Character association and path coefficient analysis of yield and its contributing traits in tomato (SolanumLycopersicon Mill.)

Thirty genotypes including three check varieties (Determinate Punjab Chhuhara, Indeterminate Pusa Ruby and Indeterminate NDT-8) of tomato (Solanum Lycopersicon Mill.) were assessed to work out the association of different yield traits, direct and indirect effects of their various attributes on yield per plant. The most important trait fruit yield per plant had highly significant and positively correlated with marketable fruit yield per plant (0.82), number of fruits per plant (0.61), average fruit weight (0.26) and primary branches per plant (0.15). Pericarp thickness had highly significant and negatively correlated with days to 50 per cent flowering (-0.26). Number of fruit length (0.75) and locules per fruit (0.74) were highly significant and positively correlated with diameter of fruit. Number of fruits per plant was highly significant and negatively correlated with average fruit weight (-0.43). The higher direct effect showed by number of fruits per plant (0.55), followed by average fruit weight (0.49). Number of marketable fruits per plant showed highly indirect and positively effect via marketable fruit per plant (0.34), fruit length (0.14). While average fruit weight (-0.24) and total soluble solids (-0.15) showed negatively indirect effect via number of fruits per plant.