Discerning of Genetic Variability and Diversity for Yield and Yield Contributing Traits in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

A study was carried out to assess genetic variability and divergence for 12 traits across 80 diverse genotypes, including three checks of bread wheat, under normal sowing conditions. The analysis of variance demonstrated highly significant differences in mean squares attributed to the genotypes across all studied features. The grain yield per plot exhibited the highest coefficients of variation at both the genotypic and phenotypic levels. Peduncle length followed by awn length exhibited the highest heritability. The highest genetic advance was seen for grain yield per plot followed by plant height. Significant heritability along with a notable genetic advance as a percentage of the mean was noted for grain yield per plot, spike length, awn length, grain weight per spike, peduncle length, grains per spike and spikelets per spike. The eighty germplasm accessions exhibited significant variability for the traits examined, and they were categorized into four distinct clusters through Hierarchical Euclidean cluster analysis. The greatest inter-cluster distance was noted between clusters III and IV, followed by the distance between clusters II and IV. The intra-cluster distance exhibited its minimum value in cluster IV, while cluster I demonstrated the maximum distance. Cluster III demonstrated the most advantageous genotypes such as IC 634028 and EC 182958, demonstrating the highest cluster mean values for the majority of the studied characters. Consequently, it holds potential for wheat hybridization programs focused on.