Assessment of Genetic Parameters, Agro-Morphologic Stability and Clustering Pattern of Promising Candidate Basmati Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Lines

Abstract

In the present study, genetic parameters, agro-morphologic stability and clustering pattern of twenty promising elite basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines including three checks were investigated in advance generation. Triplicated randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used during three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018 and the data were subjected to combined ANOVA, correlation, principal component, GGE biplots in order to demonstrate the stability and performance of these advance Basmati lines. A highly significant and exploitable level of genetic variability was found existed among tested inbred lines. Higher broad sense heritability (%) was observed among tested genotypes which specifies higher proportion of phenotypic variation attributed by genetic values. Correlation matrix portrayed significantly positive relationship of grain yield with maturity days; significantly positive relationship of plant height with days to maturity and highly negative with panicle length and thousand grains weight. Dendrograms divided the genotypes into six distinct Clusters. Based on GGE biplots, PK10324-1-1 followed by PK9444-8-1-2 and PK10029-13-2-1 were identified to be most superior and potential candidate Basmati lines with better yield and stability across three years (growing seasons). Whereas, Super Basmati (check), PK 10436-2-1-1, PK10437-14-2-1 exhibited lowest yield stability across test environments. Test-environment analysis indicated that genotypes PK10324-1-1 and PK9444-8-1-2 were best suited for 2017 season, genotypes PK10967-30-1, Chenab Basmati and PK 10355-13-2-1 were best suited for 2018, genotypes PK9966-10-1 and PK 10434-6-2-1 were best suited for 2016 season, whereas genotype PK10029-13-2-1 performed equally well in 2017 and 2018. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) also displayed stability in performance relative to all studied traits in all the advance Basmati lines. Convincingly, the higher yielding and more stable among the studied advance Basmati lines can be utilized as new candidate Basmati lines as compared to existing Basmati verities used as checks.