This experiment was designed to identify the drought tolerant and susceptible genotypes in wheat genotypes collected from different wheat breeding centre of India. The experiment was conducted in alpha lattice design under stress and non-stress conditions to estimate the drought tolerance indices. Nine drought tolerance viz., Tolerance index (TOL), Mean productivity (MP), Harmonic mean (HM), Stress susceptibility index (SSI), Yield index (YI), Relative drought index (RDI), Grain yield per plant under potential condition (Yp), Grain yield per plant under stress condition (Ys) were calculated. The indices were estimated based on grain yield under stress condition (Ys) and non-stress condition (Yp). These indices were subjected for analysis of variance, correlation coefficient analysis, cluster analysis. SSI is suggested as useful indicator for wheat breeding where the stress is severe; while MP, TOL and HM are suggested if the stress is less severe. Based on grain yield per plant twenty-one tolerant genotypes and eleven susceptible genotypes were identified. Identified tolerant and susceptible genotypes can be used for the development of mapping populations to identify QTLs for drought tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Drought is one of the major limitations to wheat production worldwide. This study was designed to identify the drought adapted genotypes among 160 wheat genotypes. Five morphological traits namely leaf morphology, leaf angle, leaf rolling, waxiness on leaf, spike fertility and nine yield traits namely days to heading, days to anthesis, days to maturity, grain filling duration, spikelets per spike, grains per spike, grain weight per spike (g), 1000grain weight (g), and grain yield per plant (g). Grain yield per plant exhibited highly significant and positive correlation with 1000-grain weight, grain weight per spike, waxiness score, indicating dependency of yield on these traits. Based on path analysis, maximum positive direct effect on grain yield per plant was contributed mostly by days to maturity, followed by 1000 grain weight, waxiness score, number of grains per spike, grain weight per spike and leaf rolling score. From our results, waxiness score and leaf rolling score showed strong association with grain yield per plant. We have selected 18 genotypes based on high morphological score aswell-as high grain yield per plant namely; DBW50, HD2985, HD3043, HD2687, HD3059, HD3076, HD3093, HI1531, HW1105, PBN142, PBW502, WH1080, WH730, AUS30354, AUS30518, DRYSDALE, SB187, SSRT17. These genotypes can be utilized in drought breeding programme for development of mapping population, as well as drought resilience varieties for rainfed areas.

The present investigation on heterosis and inbreeding depression was conducted on genetically diverse 10 parent diallel crosses of bread wheat. The experimental materials comprised 100 genotypes including 10 parents and their F 1 s and F 2 s progenies and trial was conducted in randomized complete block deign with three replication at Economic Botanical Research Farm, Nawabganj of C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, during 2013-14 and 2014-15. The analysis of variance revealed that the all components of variances showed significant differences for almost the traits under studied over both generations. The result of economic heterosis revealed that the cross combinations, DBW 14/K 0424, K 9162/K 9423, K 9533/K 0307, K 1114/K 0424 and K 1114/NW 2036 were good for grain yield per plant along with range of -88.54 (K 0424/K 0911) to 28.52 per cent (DBW 14/K 0424) and other traits compared to 45 F 1 s whereas, all these cross combinations also had significant grain yield demission in F 2 s results of increase of homozygosity among the crosses in succeeding generations. The range of inbreeding depression varied from-50.36 (K 1114/K 9423) to 49.12 percent (K 0911/K 0307) in F 2 s. Accordingly, these cross combinations may be utilized for improving grain yield as well as production of better transgressive segregants in advance generations for maintain of specific gene pool of bread wheat through breeding program in future.

The assessment of nature of gene effect for yield and its contributing traits and detection of epistasis in wheat was studied in five crosses involving seven parents through generation mean analysis. Scaling test and joint scaling test were showed significant for almost traits all crosses. Additive gene effects (d) were positively significant for days to maturity and tillers per plant in cross II; for seed per plant in cross IV. Dominance gene effects (h) were highly significant for days to 75% heading in cross II, III and IV; for days to maturity and grains per spike in cross II, for grain yield per plant and grains per spike in cross I. Additive x additive type of gene (i) were positive significant effect for days to 75% heading in cross II, III and IV; for days to maturity in cross II and grains per spike in crosses I, II; for 1000 grain weight in cross II and IV; for grain yield per plant in cross I. Additive x dominance type of gene effect (j) was positive significant for days to 75% heading in cross III; for days to maturity in cross II and III; for plant height in cross III; tillers per plant in cross II; for grain per spike and seed per plant in cross III and grain yield in cross IV. Dominance x dominance effect (l) were positively significant for days to 75% heading, plant height in cross I; for plant height in cross III, IV and V; for tillers per plant in cross II and for grains per spike in cross IV and V; seed per plant, grain yield in cross IV. Therefore, it has been suggested that selection of studied characters based on different gene action of generation mean to be used further crop improvement through ideal breeding programme.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate 10 diverse parents and their 45 F1’s of bread wheat for yielding and physiological characters during season of Rabi 2014-15. Analyses of variance in 55 (45 F1’s with their 10 parents) bread wheat genotypes for eighteen characters were showed highly significant differences indicate the presence of extensive amount of genetic variability. On the basis of mean performance, high yield per plant was observed for DBW 14 x K0424 followed by K 9162 x K 9423. Cross K 0607 x K 0911 exhibited maximum protein content in grain. The estimate of PCV and GCV were high for canopy temperature depression ( 0 C) and for grain yield per plant, respectively. The high heritability was observed for protein content whereas grain yield per plant showed high genetic advance. Accordingly results, effective genotypes based on either mean performance and high heritability coupled with high genetic advance for interesting traits can be used further improvement of yield and its related traits through ideal breeding scheme.

The present investigation on mean performance and genetic parameters estimation was conducted on genetically dissimilar ten parents and their F2’s. The observation were recorded on yield, days to 75 % flowering, days to maturity, duration of reproductive phase, plant height (cm), number of effective tillers per plant, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, grain weight per spike (g), spike length (cm), biological yield per plant (g), harvest index (%), 1000 seed weight (g), spike density, canopy temperature depression (CTD) (0c), chlorophyll intensity (%), chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and protein content (%). Analyses of variances in all treatment showed highly significant differences for eighteen characters indicate the presence of extensive amount of genetic variability. On the basis of mean performance, none of the cross combination did not find high yield performance compared to K0307. Cross combination K 0607 x K 0307 expressed high mean performance of protein per cent (14.37) with grain yield of 7.85 gram per plant. Variability of the present evaluated materials is backbone of any successful breeding scheme. Therefore, results can be used further for isolation of new pure line by using of recurrent breeding approach.

Combining ability analysis for yield and its component under late sown condition in bread wheat involved ten diverse parents and their 45 F1s and their F2s indicated significance differences among the parents for gca and crosses for sca for all characters under studied. The GCA and SCA components of variances in both generations showed significant for all traits indicating additive and non additive gene action controlled the pattern of inheritance for the concern traits over the both generations. Based on the general combining ability effects and per se performance, parent K 0307 and K 0911 emerged as good general combiners for grain yield and average to high combiners for almost of the yield component characters in late sown condition, it means these genotypes probably possessed the desirable genes for heat temperature during reproductive phase. Whereas K 0307 showed also good general combiner as their gca effect as well as per se performance for number of spikelets, number of grains per spike, grain weight per spike, spike length, 1000 grain weight while K 0911 exhibited good general combiner for protein content based on per se performance and GCA effect in both generations. On the basis on per se performance and sca effects, DBW 14 x K 0424 and K 9533 x K 0307 possessed good super combinations for grain yield and its related components whereas, K 0607 x K 0307 exhibited good cross combination for protein content based on their per se performance in both generations. The good cross combinations were the product of high x high, high x low or low x low general combiners. Hybridization scheme for wheat improvement, such as multiple crossing or bi-parental mating could be useful in further manipulation of genes for economic purposes.

The present investigation was carried out during 2012-13 with twelve Pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars for protein profiling of seed protein through SDS-PAGE. The profiles of pea cultivars were studied by extracting the total seed proteins from 12 cultivars and performed SDS-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. On the basis of banding patterns through SDS-PAGE, indicated that the number of bands found in cultivars ranged from 12 to 19 with Rm value 0.12 to 0.9. Among all the cultivars, the cultivar KPMR-400 had recorded highest number of bands (19) whereas, the minimum number of bands (12) observed in three cultivars viz., KPMR-921, KPMR-902 and KPMR-913. The total seed protein variation were also analyzed using Un-weighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) and resultant cluster analysis based on the data of protein profiling, classified twelve cultivars into six major groups. Finally the study concluded that, the protein variability analysis clearly showed that there was sufficient genetic divergence among these cultivars of pea with respect to seed storage protein. Among all the cultivars, the KPMR-906 in cluster IV having wider genetic diversity and suggested to utilize in future crop improvement program.

A set of 45 crosses were generated by crossing 10 lines viz., K9533, K9162, K9465, K8962, HUW234, NW2036, K9423, K9351, KRL210 and K906 following half diallel design of wheat under late sown condition.Ten parents, 45F 1 hybrids and 45 F 2 populations using Randomized Block Design with three replications were evaluated for yield and other important morpho-physiological characters at Kanpur (UP, India).General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) for maturity and yield components traits were determined.The main objective of the research was the identification and proper selection of best performing wheat parental genotypes and best F 1 crosses, based on GCA and SCA estimates under heat stress environment.Significant differences were observed among the wheat genotypes for all the studied traits.The estimates of σ2GCA and σ2SCA and its ratio (σ2GCA/σ2SCA) indicated that non-additive genetic expression was a pre-dominant for most of traits studied.K9533, K906, K9351 and K9423 were good general combiners for most of the traits under consideration, while F 1 hybrids and F 2 populations K9465 x K9351, K9162 x K906, NW2036 x K9351, K9162 x K8962 and HUW234 x KRL210 were best specific combiners observed for several important traits including grain yield plant-1 which can be subsequently utilized in future wheat breeding to develop high yielding new wheat cultivars from transgressive segregants recovered in latter generations. K e y w o r d s

This research sought to determine the correlations between grain yield and its contributing traits and to measure the direct and indirect effects on grain yield in barley. Sixty four released varieties were grown under par-tially reclaimed saline- sodic soil, under irrigated conditions during rabi 2010-11. The grain yield per plant showed highly significant and positive correlation with 1000 grain weight (0.517), plant height (0.460), length of main spike (0.459), fertile tillers per plant (0.385), and grains per main spike (0.366). On the basis of relationship of grain yield with yield contributing traits, we can select the best genotype and can be utilised in breeding program.

The present study was under taken to find out the genetic diversity of various maize genotypes for ten metric traits. Ten parental lines, three testers and their 30F 1 s were evaluated in a randomized block design in order to identify genetic divergence on the basis of non-hierarchical euclidean cluster analysis in maize (Zea mays L.). All the genotypes were grouped into seven clusters revealing the presence of considerable amount of genetic diversity in the material for different traits. According to results, cluster II, VI and VII each had the maximum nine genotypes. Cluster I and V had minimum genotypes withfive and two genotypes, respectively. The highest intra-cluster distance value was found for cluster III (127.613) followed by cluster VII (68.551) and lowest intra-cluster distance was found in cluster V (11.517). The maximum inter-cluster distance was recorded between cluster III and VI (1945.319) followed by cluster III and VII (1279.354) whereas, minimum inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters I and II (91.049). Based on results, genotypes grouped into different clusters showed more valuable heterotic pool that could be utilized in crossing the genotypes selected from those cluster which have maximum inter-cluster and intra-cluster distance in developing the desirable segregants.

Ten parents of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Em. Thell.) were crossed in a diallel fashion (excluding reciprocals) and their 45F 1’ s and 45F 2’ s were evaluated for combining ability for grain yield and its physiological traits. The gca and sca components of variances were significant for all characters over both generations. The (gca/sca) variances below unity in both the generations showed the predominance of additive gene actions effects for all the traits. On the basis of general combining ability (gca) effect and per se performance , parents K 0307 and K 0911 emerged as good general combiners for grain yield per plant and average to high combiners for almost all the traits under study. Both genotypes have good gene combinations against high temperature tolerance during grain filling period. Parent K 9533 have good general combiner for CTD and parents K 0307 and K 0911 have also positive gca effects for days to 75% flowering, days to maturity, duration of reproductive phase in both generations. On the basis of sca effects, the crosses DBW 14 x K 0424 and K 9533 x K 0307 emerged as good specific cross combinations over both generations for grain yield per plant. These cross combinations are results of high x high, high x low and low x low general combiners.

Genetic diversity is a useful parameter that facilitates production of more efficient plant species under different conditions. Accordingly, the most common bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend, Fiori & Paol.) genotypes including 10 diverse parents with their F1s were grown in late sown condition and analyzed for genetic diversity and heritability. The high narrow sense heritability was observed for days to 75% flowering (45.63), days to maturity (37.55), chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) (39.90) and protein content (31.52). The divergence analysis based on Euclidian methods indicated the presence of adequate genetic diversity in the experimental materials. The fifty five wheat genotypes were grouped into eight clusters. Cluster I had maximum (14) genotypes, while Cluster VI contained only one genotype. The maximum inter-cluster distance was observed among cluster VI and cluster VIII. The result of the principal components analysis revealed that six principal components (PC1 to PC6) accounted for nearly 81.75% of the total variation. The information so generated could be used to plan crosses and study the extent of heterosis.

The present investigation was conducted to magnitude of economic heterosis and inbreeding depression in F 2 s of bread wheat for identifying desirable cross combinations. The experimental materials comprised 100 genotypes which were consisted of 10 diallel parent and their F 1 s and F 2 s. The experimental material was conducted in randomized complete block deign with three replication at Economic Botanical Research Farm, Nawabganj of C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India 208 002. The analysis of variance revealed that the all components of variance had significant differences for almost the traits under studied over both generations. The result of economic heterosis revealed that the cross combinations, DBW 14 x K 0424, K 9162 x K 9423, K 9533 x K 0307, K 1114 x K 0424 and K 1114 x NW 2036 were good for grain yield per plant along with range of -88.54 (K 0424 x K 0911) to 28.52 per cent (DBW 14 x K 0424) and other traits compared to out of 45 F 1 s whereas, all these cross combinations also had significant grain yield demission in F 2 s results of increase of homozygosity among the crosses in advanced generations. The range of inbreeding depression varied from-50.36 (K 1114 x K 9423) to 49.12 % (K 0911 x K 0307) in F 2 s. Therefore, it could be concluded that these cross combination exploited in future breeding programme for development of good heterotic gene pool as well as evolution of wheat by improving of grain yield as well as others heat tolerance traits.

Genetic variability is the back bone of crop improvement programme, effectiveness of selection depends upon nature and magnitude of genetic variability present in the genetic material. The aim of the present study was that to identify the potential genotypes performing well under partially reclaimed saline- sodic soil (pH 8.6-8.9, EC = 4-4.2 dSm-1, ESP = > 15). Sixty four released varieties of barley collected from Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal were grown during rabi season 2010-11, showing wide spectrum of variation for various characters. The characters studied were yield and yield contributing traits; namely plant height, days to maturity, fertile tillers / plant, length of main spike, grains per main spike, 1000-grains weight, grain yield per plant. The data on 7 characters was utilized for estimation of mean, range and least significant differences. The varieties RD-2552(8.52), HBL-276(8.35), RD- 2592(8.17), PL-419(8.15), Kedar(8.11), PL-751(8.10), JB-58(8.06), K-508(7.96) produced higher grain yield per plant and showed high to very high mean performance for several other yield component also. These selected varieties can be used in breeding program and can be recommended direct cultivation under partially reclaimed salinesodic soil.

Morphological traits of barley showed differences among varieties released for different uses and climatic zones. Understanding these morphological variations is an important part for development of crop models for different purposes, and to know the plant worth. Narrow and waxy leaves are good indication for tolerant to abiotic stresses like drought, salinity, alkalinity and rainfed situation. Sixty four released varieties of barley were grown under partially reclaimed saline-sodic soil, under irrigated conditions during rabi 2010–11 showing wide spectrum of variation for various characters. The characters studied for morphological variation were - growth habit, morphology of leaf, presence of anthocyanin pigmentation, spikelet arrangement, presence of awn, tip sterility, waxiness on leaf, seed colour and seed shape. The characters studied for yield were namely plant height, days to maturity, fertile tillers/plant, length of main spike, grains per main spike, 1000-grains weight, grain yield per plant. The data on seven yield traits used for estimation of mean, range and least significant differences. Based on this study eight varieties selected were - RD-2552, HBL-276, RD-2592, PL-419, Kedar, PL-751, JB-58, K-508 produced higher grain yield plant−1.

The present study was carried out to investigate the genetic variability and characters association for yield and its contributing traits in different wheat crosses namely, DBW14/HUW468 (I), DL788-2/PBW502 (II) and DBW14/HUW533 (III). The analysis of variance showed considerable amount of variation in all three crosses for different traits under study except someone indicates presence of sufficient variability in the material. Highest magnitudes of GCV, PCV and high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of means were recorded for days to heading, days to maturity and 1000 grain weight in cross (I); for spike length and grain per spike in cross (II) for plant height and grain yield per plant in cross (III) indicated predominance of additive gene action in the inheritance of these traits. The correlation coefficients showed significant and desirable correlations for productive tillers and grains per spike in cross (I); days to maturity and grain weight per spike in cross (II) whereas days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, grain per spike, grain weight per spike, grains per spike and thousand grain weight in cross (III) at both genotypic as well as phenotypic level. Path analysis showed maximum positive direct effect on grain yield was exerted by days to maturity (2.205) followed by plant height (0.435), tillers per plant (2.091) and grain weight per spike (0.745) in cross (I). Grain weight per spike showed maximum positive direct effect on grain yield in cross (III) and cross (II) showed in 1000 grain weight, indicating the true relationship between these traits as good contributors to grain yield. As a result, these traits could be considered as important traits for selection in breeding programme for higher grain yield of the bread wheat.

A field study with diallel analysis (excluding reciprocals) in cucumber using cross combinations of salinity-tolerant and -sensitive inbreds indicated that the mean square due to gca and sca were significant in desirable direction for all the characters. The higher sca values than gca and, PR and ADD values 1, respectively indicates the predominance of non-additive gene effects in the expression of characters and accordingly hybrids development was rewarded. The potential cucumber hybrid CRC-8 x Pusa Uday and CHC-2 x Pusa Uday were found superior for earliness, yield and its attributing traits based on high sca effects and could be exploited in saline areas of our country.