MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND GENTIC DIVERSITY IN OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Monech)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the morphological characterization and genetic diversity in okra genotypes at the experimental field of Genetics and Plant Breeding Department, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University from November 2007 to April 2008. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The present study was undertaken with it view to asses the performance of twenty okra genotypes in order to know the genetic parameter and variability of eleven quantitative characters and finally assessing the genetic diversity among these genotypes. Significant differences among the different genotypes for all characters were observed. The mean performance of the genotypes as the days to 50% flowering (67.18 days), days to edible maturity (81.70 days). plant height (69.16 cm), height to 1 node from the ground (14.02 cm). number of branches per plant (3.15), number of pods/plant (10.00), length of pod (10.10), diameter of pod (1.59 cm), individual pod weight (12.75 g), number of seeds/pod (54.80) and yield/plant (144.13 g) respectively were recorded. Iligh heritability (>60%) was observed for days to flowering, days to edible maturity, plant height height to l node from the ground, number of branches per plant, number of pods/plant, diameter of pod, individual pod weight, number of seeds/pod and yield/plant. For knowing the genetic diversity of okra genotypes, multivariate analysis was done by using Genstat. As per ICA, 1)2 and cluster analysis, the genotypes were grouped into 5 clusters. Cluster 1, 11, III. IV and V composed of 4. 2, 5, 5 and 4 genotypes, respectively. PCA showed 97.55 % variation against first three eigen values. The highest intra-cluster distance (1.126) was found in cluster II and lowest (0.2628) in cluster I among the five clusters. Considering that the G7 , G9 and 0 from cluster 111. 01 from cluster 1. GI() from cluster 11 and Gs and 01 3 from cluster 1V were considered to be better parent for efficient hybridization. Therefore, considering group distance and the agronom i c performance, the inter genotypic crosses between 67 and G, 07 and 05, G7 and Glo. G7 and G G9 and GI, G9 and 05, 69 and Glo, G9 and G13, Gil and l, Gll and G. G and 010, 0i and 013 C1 and G. 0 and 010. 01 and °13, Cc and 010 G10 and might he considered for efficient hybridization programme.