Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance for Yield and Yield Related Traits of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes

Abstract Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a self-pollinating annual plant extensively grown as staple food source in the world. Information on the extent of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance among different traits of bread wheat genotypes is essential to designing breeding strategies. The research was conducted at Kulumsa in 2021/22 with the objective to assess the extent of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance among different traits of bread wheat genotypes. A total of 64 bread wheat genotypes were evaluated for 16 traits in 8*8 simple lattice design. ANOVA revealed a highly significant (P<0.01) difference among the tested bread wheat genotypes for all studied traits. High PCV and GCV were observed from grain yield, yield per head, head weight, biomass yieldand moderate thousand kernel weight, peduncle length, number of effective tillers per plant and number of kernel per spike. High broad sense heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean were obtained from grain yield, biomass yield, yield per head, peduncle length and thousand kernel weight whereas, head weight, harvest index and number of kernel per spike had moderately high heritability and high genetic advance as percent of mean. Therefore, the attention should be given for those traits for wheat breeding program, because the phenotypic expression of these characters governed by additive gene action. Hence, direct selection for these traits will be improved grain yield.