BIOMETRICAL EVALUATION BASED ON YIELD AND SOME IMPORTANT YIELD CONTRIBUTING CHARACTERS OF DIVERSE GERMPLASM OF WATER MELON

Abstract

“The experiment was conducted during December 2006 to June 2007 at the farm of East West Seed Bangladesh Ltd. under the zonal production office, Thakurgaon to study variability through some biometrical approaches on yield related characters, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, number of primary branches/plant, number of fruit/plant yield/plant and harvest index in 40 genotypes of water melon. Significant differences were observed among the genotypes for all characters. Maximum days required for 50% flowering (38.00) was recorded in genotype PSO 31-B (23.67) as a late flowering one. Jiamei and PSO 37 fallowed by Black Beauty, Red Jade, Xiao Lan WM 22056 (24.00) and Banphai 999 and PSO 35 (34.67) were the late flowering genotypes. Minimum or early maturity (53.33) was observed in genotype PSO 37 fallowed by Black Beauty, Red Jade (54.00), Banphai 999, WM 22056 and Jiamei (54.33). The highest number of branches /plant (6.67) was found in genotype PSO 37 fallowed by Jaimei and Black Beauty (6.33). The genotype PSO 31 had the lowest number of branches/plant followed by Chrislina 173, Ophal 189 PSO 28 and Frillier 747 (3.33). Maximum number of fruits /plant (7.33) was produced by the genotype Xiao Lan followed by genotypes WM 22056, Red Jade (7.00) and Black Beauty (6.667). Minimum number of fruits /plant (2.333) was produced in the genotypes PSO 28 and PSO 29. Among all the genotypes, Orleans 222 had the highest fruit length (35.00) and the genotype Red Jade had the lowest fruit length (10.33cm). The genotype PSO 29 had the maximum fruit diameter (29.33cm) and the genotype Red Jade had the minimum fruit diameter (9.67cm). The genotype PSO 28 had the maximum weight/fruit (14.10). On the other hand, the minimum weight /fruit (1.40) were found in the genotype PSO 37/Sugar content was found maximum in the genotypes Raptor 515 (14.33) and Black Ball 093 (13.25) and the minimum sugar content (11.17) was found in the genotype PSO 28. The Yield/Plant ranged from 11.17 to 14.33kg. The genotype PSO31-B produced the maximum yield/plant coupled with minimum number of fruits /plant. Among the genotypes high heritability values accompanied by high genotypic coefficient of variation and high genetic advance in percentage of mean were observed for yield/plant, fruits/plant, and number of branches /plant. Correlation study indicated that yield/plant was positively and significantly related with fruit diameter and fruit length. Sugar or (brix %) correlated was with number of fruits/plant. Path-coefficient study revealed that number of fruits /plant contributed maximum to yield in positive direction followed by days to maturity.