CORRELATION AND PATH ANALYSIS OF GRAIN YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF SOME TURKISH OAT GENOTYPES

Abstract

This research was carried out in 2002-03 and 2005-06 crop years in Kahramanmaras province located in EastMediterranean Region of Turkey. The experimental design was randomized complete block design with four replications. The aim of research was to determine correlation coefficients of 17 oat genotypes among grain yield (GY) and plant height (PH), grain number panicle-1 (GNP), grain weight panicle-1 (GWP), 1000 grain weight (1000-GW), grain filling period (GFP), days to maturity (DM), panicle number m-2 (PN m-2). Determined direct and indirect effects of yield components on GY through path analysis were also determined. Based on results of correlation coefficients, GY was significantly but negatively correlated with PH (r = -.280*), while the other yield components were not significantly related with GY. Path coefficient analysis indicated that PN m-2 (0.23), 1000-GW (0.35), GNP (0.22), GFP (0.16) and DM (0.09) had positive direct effects on GY while GWP (-0.40) and PH (-0.24) had negative direct effects on GY. However, when the positive direct and indirect effects were added to the negative direct and indirect effects for traits, the sum of direct and indirect effects of GFP (72.48), PN m-2 (57.34) and DM (35.05%) on GY were positive. The effects of these traits were higher than those of 1000-GW and GNP. The sum direct and indirect effects of PH was negative and at the rate of 58.92%. Therefore, GFP, PN m-2, DM and PH could have priorities in breeding programs for the conditions of East Mediterranean region of Turkey.