GENETIC VARIABILITY, CORRELATION AND PATH CO-EFFICIENT ANALYSIS OF SOME YIELD AND YIELD CONTRIBUTING CHARACTERS IN SWEETGOURD (Cucurbita maxima L.)

Abstract

The present study was laid on randomized complete block design on the experimental plot of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka- 1207 with three replications. Ten sweet gourd genotypes were used to estimate the genetic variability, correlation and path coefficient analysis of yield and yield contributing character in sweet gourd. Analysis of variance expressed that genotypic mean sum of square was found highly significant for all the studied characters. PCV for all the observed characters were found greater than the GCV. The highest value of PCV and GCV were 44.25% and 34.07%, respectively for yield per plant. High heritability along with high genetic advance were found for days to first male flowering, days to first female flowering, pedicle length of male flower, pedicle length of female flower, number of male flowers, and individual fruit weight. Through the correlation coefficient analysis, it was observed that, fruit yield per plant had positive and significant correlation with days to first male flowering, days to first female flowering, number of male flowers, number of female flowers, fruit length, number of fruits per plant and individual fruit weight. Path analysis exhibited that, positive and direct effect on yield per plant was recorded for days to first male flowering, number of male flowers, number of female flowers, leaf length, fruit length, number of fruits per plant, and individual fruit weight. From this observation, it was found that genotype G8 and genotype G4 were early in nature and genotype G6 was found to give best performance in number of male flowers, number of female flowers, number of fruits per plant, individual fruit weight, fruit yield per plant. So, that, these genotypes of sweet gourd could be used for future breeding programs.