Genetic Variability and Character Association Studies in Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.) for Grain Yield Characters

In this experiment, 20 different genotypes of foxtail millet were examined using correlation and path analysis in the rainy season of 2021, at the crop research farm (CRF, SHUATS) in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh and the entire experiment was set up using a completely randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. All the genotypes have shown considerable variation in their mean performance with respect to all the studied traits. The ANOVA table has demonstrated significant differences for all 12 examined variables. The observed variation is probably due to both favourable environmental factors and genotypes because PCV is just a little greater than GCV. A significant positive correlation between the examined attributes (days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, flag leaf length, flag leaf width, flag leaf area, peduncle length, panicle length, number of tillers, number of productive tillers) and the grain yield was found. A positive direct effect at the phenotypic level, research using path analysis demonstrated that the traits of panicle length, number of tillers per plant, test weight, and flag leaf length had a real relationship with grain yield per plant. It can be concluded that panicle length, number of tillers per plant, test weight, and flag leaf length serve as important traits for further breeding programs in developing high-yielding foxtail millet genotypes based on the nature and magnitude of character associations and their direct and indirect effects.