PRAKHAR SINGLA, PAWAN KUMAR, SONU LANGAYA, R. N. SHEOKAND, VERSHA ROHILLA, NEERU BALDA AND YOGENDRA KUMAR
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India
Department of Agriculture Science, Starex University, Gurugram, India
*(e-mail: pawankumargpb1502@gmail.com)
(Received: 11 November 2025; Accepted: 19 December 2025)
SUMMARY
The present investigation aimed to evaluate the association between straw yield and its component traits, and to assess genetic divergence through cluster analysis under early sowing conditions in bread wheat. Substantial variability was observed for straw yield, with mean values ranging from 17.15 g/plant (HD 2888) to 31.10 g/plant (WH 1021). Straw yield exhibited a strong and positive correlation with biological yield (r = 0.97, p < 0.01), indicating its major contribution to total biomass accumulation. A significant positive association was also observed between straw yield and grain yield (r = 0.68, p < 0.01), whereas significant negative correlations were recorded with harvest index (r = –0.56, p < 0.01) and plant height (r = –0.33, p < 0.01). Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into distinct clusters, with Cluster IV recording the highest mean straw yield (29.47 g/plant) and grain yield (15.38 g/plant). The lowest and highest intra-cluster distances were observed in Cluster IV (11.58) and Cluster I (40.60), respectively. High inter-cluster distances reflected substantial genetic divergence, suggesting promising opportunities for heterosis breeding. Crosses between genotypes belonging to Cluster I and Cluster V (61.06), Cluster I and Cluster III (48.96), and Cluster III and Cluster V (48.95) are therefore expected to generate superior recombinants with wider variability.
Key words: wheat, straw yield, correlation, genetic distance, cluster