GENETIC PARAMETERS AND SELECTION OF YIELD ENHANCING CHARACTERS IN UPLAND COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract

Twenty genetically diverged genotypes of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) were evaluated in a location to assess genetic variability, character association, cause and effect situation and genotype x environment interaction on seed cotton yield and its related thirteen characters including insect infested bolls/plant. Though high heritability (66.68%) along with the genetic advance (3.191) was estimated for bolls/plant but the boll weight showed low heritability (45.99%) with the genetic advance as % of mean, therefore, better response to selection could be achieved for boll weight to improve seed cotton yield. The insect infested bolls/plant was vulnerable to environment as projected low heritability coupled with low genetic advance. The characters, plant height, bolls/plant and boll weight were strongly associated with seed cotton yield both at genotypic and phenotypic levels, whereas secondary fruiting branches/plant and insect infested bolls/plant exhibited negative and significant relationship with seed cotton yield. The highest positive direct effect (0.794) was exerted by number of boll/plant, while fiber weight/boll and infested bolls/plant showed negative direct effects on seed cotton yield. Both positive and negative direct effects were not counteracted by sum total of indirect effects of other characters. The highest seed cotton yield (3000 kg/ha) was recorded from JA-08/C in this location, which was followed by JA-0510 with seed cotton yield of 2835kg/ha. Infested bolls/plant ranged from 4.23- 6.35 and none of the bolls was infested JA-08/C, followed by JA-0510 hence these genotypes apparently showed insect resistance. Among the twenty genotypes, JA08/C, JA-08/D1 JA-08/E, CB-11, JA-08/B, JA-08/9, and JA-08/A could be used in advanced breeding to evolve insect resistant and high seed cotton yielding varieties for commercial cultivation by the farmers of our country.