HERITABILITY, CORRELATION AND PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSIS IN KENAF (HIBISCUS-CANNABINUS L)

The genetic parameters like heritability, correlation and path co-efficient analysis studies on the 51 genotypes of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) revealed that the basal stem diameter, plant height, green plant weight, fibre-wood ratio, fibre length and days to 50% flowering had the positive and significant associations with the fibre yield per plant as well as among themselves, suggesting thereby that the selection for these characters in this crop would be helpful in improving its yield. The path co-efficient analysis indicated that the selection can be practised for fibre-wood ratio, green plant weight and days to 50% flowering as these characters exhibited the positive direct effects alongwith a positive correlation with the fibre yield. The days to 50% flowering, internodal length and number of nodes per plant showed a high heritability, thereby indicating a better genetic advance, and thus the selection for these characters would be more effective in bringing about a simultaneous improvement in the other yield contributing factors in kenaf.