Genetic Variability, Character Association and Pathanalysis in Forage Sorghum

Abstract

Estimates of genetic parameters for forty genotypes of forage sorghum showed significant variability for all the characters under study, indicated wide spectrum of variability among the genotypes. The estimates of genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation were high for plant height, leaves per plant, leaf area, stem girth, leaf stem ratio and green fodder yield. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance were revealed for plant height, leaf breadth, leaf length, leaves per plant, leaf area, leaf stem ratio and green fodder yield. Improvement in fodder yield can be made by selecting these yield contributed traits having high heritability coupled with high genetic advance. Phenotypic correlations were of higher magnitude as compare to their corresponding genotypic correlation in most of the character combination, indicating the existence of strong influence of environmental factor for the various characters. Green fodder yield exhibited significant stable and positive correlation with leaf area, plant height, leaves per plant, leaf breadth and stem girth at genotypic and phenotypic level. Thus, it can be inferred that selection based on any one of these characters either alone or in combination, will result in identifying high green fodder yielding strains. Path coefficient analysis of genotypic and phenotypic exhibited high positive and direct effect of leaves per plant, stem girth, leaf breadth and leaf stem ratio on green fodder yield. Thus any selection based on these characters will enhance performance and improvement fodder yield in forage sorghum.