Abstract:
The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the genetic divergence and
relationship between yield and yield contributing characters in nineteen genotypes of
okra at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. The seeds of
19 genotypes of okra were sown in Randomized Complete Block Design with three
replications during kharif-I season of 2017. Results of analysis of variance indicated
that significant differences among the genotypes were found for all the characters
observed. The mean performance of the genotypes as the days to 1
st
flowering (41.58
days), number of flowers per plant (22.65), fruiting span (56.35 days), plant height
(127.23 cm), number of fruits per plant (17.30), fruit length (12.93 cm), individual
fruit weight (15.84 g) and fruit yield per plant (279.04 g) were recorded. High
heritability coupled with high genetic advance was found in flowers per plant, fruits
per plant, fruit diameter, individual fruit weight and fruit yield per plant. Such results
revealed that these characters were controlled by additive gene action and selection
based on these characters will be effective for the improvement of the crop. The
correlation analysis revealed that the traits like flowers per plant (0.724), internodes
per plant (0.712), fruits per plant (0.935), fruit length (0.708), fruit weight (0.591) and
seeds per fruit (0.680) had positive and significant genotypic correlation with fruit
yield. The diversity analysis grouped the nineteen genotypes into five different
clusters. The cluster IV contains the maximum genotypes (6) and cluster III contains
the minimum genotypes (2). Considering genetic variability, diversity and mean
performance, genotype G14 and G15 could be selected from cluster IV for earliness
whereas genotype G2 and G3 could be selected for more fruit per plant and high yield
per plant from cluster III. The highest cluster distance was between cluster I & cluster
III and lowest was between cluster IV and cluster V. So, divergent genotypes are
recommended to use as parents in future hybridization program from more distant
cluster I and cluster III.
Description:
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of Agriculture,
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN
GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING