Assessment of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in kharif sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] crosses

Abstract:

The present study, entitled “Genetic Studies in Kharif Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench],” was carried out to evaluate the magnitude of genetic variability and to estimate heritability and genetic advance among forty-five sorghum crosses along with one check variety. The experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2025 following a Randomized Block Design with three replications. Data were collected for thirteen quantitative traits of agronomic importance. The analysis of variance indicated significant differences among the crosses for all the characters evaluated, demonstrating the existence of considerable genetic diversity within the experimental material. For each trait, the phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) exceeded the corresponding genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), indicating the influence of environmental factors on trait expression. Among the characters studied, panicle weight exhibited comparatively high GCV and PCV values, reflecting substantial genetic and phenotypic variability for this trait. High broad-sense heritability estimates were recorded for all the characters under investigation. In particular, panicle length, panicle width, panicle weight, fodder yield per plant, number of grains per panicle, 1000-seed weight, and grain yield per plant showed high heritability in association with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean. The combined occurrence of high heritability and high genetic advance suggests a substantial contribution of additive genetic effects in the inheritance of these traits. Consequently, these characters can serve as effective selection criteria in sorghum improvement programmes, offering considerable scope for genetic enhancement through selection.