Genetic evaluation of maize (Zea mays L.) accessions under drought stress

The present study pertaining to the estimation of genetic parameters and characters association in eighty maize genotypes was conducted in the glasshouse of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, during the crop season in Fabruary 2011. The highest genotypic coefficient of variance was found for fresh root length, the highest value of heritability was found for chlorophyll contents and path coefficient analysis showed that fresh root length had maximum direct effect on fresh shoot length followed by dry root weight, root density, leaf temperature and dry shoot weight under drought stress. It was concluded that fresh root length, dry root weight, root density, leaf temperature and dry shoot weight are the characters which contribute largely to fresh shoot length of maize seedlings and selection can be made on the basis of these characters.