To Study Correlation Between Yield and Its Components in Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Abstract

The present investigation, was conducted to evaluate 74 different genotypes, including 14 lines, 4 tests, and 56 F1 hybrids, along with two control checks. The study was carried out using a randomized block design with three replications at the Vegetable Research Farm, Department of Vegetable Science, Sunrise University, located in Alwar, Rajasthan, India. The evaluations spanned two summer seasons in 2022 and 2023. Various traits such as days to 50% flowering, days to first fruit harvest, plant height, number of primary branches per plant, pedicel length, number of fruits per cluster, average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, total phenolic content, dry matter content, reducing sugar content, non-reducing sugar content, total sugar content, TSS (total soluble solids), ascorbic acid content, total fruit yield per plant, and yield per hectare (Q/Ha) were recorded. Ancillary traits were also observed. The findings indicated that during the first year, there was a strong positive correlation between average fruit weight and several traits, including total fruit yield per plant, yield per hectare, non-reducing sugar content, and the number of fruits per plant. Similarly, in the second year, average fruit weight exhibited significant positive correlations with total fruit yield per plant, yield per hectare, number of fruits per cluster, and TSS. Pooling the data from both years also showed a strong positive correlation between average fruit weight and total fruit yield per plant, yield per hectare, non-reducing sugar content, and the number of fruits per plant. In terms of genotypic correlations during the first year, average fruit weight displayed strong positive correlations with total fruit yield per plant, yield per hectare, non-reducing sugar content, the number of fruits per plant, and total phenolic content.