Field experiments were conducted during the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 dry seasons at the Fadama Teaching and Research Farm of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, in the Sudan Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria. The farm is located on latitude 130011N; longitude 50151E and at an altitude of about 350 m above sea level. The study was aimed at investigating the correlation between some growth, yield, yield components and grain quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The treatments consisted of factorial combination of water stress at three critical growth stages which was imposed by withholding water (at Tillering, Flowering, Grain filling) and Control (No stress), two varieties (Star 11 TR 77173/SLM and Kuaze/Weaver) and four sowing dates (21st November, 5th December, 19th December and 2nd January) laid out in a split plot design with three replications. Simple correlation coefficient ® of different crop parameters and grain yield indicated that most of the agro-physiological crop parameters viz. plant height, number of tiller m-2, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Net Assimilation Rate (NAR), Crop Growth Rate (CGR), number of spike m-2, spike length, spikelets per spike, number of grain per spike, 1000-grain weight, total aerial phytomass and harvest index had significant positive correlation with grain yield in both seasons and combined and this indicate their importance in yield determination. Protein and gluten content had varying levels of correlation in both seasons and combined. An over all, it is logical to conclude that spike m-2, number of spikelets per spike, grain per spike, total aerial phytomass yield, grain yield, harvest index and 1000-grain weight are the major contributors towards grain yield since these characters had high correlation. Thus, direct selection of these characters should be major concern for increased grain yield and grain quality of wheat.
Key words: Correlation, Wheat; growth, yield, yield components, grain quality
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