A Study on Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) for Yield and Yield Contributing Traits

Correlation and path analysis was studied for 43 lines and F1s of brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) for seventeen qualitative and quantitative characters. The studies revealed that total fruit yield plant-1 which is the most important trait had highly significant and positive association with fruit weight, number of fruits plant-1, fruit length, fruit diameter and number of pickings plant-1 at both phenotypic and genotypic level. A significant but negative correlation of fruit yield was recorded with days to first flowering, days to first fruit set and days to first fruit picking. Path coefficient analysis revealed that the highest magnitude of positive direct effect on yield was exerted by number of fruits plant-1 (1.865) followed by fruit weight (0.848), fruit length (0.259), plant spread (0.188), plant height (0.142), number of pickings (0.109) whereas, lowest positive direct effect on fruit yield was observed for fruit diameter (0.088). For negative direct effects, days to first flowering (-0.868) showed highest negative direct effect on total fruit yield plant-1 followed by number of branches plant-1 (-0.099), days to first fruit picking (-0.078), and days to first fruit set (-0.044). Therefore, during selection, these characters should also be taken into consideration. Direct selection may be carried out. Considering these traits as the main selection criteria, direct selection can be done. This will also cut down the indirect effect of other characters for developing high yielding brinjal varieties.