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Abstract. In 2017 and 2018 cropping season, field experiment was conducted at the Food and Agricultural Organization and Tree Crop Plantation, Department of Crop Science, Adamawa State University, Mubi using fifteen genotypes of West African okra. The study was undertaken to study the emergence rate of seedlings from hard okra seed coats, seedling growth and their development. The seeds of the genotypes were soaked in NaCl solution for 24 hours to accelerate the breaking of seed dormancy and to ease seed germination. Tough seed coat usually impairs seed germination by establishing a permeability barrier which can interrupt water uptake required for imbibition, radicle and seedling emergence. The combined analysis results revealed a highly significant (P≤0.01) difference among these genotypes with respect to days to first and 50% flowering including days to first harvest. Furthermore, accession 3 (NG/SA/DEC/07/0448) and accession 11 (Yar kwadon) flowered earlier, had shortest days to first harvest, recorded the highest number of seedlings and emergence percentage than the other genotypes studied.

Abstract. Thirty-six entries of a half diallel cross were evaluated at the Teaching and Research Farm, Adamawa State University, Mubi in 2012 and 2013 under rain fed conditions. The investigation was conducted to study inter-character correlations and path coefficient analyses of yield related traits in West African okra. Fresh pod yield exhibited highly significant (P≤0.01) positive correlation with pods/plant, pod length, branches/plant, pod diameter and leaves/plant. Pod length recorded a highly significant positive correlation with plant height, pod diameter, number of leaves/plant, branches/plant and pods/plant. Similarly, pod diameter had a highly significant positive correlation with plant height, number of leaves, branches and pods/plant. Furthermore, number of pods/plant and branches/plant recorded highly significant positive correlation among yield related traits except plant height. The path coefficient analysis of fresh pod yield and yield related traits showed that number of pods/plant gave the highest direct contribution and percentage yield contribution of 47.83%, followed by pod diameter which contributed 4.58%. Also the highest combined contribution of 14.43% came from pods/plant and pod diameter. Residual percentage contribution was 30.64% revealing that pod yield attributes in this study explained 69.36%. This investigation suggests that pods/plant and pod diameter can be considered as selection criteria for the improvement of West African okra genotypes.