GENETIC ANALYSIS IN F5 GENERATION OF TOMATILLO (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the Rabi season of 2021 under field condition to identify the variability, correlation and path coefficient analysis by considering ten yield contributing characters using sixteen populations in F 5 generation of tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.). The experiment was laid out in RCBD with three replications. The population G14 showed the early flowering plant. The population G2 showed the highest plant height. and the population G15 showed the highest fruit length. The population G12

showed the highest fruit diameter. Population G6 showed the highest brix percentage. G11 have highest pH value than the others. Individual fruit weight (60.39g) was observed in G12 population and highest fruit yield per plant (3.76kg) was observed in G4 population. But the population G7 showed the highest number of fruits per plant. Lower difference between PCV and GCV for days to first flowering, plant height, fruit length, fruit diameter, brix percentage, pH, individual fruit weight, number of fruit per plant, yield per plant, suggested that environmental influence was less on the expression of the genes controlling these traits and selection based upon the phenotypic expression of these characters would be effective for the improvement of tomatillo. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance in percentage of mean for brix percentage, individual fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, fruits yields per plant were obtained, suggesting that the heritability of these traits was due to additive gene effects and selection may be effective in early generations for these traits. Yield per plant showed positively significant association with number of branches per plant and number of fruits per plants for both genotypic and phenotypic level, indicating that a possible increase in these traits tends to increase in fruit yield per plant. A positive direct effect was obtained for plant height, number of branches per plant, fruit length, Brix percentage, pH, individual fruit weight and number of fruits per plant on fruit yield per plant. Therefore, considering the agronomic and genetic performance the population G4 for high yield, G8 population for the fresh consumption, G12 and G15 for larger size fruits might be suggested for further selection in next generation that would be effective in future breeding program.