CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND GENETIC DIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF SESAME (Sesamum indicum L.)

Abstract

The experiment was carried out with 50 genotypes of Sesamum indicum at the experimental field of sher-e-Bangla Agricultural university, Dhaka to estimate the variability, correlation, path co-efficient analysis during March to June 2015. The genotypes are found significantly variable for most of the characters. The phenotypic variance was much higher than genotypic variance because the environmental effect was high. The high GCV value was observed for pods per plant (27.67). The highest heritability was observed in hundred seed weight (85.29) followed by days to 80% maturity (71.85). The days to 50% flowering (30.99) showed the lowest heritability. The genotypic correlation with seed yield per plant was positive and considerably higher in magnitude except days to first flowering, branch per plant, days to maturity which was significant but negative. The path coefficient studies indicated that plant height, days to 50% flowering, pods per plant, seeds per pod, days to maturity and hundred seed weight were the most important contributors to seed yield per plant which could be taken in consideration for future hybridization program. In cluster analysis genotypes are classified in 5 cluster. The highest inter-cluster distance (17.361) was observed between the cluster III and V, if involved in hybridization may produce a wide spectrum of segregating population. The lowest inter-cluster distance (3.068) was observed between the cluster III and IV. Among all the genotypes studied here BD-6979, BD-7012, BD-7014, BD-7022 might be suggested for future hybridization program.