Genetic Variability Studies Involving Drought Tolerance Related Traits in Maize Genotypes

The field experiment was carried out at Dryland Agriculture Research Station (DARS) Budgam, under natural rainfed conditions during Kharif 2017 season. Thirteen varieties of maize were evaluated and the experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Highest genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation was found in anthesis, silking interval and lowest in no of cobs/plant. High heritability coupled with a high genetic advance was observed for shoot weight, grains/cob and plant height. The genotypes KG-1 (122.00 days), KG-2 (124.00 days) and GM-6 (130.00 days) mature earlier indicating some escape mechanism in these genotypes under water stress. The ASI was lowest in KDM-72 (2.00 days) and KG-2 (2.00 days) and was highest in C-8 (5.00 days). Among the yield parameters plant height was significantly higher in C-15 (269.00) similarly, shoot weight was significantly higher in C-15 (917.50), cob height was significantly higher in C-8 (141.60), cob length was significantly higher in C-15 (22.33), no of cobs plant-1 was significantly higher in PM-5 (1.94), kernel rows cob-1 was significantly higher in C-4 (16.00), kernel rows-1 was significantly higher in C-6 (40.66), grains cob-1 was significantly higher in C-6 (596.46), 100-seed weight was significantly higher in C-15 (34.40) and grain yield plant-1 was significantly higher in C-6 (116.75). Among resource remobilization traits that are indicative of source sink efficiency cob partitioning index was significantly higher in PM-3 (87.70), cob harvesting index was significantly higher in PM-4 (62.64) and harvest index was significantly higher in PM-3 (33.57).