kusalkar, D.V.Shinde Deepak Eknath2018-07-282018-07-282006http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810062339he present investigation entitled "Genetic variability analysis and morphological characterization of rabi sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] germplasms" was carried out at Sorghum Improvement Project, M.P.K.V., Rahuri (M.S.) during rabi 2003, to study the extent of genetic variability in the rabi sorghum germplasm, to characterize the germplasm on the basis of morphological characters and to isolate the desirable ideotypes for the breeding purpose. An experimental material consist of 550 different germplasm of rabi sorghum available with Senior Sorghum Breeder, Sorghum Improvement Project, M.P.K.V., Rahuri. 550 genotypes of rabi sorghum were grown in Augmented Randomized Block Design with two checks i.e. M-35-1 and CSV 216 in 22 blocks. The observations were recorded on plant, leaf, panicle, flowers and seed morphological characters. The morphological characteristics exhibited by different varieties studied indicated that although some of the cultivars have common morphological features in respect of one or few characters, they can be differentiated from each other on the basis of other characters. Plant morphological characters like plant colour (tan and nontan), days of 50 per cent flowering (early, medium and late), days to maturity (early, medium and late), plant height (short, medium and tall), internode length, number of internodes per plant, number of leaves per plant were studied. Leaf characters like midrib colour, leaf sheath waxiness, leaf margin shape, flag leaf angle, leaf position angle, leaf sheath covering, leaf length, leaf width were also studied and characterized. Panicle characters like panicle shape, peduncle length, earhead length, earhead width and seed characters like seed shape, seed size, seed luster, 1000 seed weight and grain yield per plant were also studied. Genotypes exhibited differences for these characters. Sufficient variability was present in germplasm under study for all characters. Magnitude of PCV was found more than GCV for all characters. The heritability in broad sense for growth characters 1000 seed weight, grain yield, number of leaves per plant, leaf width, internode length, peduncle length and earhead length was highest. High heritability accompanied with high genetic advance was observed for growth traits viz., grain yield, 1000 grain weight, number of leaves per plant, earhead length, leaf width, internode length, peduncle length and plant height suggesting additive gene control in the inheritance of these traits and scope for selection in the improvement of these characters. On the basis of superiority of the different genotypes over better check some genotypes are isolated and suggested for further improvement programme of rabi sorghum.ennullThesis