GENETIC DIVERSITY, CORRELATION AND PATH CO-EFFICIENT ANALYSIS IN TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicon)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during November 2010 to March 2011 to study the genetic variability, correlation, path co-efficient analysis and genetic diversity 1,61. quantitative traits in tomato (Solanum h'coperszcon) with thirty seven genotypes iii randomized block design with three replications. The genotypes were placed in a held expernent conducted at the research farm of Sher-e-Rangla :'\gricultLlral l_1 niversity. Dhaka- I 207. 1 he analysis of variance indicated significantly higher amount of variability among the genotypes for all the characters. Considering genetic parameters high genotypic co-el hcient of variation ((XV ) was observed lor number of fruits per cluster. number of fruits per plant. fruit weight and fruit yield per plant whereas days to first flowering. das to 500%, (lowering and days to maturity showed low GCV. In all cases. phenotypic arianees were higher that) the genotypic variance. High heritability with low genetic advance in percent ol' mean was observed for days to maturity, number ol clusters per plant. number of fruits per cluster, fruit length. fruit diameter and fruit yield per plant which indicated that non-additive gene effects were involved for the expression of these characters and selection br such traits miuht not be rewarding. I Ugh heritability with high genetic advance in percent of mean 'as observed for number of fruits per plant and Fruit weight indicating that these traits were under additive gene control and selection lbr genetic inproement for these traits would be effective. 11w results obtained. sho"ed that fruit yield per plant had high positive and high significant relation with fruit weight. fruit length and fruit diameter but high negative and signi Iieant relation with number of clusters per plant. Path co-efficient analysis revealed that days to 50% Ilowering. number of clusters per plant. number of fruits per plant fruit weight and fruit length had high positively direct el'Iet on yield of tomato. So. these characters could be used on direct selection (or yield improvement. Multivariatc analysis based on twelve agronomic characters indicated that the thirty seven genotypes were grouped into six distant clusters. 'l'he maxi num contribution of characters towards diversity was observed by days to Lirst (lowering, days of 50% flowering. days to maturity and plant height. Thus. these traits may be given high emphasis while selecting the lines for hybridization. The inter cluster distance was maximum between cluster V and cluster VI. The highest intra-eluster distance was found in cluster IV. Considering all the characters G (BD-7269). (h U31)-7276). () (I3D-7278). G,5 (BD-7295). Ci; (BARI Tomato-I 1). 034 (I3ARI 'l'omato-14) and ( (J3ARI l'oniato-1 5) can be selected fbi I'uture breeding programme.