SELECTION OF YIELD CONTRIBUTING TRAITS UNDER SALINE CONDITION IN WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is very important cereal crop in Bangladesh like developing country. Bangladesh is bordered by Bay of Bangle and those areas are contaminated by salinity and its cropping intensity is very poor. By utilizing those saline fallow lands for wheat production it is possible to increase tonnage of total consuming food. But it is the matter of consideration that yield is a polygenic character and very difficult for direct selection for it. That is why it necessary to identify both of direct and indirect yield contributing traits of wheat under saline condition. Ten wheat genotypes including released variety and advance lines were evaluated for different yield related traits under artificially created saline condition at HSTU, Dinajpur. The treated salinity dose was fixed to 10 dS/m. This experiment was conducted at pot condition. The main aim of the study was to understand the direct and indirect yield contributing traits in wheat and its influences on yield under saline condition. Inter-relationship among yield and different yield related traits were investigated by correlation and path coefficient analysis through sowing wheat varieties/lines under salinity stress conditions. Major yield contributing characters were taken in consideration. Present analysis revealed that spikelets per spike, grains per spike, root length and root volume were the most important traits and showed significant and positive relationship with yield per plant and the values are 0.394, 0.687, 0.737 and 0.797 respectively. Whereas heading day (-0.003), plant height (-0.714), maturity day (-0.171), root weight (-0.112) and dry root weight (-0.112) showed negative correlation at both genotypic and phenotypic level. The path analysis of genotypic and phenotypic level showed that grains per spike, root length and root volume were important direct contribution towards the yield per plant. Therefore grains per spike, root length and root volume had maximum contribution for determining yield per plant in wheat under saline condition.