Studies on phenotypic correlation and path coefficient analysis of grain yield and its component traits in maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids

Maize is one of the most important grown plants in the world. Superior position of maize is due to his very wide and variety utilisation and because of that, the main goal of all maize breeding programs is to obtain new inbred lines and hybrids that will outperform the existing hybrids with respect to a number of traits. The present study was carried out to access correlation coefficient and path analysis among 50 developed maize hybrids for ten characters. Highly significant mean sum of squares due to genotypes and wide range of variability were noticed among the genotypes for all the characters except number of kernels per row. Grain yield per plant was significant and positively association with cob height, cob girth and number of kernels per row. Path analysis was used to partition the genetic correlations between grain yield and related characters. Path coefficient analysis revealed that days to 50 percent flowering exhibited the largest direct effect on grain yield per plant at phenotypic level followed by cob height indicating the effectiveness of direct selection. The information generated by this study could be useful for researchers who need to develop high yielding maize hybrids.