Correlation and path analysis for quantitative and qualitative traits in bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) standl]

Abstract

The experiment carried out Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal, Puducherry (U.T), India. The analysis for quantitative and qualitative traits in Bottle gourdall 24 genotypes was used to partition the genotypic correlation into components of direct and indirect effects. The emphasis should be given to improve fruit yield per plant in bottle gourd was found significant and positively correlated with fruit flesh thickness (r = 0.522) and fruit weight (r = 0.644), and the result of path analysis study revealed that the characters like vine length, number of primary branches, number of seeds per fruit and number of pickings were the most important yield determinants, because of their high direct effects and high indirect effects via., many other yield improving characters. This suggests that emphasis must be given on such traits while exercising selection to improve the yield in bottle gourd.