The present investigation was performed with fifty-three genotypes of Gossypium hirsutum L. cotton to get information on genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance as per cent of mean for yield, yield supporting and fibre quality attributes. The value of PCV was higher than GCV which explains that instead of genotypic component, the environmental component also influences in the expression of the character. The characters like number of bolls per plant, number of flower bearing nodes and seed cotton yield recorded higher values of GCV and PCV. Moderate values of GCV and PCV was observed for plant height, number of sympodia, length of internode, boll weight, seed index, lint index, ginning out turn and micronaire value. Length of sympodia resulted in moderate GCV and higher PCV. Lower values of GCV and PCV was observed for days to first flowering, days to fifty per cent flowering, days to first boll bursting, days to fifty per cent boll bursting, upper half mean length, uniformity index, fibre strength and elongation per centage. Higher heritability with higher genetic advance as per cent of mean was recorded by plant height, number of flower bearing nodes, boll weight and lint index. This suggests that these characters could be improved by simple selection because they are controlled by additive gene action. Number of sympodia, number of bolls per plant, seed cotton yield, length of internode and length of sympodia recorded moderate heritability and higher genetic advance which may be due to non-additive gene acion. | Genetic parameters of economic and fibre characters in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
