Abstract

Indirect selection in early generations through traits having heritability higher than yield as well as correlated significantly with seed yield is one of the most important breeding procedures. Therefore, in order to determine the most yielding bread wheat genotypes, identification of the traits effective on seed and protein yield as well as parents of the best crosses, an experiment was conducted during 2013–14. The randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Bread wheat genotypes comprising Parsi and Sirvan cultivars along with 18 lines were used in this experiment. Analysis of variance revealed significant difference among genotypes for traits like spike height, plant height, days to maturity, 1000-seed weight, seed yield, protein yield and percentage, number of spikes and grain filling rate. Coefficient of variation revealed considerable genetic variation for these traits. Correlation, step-wise regression and path analysis designated that grain filling rate and grain filling duration were the efficient indirect selection criteria to improve seed yield genetically.