Character association and path coefficient analysis for yield and quality traits in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to study the correlation and path coefficient between yield and quality traits at the experimental farm of Dr. Yaswant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan during Kharif season, 2014. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Positive association of yield components with average fruit weight, plant height, inter-nodal distance, pericarp thickness and harvest duration was observed. Significant direct effect towards yield was contributed by average fruit weight followed by number of fruits per plant, pericarp thickness and harvest duration, whereas number of fruits per cluster, number of locules per fruit, days to first picking, total soluble solids and inter-nodal distance showed negative direct effect. The indirect effect of number of fruits per cluster was of sufficient magnitude via number of fruits per plant. Pericarp thickness and locular wall thickness also exhibited high indirect effect via average fruit weight. Considering the direct and indirect effect of various components characters, it was ascertained that average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, pericarp thickness and harvest duration are the characters to be emphasized in improving the yield.

Keywords

• tomato
• component characters
• correlation
• path analysis
• yield