CORRELATION AND PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSES OF DIFFERENT MORPHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS IN DOUBLED HAPLOID MAIZE HYBRIDS UNDER NORMAL AND DROUGHT STRESS

In this research, the problem of drought stress and its impact on maize crops was addressed. Different morphophysiological traits were recorded in fifteen doubled haploid maize hybrids and their parents, under normal conditions and drought stress. Based on the RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design), two factors of factorial structure treatments were used for the experiment. In order to investigate the correlation between traits, correlation coefficients were calculated at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Path coefficient analysis was used to determine direct and indirect effects on grain yield per plant. Genotypic correlation coefficients were generally higher than phenotypic correlation coefficients, suggesting that the impact of environmental effects was minimal. Traits such as leaf area, leaf number, and plant height, showed positive correlations with grain yield under both normal and drought stress conditions. Path coefficient analysis revealed the direct and indirect effects of various traits on grain yield. Leaf area and 100-grain weight had the highest positive direct effects on grain yield. These findings provide valuable insights for breeding maize cultivars with improved drought tolerance by selecting traits such as leaf area, plant height, and leaf number. This research focuses on the negative effects of drought stress on maize crops and the importance of developing drought-tolerant hybrids to mitigate yield losses and enhance food security. The study aims to uncover the genetic basis and correlation between grain yield and green yield related traits under normal and drought stress conditions, with the goal of selecting genotypes that indirectly maximize yield and improve drought tolerance in maize cultivars.