Character association and path analysis in tomato (Solanum lycopersicon [Mill.] Wettsd.)

The present investigation was carried out to estimate the correlation and path coefficient among 50 genotypes for eleven yield contributing traits. Number of fruit per plant (0.59), average fruit weight (0.17), equitorial diameter (0.18) and unmarketable fruit per plant (0.66) were significantly and positively correlated with total fruit yield per plant while days to 50% flowering (-0.03) and plant height (-0.02) were significantly and negatively correlated with total fruit yield per plant. Equitorial diameter of fruit (0.77), and polar diameter of fruit (0.76) had highly significant and positive correlation with average fruit weight. While average fruit weight (-0.58), polar diameter of fruit (-0.51), equitorial diameter of fruit (-0.43), and days to 50% flowering (-0.31) were highly significant and negative correlation with number of fruit per plant respectively. The higher magnitude of positive direct effect on fruit yield per plant was exerted by number of fruit per plant (0.9184) followed by average fruit weight (0.5672), polar diameter of fruit (0.3360), unmarketable fruit yield per plant (0.3238), while primary branches per plant (0.0783), days to 50% flowering (0.0229), total soluble solids (0.0154) and plant height (0.0091) showed substantially low positive direct effect. The negative direct effect on fruit yield per plant was showed by equitorial diameter of fruit (-0.2461) and number of fruit per cluster (-0.0086).