Find in Library

An investigation was carried out with 12 parents and their 35 hybrids (L x T mating design) of sorghum to asses associationof fodder yield components and their direct and indirect effects on green fodder yield per plant. Results of correlationanalysis indicated that the green fodder yield per plant was found to be significantly and positively correlated with plantheight, number of tillers, leaf length, leaf breadth, stem diameter, hydrocyanic acid and crude fibre. Days to 50 per centflowering, crude protein, and in vitro dry matter digestibility showed a negative association with green fodder yield perplant. Path analysis showed that plant height contributed high direct effect to green fodder yield per plant followed by leafbreadth (Moderate) and leaf length (Moderate). Stem diameter and in vitro dry matter digestibility also exerted positivedirect effect on green fodder yield. Thus, the present study indicated that the plant height, leaf length, leaf breadth and stemdiameter are important characters in deciding the green fodder yield per plant. Hence these characters may be considered asselection indices in sorghum breeding programme.