Estimation of genetic variability and heritability for yield and its related components of orange fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) genotypes

Abstract

Fourteen sweet potato genotypes were employed to assess the genetic variability, heritability and genetic gain during 2022-2023 at an experimental farm, Department of Horticulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences between genotypes for fourteen quantitative parameters and seven qualitative parameters. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation for all the traits. High (>20%) Genotypic Coefficient of Variation (GCV) and Phenotypic Coefficient Variation (PCV) were observed for quantitative parameters viz., vine length (cm), internodal length (cm), vine weight per plant (g), fresh weight of whole plant (g), dry weight of whole plant (g), fresh weight of tuber (g), dry weight of tuber (g), diameter of tuber (cm), number of tubers per plant, marketable tuber yield per plant (g), marketable tuber yield per hectare (t/ha) and qualitative parameters like total carotenoids (mg/100 g), starch content (%), total sugars (%), reducing sugars (%), non-reducing sugars (%) and shelf life (days) indicating the existence of more variability for these traits in the genotypes under study. High heritability (>60%) coupled with high genetic advance as per cent over a mean (>20%) were recorded for the characters viz., vine length (cm), internodal length (cm), vine weight per plant (g), fresh weight of whole plant (g), dry weight of whole plant (g), plant dry matter content (%), fresh weight of tuber (g), dry weight of tuber (g), tuber dry matter content (%), length of the tuber (cm), diameter of tuber (cm), number of tubers per plant, marketable tuber yield per plant (g), marketable tuber yield per hectare (t/ha) and qualitative parameters viz, total soluble solids (°Brix), total carotenoids (mg/100 g), starch content (%), total sugars (%), reducing sugars (%), non-reducing sugars (%) and shelf life (days) indicated that these characters were least influenced by the environmental effects and governed by additive genes and selection will be rewarding for improvement of such traits in sweet potato.