Multivariate analysis of selected wheat genotypes in Sindh province

Adnan Rasheed Memon, Abdul Rauf Jamali, Muhammad Siddique Samon, Abdul Samad Talpur, Faraz Ahmed Mahar

Abstract


Understanding agro-morphological variability in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is essential for identifying traits associated with yield potential and for guiding breeding strategies under diverse agro-ecological conditions. This study evaluated 13 wheat cultivars at two contrasting locations, Petaro and Sakrand, to assess variability, trait associations, and principal component contributions. At Petaro, phenological traits exhibited wide variation, with days to heading and maturity showing coefficients of variation of 55% and 130%, respectively, while grain filling period (47-78 days) also varied substantially. Yield components such as grains per spike (24.6-506) and flag leaf area (12.1-79.2 cm²) displayed high variability, whereas grain-related traits (hundred-grain weight, grain dimensions) remained relatively stable. At Sakrand, similar patterns were observed, with days to maturity (120-137) and grain filling period (48-82) showing the widest ranges, while spike length and grain dimensions were comparatively stable. Principal component analysis revealed that the first four components explained 73.18% of the total variability, with peduncle length, flag leaf area, and phenological traits contributing most strongly. Correlation analyses highlighted key associations: at Sakrand, days to maturity and grain filling period correlated positively with peduncle length and plant height, whereas at Petaro, grains per spike strongly correlated with spike length and thousand-grain weight. Negative associations between days to heading and both flag leaf area and hundred-grain weight suggested important trade-offs. Overall, phenological and yield-related traits emerged as primary determinants of variability across environments. These findings provide valuable understandings for selecting wheat genotypes with desirable combinations of traits to enhance yield stability under varying field conditions.


Keywords


Agro-morphological traits, Genetic diversity, Principal Component Analysis, Trait correlations, Wheat breeding

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.33804/pp.009.03.5455

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