Genetic variability studies for improvement in brinjal under hot arid agro-climate

Abstract

Variability studies in brinjal indicated good amount of genetic variation is the evaluated germplasm. PCV was in general higher than the GCV. PCV and GCV of higher order for average fruit yield of plant, fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, and fruit width were desired. High heritability and high genetic advance was observed in traits like average fruit yield per plant and fruit weight, which indicates participation of additive genetic variance. Correlation studies among morphological and yield related traits revealed that average fruit yield had positive and significant correlation with fruit width, number of fruits per plant and average fruit yield per plant at phenotypic as well as genotypic levels. The path coefficient revealed that the total fruit yield per plant was positively dependent on traits like fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, leaf width and plant height. Multivariate analysis grouped the genotypes under five clusters, the highest being eight in clusters I. Intraclusters distances was high in cluster IV, while the inter-cluster distances was highest between cluster III and cluster V, thus signifying their role in exploitation of heterosis.