Phenotypic correlation and path coefficient analysis in rice (oryza sativa l.) introgression lines under drought and controlled conditions

The association among yield and yield components, their direct and indirect influences on grain yield were estimated in 58 rice introgression lines including check varieties. Analysis of variance for the design of experiment indicated that only three characters were non-significant and two characters were significant and other characters were highly significant indicating variability among treatments under drought condition. Leaves per seedling significant and other. All the characters showed highly significant differences among treatments under control conditions except leaves per seedling, which recorded significant differences. The entries IR82853-6 followed by IR82873-27, IR82936-16, IR 82848-9 and IR 82873-38 produced highest grain yield. These lines also possessed average to high mean performance for most of the yield components. Correlation coefficient analysis indicated that harvest index had the highest positive direct effect followed by biological yield/plant and kernel length on grain yield/plant in all environments and pooled level. Based on mean performance for yield and majority of yield components, the above mentioned lines were identified as most promising to be incorporated in hybridization programme as donor parent for incorporation of these characters along with drought tolerance. The path coefficient analysis indicated that biological yield and harvest index had maximum direct effect on grain yield at phenotypic and genotypic level under drought condition. Biological yield and harvest index had maximum direct effect on grain yield at phenotypic level and grains per panicle and panicles per plant had maximum direct effect on grain yield at genotypic level under control condition. Seedling height, leaves per seedling and plant height exerted very high positive indirect effect on grain yield at phenotypic and genotypic level under control conditions via harvest index.