is effective when magnitude of variability in the breeding population is adequate. Genetic variability and heritability were observed among F_(2:4) populations of cotton for three seasons. Parents, including G.barbadense (Askabat-100), G. hirsutum (Nazilli84S, Giza45, Albania-6172 and IS-4), and their F24 populations were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications during 2015. Statistical analysis revealed highly significant differences for all the traits. On average basis, the F_(2:4) populations showed better performance than parental cultivars for yield and yield components. Additionally, from moderately high to high heritability (broad sense) values (0.61-0.95) were calculated for all parameters in the populations. Yield contributing components specially number of bolls per plant and boll weight directly affected the seed cotton yield in all populations among which Albania6172 x Giza 45 exhibited the highest boll weight. In general, our results revealed that F_(2:4) populations developed by single seed descent method held not only a larger genetic potential but also a positive association between yield and yield contributing traits. As a whole, it might be interpreted that moderate to high heritability could be used a selective parameter for plant improvement in segregating populations.