SCREENING OF OKRA GERMPLASM BASED ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the research farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, from March to July, 2014 to evaluate promising cultivars of okra. Sixteen okra cultivars viz. Shaymol Bangla, Sarosh-3, BARI Dherosh-1, Porosh Plus, OK-285, Deb-412, Parvani Kranti, Kalatia, Green soft, Arka Anamika, Malvika, Green valley, Toa DK-2, Shehzadi, Gunjon, Kochi were used as treatments. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Screening was done based on morphological features, yield and yield contributing features and physiological features. Leaves per plant were the maximum for Parvani kranti at harvest. Anthesis occurred in OK-285 prior to any other varieties. Minimum incidence of YVMV was found from the variety Sharosh-3. In all other morphological attributes viz. plant height, days required for 80% germination, pods plant-1 and pod yield as well as physiological attributes like net assimilation rate, intercellular CO2 concentration, respiration rate and stomatal conductance were the highest for variety Green valley. The highest pod yield (14.26 t/ha) was obtained from the variety Green valley which was closely followed by Porosh plus (10.22 t/ha) and the lowest yield was obtained from the variety Parvani kranti (5.23 t/ha). So, Green Valley was the best variety in respect of morphological and physiological characteristics among the studied varieties.