GENETIC VARIABILITY AND CORRELATION ANALYSIS FOR VARIOUS YIELD TRAITS OF COTTON (GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L.).

Present study was carried out at Cotton Research Institute, AARI, Faisalabad, Pakistan during 2012 to find out genetic components viz., heritability, genetic advance and correlation among various yield traits of twenty cotton genotypes grown in RCBD. It was concluded that the boll size of FH-207 (1) and FH-207 (22) was large, tapering shape, good opening and leaf was of medium size as compared to all other varieties. It was concluded that higher values of heritability and genetic advance were recorded for first bud days (99.40%, 173.67%), sympodial branches (87.98%, 108.42%), monopodial branches (35.24%. 51.42%), number of bolls per plant (99.76%, 348.18%), plant height (99.91%, 256.09%), boll weight (94.65, 37.25%), GOT percent (88.06%, 69.76%) and fibre strength (98.53%, 61.61%) respectively. Significant correlations were found for boll weight, number of bolls, staple length, fibre strength and fibre fineness. Higher heritability, genetic advance and significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations suggested that selection may be useful for enhancement of cotton yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]