Evaluation of wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) for assessment of character association, path coefficient and cluster analysis

Thirty wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) were evaluated for 11 morphological and yield trait for analysis of character association (phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficient), path analysis and cluster analysis. The experiment was conducted during rabi seasons of 2014-2015 in a randomized block design with three replication. Days to 50% heading showed positive and significant correlation with  flag leaf area and number of spiklet per ear; flag leaf area showed positive and significant correlation with 1000 grain weight; Plant height  showed positive and significant correlation with  spike length; spike length  showed positive and significant correlation with  1000 grain weight. Phenotypic path analysis showed  biological yield and number of grain per spike had highly positive and direct effect on grain yield. Direct and highly positive effect on grain yield was shown by number of productive tillers, plant height, spike length, number of spikelet per spike genotypic path coefficient. Biological yield and grains yield per plant show highly positive and direct effect on yield with number of productive tillers, plant height, number of spikelet per spike and spike length. In  cluster analysis the intra cluster distance ranged from 1.61 (cluster II) to 2.37 (cluster III and VI ). Thus the member of cluster II were  least divergent and similarly the  member of cluster III and IV were most divergent  The maximum inter cluster distance was between cluster II and III followed by cluster IV  and V , cluster VI and  III and cluster VI and  V that order therefore the accessions grouped in the five pair of cluster may be considered as most divergent.