GENETIC VARIABILITY, CORRELATION AND PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSIS IN BITTERGOURD (Momordica charantia L.)

Variability, correlation and Path coefficient among eight horticultural characters of twenty bitter gourd hybrids were studied. High genotypic (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was observed for number of fruits per plant, fruit weight and fruit length whereas low GCV and PCV was observed for days to first male and female flower anthesis (days after sowing). For most of the parameters under study, PCV was found to be higher than GCV. High heritability with high genetic advance (GA) was observed for fruit weight, fruit length and number of fruits per plant which is an indicative of greater proportion of additive genetic variance and consequence a high genetic gain from selection. High heritability with low genetic advance was observed for days to first male and female flower anthesis and days to marketable maturity from anthesis, indicated that non-additive gene effects were involved for the expression of these characters. Correlation analysis revealed that number of fruits per plant had significant positive correlation for yield. Further, path coefficient analysis partitioned the correlation into direct and indirect effects. Yield was found to be directly correlated with fruit weight, number of fruits per plant and fruit length, hence selection based on these characters would be more rewarding.