VARIABILITY OF HARVEST INDEX AND YIELD COMPONENTS IN WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUML.)

Variability of harvest index and some yield components (plant height, number of spikelets per spike, number of kernels per spike) were studied in 10 wheat genotypes. Wheat genotypes were grown during three years on the experimental field in 3 replication. Samples of 60 wheat plants (20 plants/replication at each year) were analyzed in full maturity stage. Harvest index was computed as a ratio of grain yield and a total above ground part of the plant. The differences in average values for all the studied parameters among investigated cultivars were determined. High variability of investigated traits was established. The highest variability for grain yield (CV=5.60%) and stem height (CV=4.84%) and the lowest variability for number of spikelets per spike (CV=2.66%) and harvest index (CV=3.66%) was found. The strongest correlation was found between grain No.of kernels/spike and grain yield (0.485) as well between harvest index and grain yield (0.455).