Genetic parameters, character association and path analysis for fruit yield and its component characters in guava (Psidium guajava L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted to estimate genetic parameters, correlations and path coefficients from different traitsof ninegenotypes in guava. The genotypes exhibited a wide range of variability for all the characters studied.The high estimates of GCV  and PCVwere recorded for fruit yield per plant, fruit weight, plant height, petiole size, acidity and number of seeds per fruit while low GCV and PCVwereexpressed by E-W plant spread, leaf length, fruit breadth and N-S plant spread. Heritability estimates revealed that all the characters under study ranged from 99.97 forleaf breadth to 61.99 forTSS. Genetic advance as percent of mean varied from 15.13 (fruit breadth) to 70.73 (number of seeds per fruit). High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was recorded for fruit yield, plant height, fruit weight, acidity and number of seeds per fruit indicating that these traits are under the control of additive gene action and phenotypic selection for their improvement will be effective. Significantpositive association of fruit weight with fruit length (0.6134) and fruit breadth (0.7622)indicated the importance of these characters during selection for high yielding genotypes in future breeding programs.