Studies on variability, heritability and genetic advance for yield and its attributes in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

The present investigation was conducted during Rabi season at vegetable Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) during 2016 - 2017. Eighteen genotypes were used to study the genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation coefficient and path coefficient analysis for growth and yield contributing characters in brinjal with 14 different characters viz. plant height at 30 days (cm), plant height at 60 days (cm), plant height at 90 days (cm), number of branches at 60 days, number of branches at 90 days, day to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, days to first fruit set, fruit length (cm), fruit weight (g), number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plot (kg), TSS (0Brix) and ascorbic acid (mg /100g) were taken into consideration parameter studied. Analysis of variance in the present investigation shows that the genotypes evaluated differed significantly among all the 14 traits. The results revealed that among the all genotypes Punjab barsati also produced qualitative fruit in highest T.S.S content and highest value for the ascorbic acid content. The genotype Punjab barsati, followed by kashi prakash, V. R -2 and J. B. Round produced higher fruit yield per plot. High heritability in broad sense along with high genetic advance in percent of mean was observed for fruit length, single fruit weight, plant height 60 days. High genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was recorded for number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plot and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for number of fruits per plant followed by fruit yield per plant.