Direct and indirect effect of yield components on yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) by path co-efficient analysis

Abstract

The analysis of variance for the design of experiment indicated highly significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits. Based on mean performance of genotypes NDB-5 followed by NDB-5 followed by NDB-15, NDB-6, NDB-4, NDB-7 and NDB-16 were yield per plant, fruit weight and yield per plant indicating opportunity for selection response. Yield per plant had exhibited highly significant and positive association with fruits per plant and early yield while primary branches showed negative and significant association with yield per plant. Fruits per plant, fruit weight and plant height were identified as most important traits which has direct effect on yield per plant while negative direct effect on yield showed by fruit circumference followed by plant height and days to 50% flowering on yield. Path coefficient provide an effective means of entangling direct and indirect causes of association are measure and measure the relative importance of each caused factor.