Correlation and path coefficient analysis in cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme)

Abstract

Thirty cherry tomato genotypes were evaluated under naturally ventilated polyhouse at the Experimental Farm, Department of Vegetable Science, Kittur Rani Channamma College of Horticulture, Arabhavi during rabi season, 2019-20 to study the correlation and path analysis in diverse genotypes of cherry tomato. Fruit yield per plant exhibited highly significant and positive correlation with plant height, polar diameter of the fruit, average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, equatorial diameter of the fruit and number of seeds per fruit at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Number of locules per fruit and days to first flowering were negatively and non-significantly associated with fruit yield per plant at both genotypic and phenotypic level. The path coefficient analysis revealed that days to first flowering (3.219) exhibited very high positive direct effect on fruit yield per plant, followed by average fruit weight (1.636), number of seeds per fruit (1.280), polar diameter of the fruit (0.820), number of locules per fruit (0.618), and the negative direct effects on yield were showed by days to 50 per cent flowering (-3.733), equatorial diameter of the fruit (-1.830), and number of fruits per plant (-0.575). These characters may be given more emphasis for direct selection of high yielding cherry tomato genotypes in future breeding programmes.