estimate of heritability and relationship of some durum wheat characters using recombinant inbred lines

the aim of this study was evaluation of some of characters, estimation of their heritability and their relationship in 104 recombinant inbred lines population of durum wheat under pot and field conditions. the inbred lines, their parents and control genotypes were evaluated in completely randomized design in 3 replications at pot study and in augment design at field condition. analysis of variance indicated that genotypes were significantly different for all of the traits in both conditions. transgressive segregation was significant for the traits especially for yield grain and related traits. coefficients of genotypic and phenotypic variability revealed recombinant inbred lines had more genetic variation for grain yield, number of seed per plant, harvest index and number of tiller. heritability was relatively low for number of tiller, number of fertile tiller and 100 seed weight and was medium and high for height, grain yield, head length, harvest index, days to flowering, and number of seed per plant. harvest index and number of seed per plant had highest correlation with grain yield. path analysis t showed that number of seed per plant had direct effect on grain yield while harvest index contributed indirectly to grain yield via seed number per plant. hence it seems that number of seed per plant is main character to explain the variation of grain yield in the studied durum wheat population.