Elucidation of correlation and path coefficient analysis for various morphological attributes in elite genotypes of bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.)

Abstract

Bitter gourd or bitter melon is undoubtedly one of the most significant members of the cucurbitaceous vegetable crops. Through the exploitation of this highly potential crop, novel mechanisms and strategies can be developed that will open the wide arrays for further improvement. Keeping this objective in mind, a field investigation was conducted with twenty genotypes of bitter gourd at Vegetable Research Farm of Banaras Hindu Universityto estimate the character association as well as direct and indirect effects of different yield traits on average yield per plant through correlation and path coefficient analysis. The data demonstrated that the positive and significant interrelationship with average yield per plant was obtained by various traits, viz., node number of first staminate flower (0.375), node number of first pistillate flower (0.54), vine length (0.417), fruit length (0.356), fruit circumference(0.79), average fruit weight (0.768), fruits per plant (0.637), and internodal length (0.3) while negative significant correlation was followed by days to anthesis of first staminate flower (−0.331) and days to first harvest (−0.355). The average fruit weight (0.572) had highest direct positive effect on average yield per plant followed by traits like days to fifty per cent flowering (0.296), number of fruits per plant (0.274), and number of primary branches per plant (0.259) whereas maximum direct negative effect was recorded by days to anthesis of first staminate flower (−0.263) followed by internodal length (−0.162) and days to first harvest (−0.152). The traits with high positive direct effect should be more prioritised for effective selection of promising genotypes for further crop improvement programmes.