INTERRELATIONSHIP AND CAUSE-EFFECT ANALYSIS OF RICE GENOTYPES IN NORTH EAST PLAIN ZONE

Abstract

A study of interrelationship and cause-effect analysis of grain yield and its component traits was carried out using thirty one rice genotypes. Grain yield per plant had significant positive correlation with biological yield per plant (0.92), plant height (0.66), number of spikelets per panicle (0.64), panicle length (0.61), flag leaf length (0.61), flag leaf width (0.52) and days to 50% flowering (0.32). Path analysis revealed that the biological yield was the major contributor of grain yield per plant followed by number of spikelets per panicle and test weight. It can be concluded that higher biological yield (0.68), number of spikelets per panicle (0.17) and test weight (0.96) are important plant traits which should be considered when any breeding program for higher paddy yield in rice is to be planned.