PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSIS AND TRAIT ASSOCIATION STUDIES FOR YIELD ENHANCEMENT IN CHILLI (CAPSICUM ANNUM L.)

Successful execution of plant breeding programs requires diversity among key yield contributing traits and their positive association with final yield. Association of major traits with chilli fruit yield and their direct and mediated effects through path analysis were explored in this research. During 2018 and 2019, trials were conducted on 6 chilli genotypes using RCB design with three replications. Highly significant (p <= 0.01) diversity, from pooled ANOVA results, was observed among six chilli genotypes for days to flowering, plant height, canopy width, number of main branches, days to fruiting, single fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, number of fruits per plant and fruit yield/plant. Days to flowering and fruiting showed an intermediate positive association (r <0.7) with chilli fruit yield and also their path coefficient analysis revealed no substantial direct or mediated contribution to yield. Number of main branches, plant height, number of fruits/plant and single fruit weight exhibited positive correlation (r >0.7) with fruit yield. Path analysis of number of fruits/plant and single fruit weight showed maximum (>0.5) positive direct effect on yield. Although, number of main branches and plant height exhibited small direct effect on fruit yield, their positive mediated effect on yield, through single fruit weight and number of fruits/plant was high (>0.4). In addition, these traits also showed optimum (>20) genetic advance over mean and high heritability (>80%). Therefore, for superior chilli cultivars development selection should be practiced for number of fruits/plant, single fruit weight, plant height and number of main branches.