EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF PARENTAL LINES FOR F1 DEVLOPMENT IN OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Research and Development center, Metal Agro Ltd., Debigonj, Panchagarh during the period from mid March to June 2016. The experiment was set up in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The major objectives of the experiment were to study heritability, genetic advance, to select parents for hybridization programe. The study was revealed a wide range of genetic variation and high broad sense heritability for most of the traits. There was significant variation among the genotypes for all the thirteen characters studied. A greater number of genotypes had higher no. of fruits/plant, individual fruit weight, fruit length early flowering, days to 1 st edible stage and yields/plant. So these genotypes could be used in crossing program for the development of high yielding tolerant varieties. Genetic advance in percent of mean suggested that there is yet scope for further improvement of genotypes for the characters studied. The maximum heritability was estimated for plant height (96.89%), single fruit weight (92.59%), fruit diameter (80.00%), 100 seed weight (77.82%), yields /plant (90.44%). High heritability values for most of the characters suggested utilizing these characters in breeding programs is inevitable and necessary for improvement in okra. No. of fruits/plant and single fruit weight had positive significant genotypic and phenotypic correlation with yield. Days to 50% flowering and days to first edible fruit revealed positive significant genotypic and phenotypic correlation with days to first flowering .The breeders must be taken into consideration of these three characters to develop early variety in okra. The primary characters like, days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, no. of fruits/plant, fruit length , single fruit weight and yield/plant might have prime importance in the selection to increase yield. Considering above genetic traits, the genotypes G-4, G-6, G-3, G-13 and G-8 may be used as parents for future breeding program and fruitful improvement of yield and yield contributing traits in Okra.