Association Analysis of Yield and Fiber Traits in Advance Pakistani Upland Cotton Cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The present study was conducted to estimate correlation and regression between yield and fiber characters in eight commercially grown cultivars of cotton genotypes during kharif 2012. The mean squares from analysis of variance showed that genotypes differed significantly for majority of the traits studied. This shows the presence of genetic variability for various major characters in the studied materials. The correlation coefficient (r) indicated that sympodial branches plant-1(bolls plant-1 and boll weight were significantly and positively correlated with seed cotton yield plant-1. The higher correlations coefficients of yield components with seed cotton yield also suggested that yield components can reliably be used as indirect selection criteria to improve seed cotton yield plant-1. However, negatively significant correlation was found between micronaire value and seed cotton yield plant-1, suggesting that care must be given to micronaire value while seed cotton yield is being improved. The regression coefficient (b)revealed that a unit increase in monopodial branches plant-1, sympodial branchesplant-1, bolls plant-1 and boll weight caused a substantial increase in seed cotton yieldplant-1. The coefficient of determination (r2) further suggested that larger portion oftotal variability in seed cotton yield plant-1 was attributable to traits such as sympodialbranches plant-1, bolls plant-1 and boll weight. Correlation and regression coefficientanalysis suggested that sympodial branches plant-1 and bolls plant-1 were the mostimportant yield components traits and could be exploited as selection criteria forfurther improvement of cotton genotypes.

کلیدواژه ها:

Correlation analysis ، Fiber and yield traits ، Upland cotton