Character Association and Path Analysis for Agronomic Traits in Diverse Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) Genotypes

Abstract

The present investigation aimed to determine the intercharacter relationships among morphological characters in a diverse collection of 48 okra genotypes, including landraces, exotic, and indigenous accessions grown at an agriculture farm, near Sivapuri village, Tamil Nadu during January – May 2022 with the objective of enhancing the yield through selection. Both phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficient analyses were conducted. The results revealed that fruit yield had a highly significant and positive correlation with fruit girth, fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, and harvest period. Conversely, a highly significant negative genotypic correlation was observed with days to 50% flowering, plant height, and days to first harvest. Path coefficient analysis provided further insights, indicating that days to first harvest, fruit weight, and the number of fruits per plant had positive direct effects on fruit yield per plant. In contrast, days to 50% flowering had a negative direct effect on yield. These findings suggest that selecting for traits such as earlier harvest, increased fruit weight, and a higher number of fruits per plant could lead to the development of superior okra cultivars with a balanced combination of traits, ultimately enhancing overall crop performance and sustainability in different agro-ecological zones.