CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND PATH ANALYSIS FOR SEED YIELD AND LODGING TRAITS IN RICE (Oryza sativa L.) GENOTYPES

Abstract

The present study was carried out among 21 rice genotypes. Seeds for the study was collected from Rice Research
Stations of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). These genotypes were raised in RBD with two replications. The
direct and indirect effects of seventeen traits including lodging and yield were estimated. The results from the
correlation studies showed that grain yield plant -1 recorded positive correlation at high significance at both
genotypic and phenotypic levels with number of panicles plant -1 (rp=0.806, rg=0.822) followed by number of
tillers plant -1 (rp=0.753, rg=0.773), test weight and silicon content. Lodging% exhibited highly significant and
positive correlation at both phenotypic and genotypic levels with days to 50% flowering, plant height, flag leaf
length, internodal length, culm diameter, days to maturity and panicle length. Path analysis revealed that panicles
plant -1 (1.064) had very high positive direct effect on yield followed by flag leaf length (0.824), seeds panicle-1
(0.785), test weight (0.607) and panicle weight. Among these traits, number of panicles plant -1 and test weight
possessed both positive association and high direct effects. Meanwhile, plant height, internodal length and culm
diameter possessed negative effects. Hence, selection for these traits could bring improvement in yield and yield
components along with lodging resistance.