This investigation was conducted on maize (Zea mays L.) at two environmentally

different locations in Sulaimani, viz. Kanipanka and Qlyasan. The objective was to

investigate the correlation between kernel yield and other agronomic characters and their

direct and indirect effects on yield through path coefficient analysis. For the first

generation at Kanipanka, correlation studies revealed significant positive relationship of

kernel yield with number of rows/ear, while at Qlyasan, kernel yield had significant

positive correlation with plant height number of kernels/row and kernel weight/row. For

the second generation kernel yield/plant had highly significant correlation with most of

the studied characters at both locations. For the first generation, the path analysis revealed

that, number of ear/plant and number of kernel/row recorded the maximum positive direct

effect in kernel yield/plant at Kanipanka and Qlyasan, while the maximum negative direct

effect in kernel yield exhibited by plant height and number of ear/plant at Kanipanka and

Qlyasan. The maximum positive indirect effect on kernel yield/plant recorded by number

of ear/plant via plant height and the maximum negative indirect effect recorded by plant

height via number of ear/plant at Kanipanka location, while at Qlyasan location number

of kernel/row gave the maximum positive indirect effect via kernel weight/row and the

maximum negative indirect effect recorded by number of ear/plant via kernel weight/row.

For the second generation, the maximum positive direct effect in kernel yield recorded

by number of ear/plant and plant height at Kanipanka and Qlyasan locations, while the

maximum negative direct effect recorded by 300-kernel weight at both locations. The

maximum positive indirect effect showed by number of ear/plant via number of rows/ear

at Kanipanka location. At Qlyasan, the maximum positive indirect recorded by plant

height via kernel weight/ear. The maximum negative indirect effect recorded by 300-

kernel weight via plant height at both locations. These results detected that number of

ear/plant, number of kernels/row and plant height may be used as reliable criteria for

improving kernel yield in maize.

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