Journal of AgriSearch 4(2): 112-118 SUDHIR KUMAR, S BHUVANESWARI, E LAMALAKSHMI DEVI, SK SHARMA, MA ANSARI, I MEGHACHANDRA SINGH, Y RAJEN SINGH AND NARENDRA PRAKASH Estimation of Genetic Variability, Correlation and Path analysis in short duration Rice Genotypes of Manipur ABSTRACT *Corresponding Author Email : sudhiraaidu2006@gmail.com ISSN : 2348-8808 (Print), 2348-8867 (Online) http://dx.doi.org/10.21921/jas.v4i2.7782 ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region Manipur Centre, Lamphelpat, Imphal, Manipur India An Open Access International Peer Reviewed Quarterly High significant variations were observed for all the traits studied under present investigation. Considering parameters, high phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were observed for the number of effective tillers per plant, grain yield per plant, plant height followed by days to 50% flowering. Heritability in broad sense was higher in all of the characters studied under present investigation. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was observed in plant height, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, number of spikelets per panicle and number of grains per panicle, indicated that these characters under additive gene control and selection for improvement might be effective. Both at the phenotypic and genotypic level, grain yield per plant had significant and positive association with plant height, panicle length,number of filled grains per panicle and number of spikelets per panicle but had significant negative association with number of effective tillers per plant and 1000- grain weight. Number of spikelets per panicle had the maximum positive and direct effect followed by days to maturity, plant height, spikelet fertility and 1000- grain weight. Based on mean performance and various genetic parameters attributes, advance line namely, MC-34-1-10-6-1-26 was observed to be promising because it is of short duration, and yielded significantly higher than the short duration check RCM-8. Promising culture would be recommended for double cropping in the valley region of the state. Keywords: Rice, GCV, PCV, heritability, genetic advance, correlation, path INTRODUCTION Rice (Oryza sativa L) is one of the important cereal crops of Manipur occupying maximum agricultural land. It is also an integral part of culture and tradition in Manipur. The state is enriched by tremendous amount of genetic variability of rice in form of local landraces and wild rice ( ). Rice is grown in Manipur under different ecology like wetland rice, lowland (deep water), medium land, terraces and jhum lands ( ). Development of appropriate rice genotypes for different rice ecology with high yield, stress tolerant, short to mid early duration and compatible with local taste preference is utmost need in order to achieve self-sustaining in rice production ( ). Valley region of the state has the high rice productivity and contribute nearly 81% of the total rice production ( ). Pre-kharif rice is predominantly cultivated in valley district where adequate supplementary irrigation facilities are available. Developing of short duration rice cultivars is considered to be one of the most sustainable and effective strategies to achieve high rice productivity in state, because it promotes double cropping in lowland valley condition and equally suitable formoisture stress upland rainfed conditions for main kharif. Short duration cultures escape most of the diseases, insect pests and terminal drought and also serve as contingency variety (post flood). Genetic parameters such as genotypic coefficient of variation Anonymous, 2015 Kalita et al., 2015 Singh et al., 2008 Anonymous, 2015 (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) are useful in detecting the amount of variability present in the germplasm ( ). Genetic parameters of variability along with correlation and path coefficients are pre-requisites for improvement of any crop including rice for any agronomic and other quality trait by selection of superior genotypes. Yield component traits directly or indirectly increasing grain yield if the components are highly heritable and genetically independent or positively correlated with grain yield ( ). Knowledge of inter-trait association between yield and its attributing characters are basic and foremost endeavor for superior plant selection. Partitioning of total correlation into direct and indirect effect by path analysis helps in making the selection more effective. Keeping in view the above facts, the present investigation was undertaken to know variability, correlation and path coefficient among yield and its contributing characters in nine pre-khairfrice genotypes under medium hill (730MSL) of Manipur. MATERIALS AND METHODS Field experiment was conducted at Lamphelpat research farm of ICAR RC Manipur Centre during pre-kharif season, 2011 (March-June), in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experimental materials comprised of rice genotypes that include seven advance lines and two rice varieties (RC Maniphou-5, Ginaphou). Advanced lines were Idris 2012 Hasan et al., 2013 et al., ARTICLE INFO Received on Accepted on Published online 06.05.2017 18.05.2017 01.06.2017 : : :