Variability, inter-relationship among characters and path coefficient studies in annual moringa

The variance analysis for seventeen quantitative characters were studied in annual moringa showed that genotypes differ significantly among themselves for all the characters under study indicating great wealth of variability existence among the genotypes selected for all the economic traits. Studies on correlation and path coefficient analysis indicated that the genotypic correlations were higher than phenotypic level in general. The yield per plant had positive and significant correlation with percent fruit set, fruit length, fruit pulp weight, fruit weight, number of primary branches and number fruits per plant at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. The path coefficient analysis revealed that the days to 50% flowering, number of flowers per panicle, height at first branch, percent fruit set, number of fruits per plant, plant height, fruit length and fruit girth had the highest positive direct effect on yield per plant. Number of fruits per plant, number of primary branches, number of flowers per panicle, percent fruit set had the highest indirect positive effect on yield per plant through no of fruits per plant. Hence, the selection based on these characters will be effective in formulating selection indices for improvement of high yielding genotypes in annual moringa