Analysis of quantitative variation and selection criteria for yield improvement in exotic germplasm of tossa jute (Chorchorus olitorius L.)

Abstract

The genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation coefficient and path analysis were estimated for fibre yield and its attributing traits in fifty two germplasm lines of Jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) at Rahuri (M.S.) during kharif season of 2020. Higher magnitude of variance was recorded in plant height followed by days to 50% flowering, days to initiation of flowering and fibre yield per plant. The genotype OIN-136 recorded the highest fibre yield per plant along with higher green weight and basal diameter. The highest genotypic and phenotypic variance was for plant height, days to 50% flowering, days to initiation of flowering, fibre yield and basal diameter and the lowest genotypic and phenotypic variance was that of green weight. High values for PCV and GCV were recorded for green weight and fibre weight. High values of heritability were recorded for basal diameter, days to 50% flowering, days to initiation of flowering and plant height and moderate values of heritability were recorded for green weight and fibre yield. The genetic advance was highest for plant height and lowest for base diameter. The high heritability with moderate to high genetic advance over percentage of mean was observed in plant height, days to 50% flowering and days to initiation of flowering which indicate preponderance of additive genetic action. The high heritability with low genetic advance over percentage of mean was observed in basal diameter. Low heritability with low genetic advance over percentage of mean was observed in green weight and fibre yield indicated the presence of both additive and non additive gene effects. The magnitude of genotypic correlation was higher than the phenotypic correlation indicating that elimination of environmental effects led to strengthen genetic association. The correlation analysis revealed that there was a nonsignificant association of initiation of flowering with green weight and fibre yield at phenotypic level, plant height with green weight at phenotypic level and plant height with fibre yield at genotypic and phenotypic level. Green weight/ plant had highest positive direct effect on fibre yield per plant at genotypic and phenotypic level, days to 50% flowering at phenotypic and initiation of flowering at genotypic level. Therefore direct selection based on these characters would be feasible. Days to initiation of flowering at phenotypic, days to 50% flowering at genotypic, plant height at genotypic and phenotypic and basal diameter per plant at genotypic exhibited high and negative direct effects towards fibre yield. Significant positive correlations with fibre yield per plant indicated that the indirect selection could be made for high yielding jute genotypes through most of the characters having positive indirect effects.