Genetic analysis for yield and quality traits in okra Abelmoschus esculentus L Moench

Abstract

The present investigation entitled Genetic analysis for yield and quality traits in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.] was undertaken at College of Horticulture, Venkataramannagudem, Andhra Pradesh during Summer, Kharif and Rabi seasons of 2021 to estimate the heterosis, combining ability, character association, path coefficient analysis and gene action employing half diallel design and to study the nature and magnitude of gene effects involved in the expression of yield and quality traits in okra using generation mean analysis. For half diallel analysis, the planting material consisted of seven parents (TCR-1674, SB-2, 440-10-1, VROB-178, TCR-1693, VRO-3 and VRO-6), the resultant 21 F1 hybrids and commercial check i.e., Radhika which were grown in RCBD design. For generation mean analysis, the planting material consisted of six F1 crosses (440-10-1 x VRO-3, SB-2 x VRO-3, SB-2 x 440-10-1, TCR-1674 x VROB-178, SB-2 x VROB-178 and TCR-1674 x TCR-1693) their P1, P2, F2, BC1 and BC2 populations. newlineThe heterosis of the F1 hybrids resulted from half diallel analysis revealed that six crosses viz., 440-10-1 x VRO-3, SB-2 x VRO-3, SB-2 x 440-10-1, TCR-1674 x VROB-178, SB-2 x VROB-178 and TCR-1674 x TCR-1693 were the most promising crosses over the commercial check Radhika for yield and quality traits in okra. newlineThe analysis of variance for combining ability revealed significant differences due to parents for all the characters except for days to 50% flowering, days to last picking and fruit length and for crosses days to last picking was not significant whereas, significant differences due to parents vs hybrids were observed for thirteen of the seventeen characters studied indicating the existence of wide variability in the material studied and greater scope for identifying promising parents and hybrid combinations. newlineAll seventeen characters exhibited higher sca variances than gca variances and the ratio of gca to sca variance was less than unity indicating the newlinepredominance of non-additive gene action and improvemen