Character association and path analysis for yield and yield related traits in market and seed crop of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)

Abstract

Thirty genotypes of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) were used for the evaluation of character association and direct and indirect effects of pod/seed yield and yield-related traits in okra. The experiment was laid out at Vegetable Research Farm, CSK HPKV Palampur (H.P.) during summer-rainy season 2018. The character association analysis revealed that pod yield per plant showed positive correlation with pods per plant (0.631 and 0.765), nodes per plant (0.553 and 0.706), duration of availability of edible pods (0.425 and 0.561), plant height (0.420 and 0.466) and average pod weight (0.364 and 0.429) at phenotypic and genotypic level, respectively. In seed crop, traits viz., seeds per pod (0.443 and 0.485), plant height (0.384 and 0.456), nodes per plant (0.372 and 0.532) and 100-seed weight (0.345 and 0.363) at phenotypic and genotypic level, respectively and seed vigour (0.291) at genotypic level showed positive correlation with seed yield per plant. The maximum direct positive correlation on pod yield per plant showed by pods per plant (1.119 and 0.915) and average pod weight (0.864 and 0.723) at both phenotypic and genotypic levels, nodes per plant (0.762) and internodal length (0.632) at genotypic and plant height (0.418) at phenotypic were also substantial whereas, in seed crop nodes per plant (0.316 and 1.302), seeds per pod (0.572 and 0.627) and 100-seed weight (0.325 and 0.246) had maximum positive direct effects on seed yield at both phenotypic and genotypic level, internodal length (0.603) at genotypic and plant height (0.166) and days to 50 per cent flowering (0.123) at phenotypic level was also important. The characters like pods per plant, nodes per plant, average pod weight, plant height and internodal length in market crop and seeds per pod, 100-seed weight and nodes per plant in seed crop showed that they are the most important pod yield and seed yield determinants, because of their high direct and indirect effects via many other yield improving characters. Hence, selection should be practice for these characters in order to isolate superior plant types for improvement of pod yield and seed yield of okra.