MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION, CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND PATH ANALYSIS OF BITTER GOURD (Momordica charantia L.) GENOTYPES
MD. MARUFUR RAHMAN
Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training on Applied Nutrition, Dhaka, Bangladesh
. KAMRUNNAHAR
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
ABU BAKAR SIDDIQUE *
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
MD. SHAHIDUR RASHID BHUIYAN
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
NAHEED ZEBA
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
External morphological study of the vegetative and reproductive parts of bitter gourd genotypes belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae found in Bangladesh was conducted in search of intraspecific characters that may be of source of better parent’s for selection. The morphological characters showed more variation were used in this study. Most of the variations were found in leaf characters, flower, ovary length, fruit characters and seed characters among the genotypes of bitter gourd. The morphological variation existing among fifteen genotypes in bitter gourd are presented. The significant positive correlation was found between yield and fruit length and fruit weight at genotypic and phenotypic level. Path co-efficient analysis indicated that fruit length, fruit weight and number of fruit per plant had direct positive effect on yield. Positive indirect effect also found by vine length, branch per vine and days to flowering on yield of bitter gourd. Hence Selection on the basis of the morphological difference will be more judicious for future hybridization program.
Keywords: Morphology, cucurbitaceae, bitter gourd, diversity.