Correlation and path analysis between yield and different morphological characters in Kinnow Mandarin (C. Noballis × C. Deliciosa)

Abstract

A study of interrelationship and cause-effect analysis of yield of Kinnow Mandarin (C. Noballis × C. deliciosa) and its component traits for 104 and 96 trees from Indora (Location L-1) and Indpur (Location L-2) blocks of Kangra district respectively had been done in 2014-15. F-test suggested that there was significant (1.47) variation among yield characteristics between these two locations except for fruit weight (gm) and LD ratio. Results obtained from path coefficient analysis, showed that for location L-1, number of fruits per branch (0.229), plant height (0.215) and tree girth (0.212) had highest and direct effect on yield per tree whereas for location L-2, fruit weight (0.38), number of flowers per branch (0.176) and plant girth (0.161) had highest direct effect on yield per plant. Thus, number of fruits per branch, number of flowers per branch and tree girth were the most important yield components of kinnow crop which should be exploited through a breeding programme for improving its yield potential.