PATH ANALYSIS BETWEEN FRUIT YIELD AND SOME YIELD COMPONENTS IN TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculeutum Mill)

Path analysis was performed on plant and fruit characters of fifteen tomato genotypes grown in a two year field experiment to determine for fruit yield, the direct and indirect effects of the following traits: plant height, no. of primary branches/plant, no. of fruits/plant, fruit weight (g), fruit bearing length, fruit length, fruit width and pericarp thickness. Fruit yield per plant was positively and significantly correlated with pericarp thickness, fruit length, fruit weight and no. of fruits/plant, whereas, fruit yield per plant had negative and significant association with days to 50% flowering, plant height, no. of primary branches/plant, fruit bearing length. Path analysis showed that plant height, fruit length, fruit bearing length and pericarp thickness had positive direct effects on fruit yield while other traits under study had strong negative direct effects. The significant positive correlation coefficients of no. of fruits/plant with fruit yield was resulted from positive indirect effects of days to 50% flowering, fruit weight, fruit width and pericarp thickness, while for fruit weight with fruit yield, significant positive correlation resulted from positive indirect effects via days to 50% flowering, no. of fruits/plant and no. of primary branches/plant. Results suggest that indirect selection for days to 50% flowering, fruit weight, fruit width and direct selection for fruit bearing length and pericarp thickness should be primary selection criteria for improving fruit yield in tomato.