CORRELATIONS AND PATH ANALYSIS IN CASTOR (<i>RICINUS COMMUNIS</i>)

Abstract

Estimates of broad sense heritability, genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation, genetic advance, correlation coefficients, and path coefficient analysis were made on eight attributes of castor (Ricinus communis L.). Almost all characters showed high genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation. Heritability estimates ranged from 0.152 for bean yield/plant to 0.893 for number of nodes to primary raceme. High genetic advance was exhibited by the characters plant height (124.0) and days to flowering (37.8). High positive phenotypic correlations on bean yield/plant were shown by all characters except days to flowering and number of nodes to primary raceme. Path-coefficient analysis indicated that both the number of capsules/primary raceme (0.74) and the number of secondary branches (0.62) have large positive direct effects on bean yield/plant. These observations indicate that semi-dwarf lines with a larger number of capsules/primary raceme, and a moderate number of primary and secondary branches should be considered as parents for castor breeding programs.