GENETIC VARIABILITY AND CHARACTER ASSOCIATION OF CHILLI (Capsicum frutescens L.)

Abstract

Thirty chilli genotypes were studied with a view to find out variability and genetic association for fruit yield and its component characters. All the characters showed significant variation among the genotypes. The phenotypic variance was higher than the corresponding genotypic variance for all the characters. The highest genetic variabi I ity was obtained in number of fruits/plant followed by fruit yield, plant height and fruit length. High heritabil ity together with high genetic advance in percentage of mean was observed in fruit number/plant followed by fruit yield and plant height. Genotypic correlation coefficients were higher than the corresponding phenotypic correlation coetlicients for most of the traits. Fruit yield was positively and significantly associated with plant height, days to first flowering, number of primary branches/plant, fruit length. fruit weight and fruits number/plant.