2025, Vol. 8, Issue 3, Part I

author(s)
Nidhi Singh and Manoj Kumar Singh

abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important cereal crop, notable for its adaptability across diverse environments and its role in food, feed, and industrial products. This study investigates the correlation and path coefficient analysis in maize. The crosses were made during zaid 2021. Present investigation, conducted on hybrids along with parental lines and check varieties during the Zaid season of 2022 at the Agricultural Research farm Pili Kothi, Tilak Dhari Post Graduate College, Jaunpur (U.P.). The result reveled that, grain yield per plant, a key trait in maize breeding, showed significant positive correlations with traits such as the number of grains per cob, days to silking, and seed vigor index. These associations suggest that selecting for higher grain yield may also result in improved performance for other important traits, such as the number of grains per cob and seed vigor, which are critical for early plant establishment and overall productivity. Path coefficient analysis at both phenotypic and genotypic levels identified key traits influencing yield, with seed vigor index, seedling fresh weight, and cob weight showing strong positive effects. Conversely, traits like cob length, seedling length, and plant height exhibited negative impacts on yield, emphasizing the need for balanced trait management.