GENETIC VARIABILITY, CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND PATH ANALYSIS FOR FRUIT YIELD COMPONENTS AND QUALITY TRAITS IN EGGPLANT (Solanum melongena L.)

Biparental mating (BIP) attempted in the F-2 population of an eggplant cross Arka Keshav (AK) x Bhola Nath (BN) by using North Carolina Design-1. Two eggplant genotypes, Arka Keshav (AK) and Bhola Nath (BN), were selected on the basis of their contrasting characteristics. The experimental material consisted of forty eight biparental progenies (BIPs) developed in F-2 generations of an inter-varietal crosses viz., Arka Keshav x Bhola Nath (AK /BN) and sixty F-3 progenies developed by selfing of plants used in the biparental mating. The biparental (BIPs) and F-3 progenies were then planted and evaluated along with corresponding original parents, F1S and F(2)s in two different experiments relating in randomized block design (RBD) with 3 replications at Experimental Farm, Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur during kharif 2013. The results indicate that the mean values for all the traits were higher in BIP than in F-3 progenies. The range of expression was wider in biparental progenies and the upper limit of range was especially higher in BIP than in F-3 progenies for most of characters. At the same time, the lower limit was lower in BIP compared with F-3 progenies for most of the traits, suggesting that intermating causes more variability than selfing. Phenotypic variability in general, as revealed by the co-efficient of variation, was greater in biparental progenies as compared to F-3 progenies with a few exceptions for all the characters. The average mean performance of the biparental progenies was also superior to F-3 progenies for all the characters. The correlation coefficients between marketable fruit yield per plant and number of marketable fruits per plant, plant height and fruit weight were mostly positive and significant in BIPs and F-3 progenies. The path analysis revealed that it was mainly the direct effects of fruit weight, which contributed to its association with marketable fruit yield per plant in BIPs and F-3 progenies Hence, fruit weight appeared to be the most appropriate and rewarding character for the selection to operate on for obtaining high fruit yield in brinjal.