The success of most crop improvement programs depends largely on understanding the relationship between traits and the magnitude of that relationship helps the breeder determine selection criteria for a breeding program. An investigation was carried out with 30 rice genotypes to study the character association and direct and indirect effects on yield parameters. The results on character associations revealed a positive and significant association of grain yield with days to 50 percent flowering, number of productive tillers per meter, panicle length, no. of grains per panicle indicating the scope for simultaneous improvement of yield by selections. All the above traits also recorded high and positive direct effects on grain yield per plant, indicating the effectiveness of these traits in improving grain yield per plant towards the development of high yielding genotypes.

Correlations, Path effects, Rice, Yield, gall midge incidence

Based on the results summarized above, it was concluded that days to 50% flowering, no. of productive tillers/meter, panicle length and number of grains per panicle showed a positive contribution and % silver shoots, i.e. gall midge incidence showed a negative contribution to grain yield. Thus, these plant traits deserve more attention in further breeding programs for the development of high-yielding gall midge resistant rice varieties.

Satish Chandra B., Hari Y., Rukmini Devi K., Venkanna V., Rajendra Prasad K., Shravan Kumar R., Akshay M. and Uma Reddy R. (2023). Character Association and Path Analysis Studies for Grain Yield, its components and Gall Midge incidence in Rice (Oryza sativa L.). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(8): 28-31.