Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis in Twenty Ber Genotypes under Semi-Arid Conditions of Rajasthan

Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) commonly known as Ber belongs to family Rhamnaceae, consists of 45 genera and 550 species. The genus Zizyphus has approximately 40 species, including Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk. , which is indigenous to India. Ber is one of the important fruit trees that can be successfully cultivated in the hot arid regions of India. It is one of most ancient and common fruits in India [1]. Ber is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world [2]. It is found wild as well as in cultivated forms throughout the warmer regions up to an altitude of 1500 meters above mean Sea level. Ber is cultivated in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan. In Rajasthan, ber orchards are manly spread around Tijara, Alwar, Deeg, Chomu, Jaipur and Jodhpur. Ber is quite popular due to high economic returns, low cost of cultivation, wider adaptability and ability to stand with drought [3]. It can provide food security, due to sustained production of the fruit, irrespective of drought, as the tree is drought and saline tolerant and can grow on poor degraded land [4]. Ber fruits are very nutritious and usually eaten fresh. Fruits are also consumed in dried and preserved form as candy, pickle, juice and ber butter [5]. Arid regions are now facing a grave situation because of ecological deterioration. These areas have been subjected to unprecedented biotic pressure creating variety of scarcity conditions and need increased food supply. Inherently, desert environment imposes biophysical constraints for intensive production. Therefore, there is need for greater attention on drought and heat tolerant fruit tree species and ber is the most predominant among them. The chance of a suitable cultivar is of paramount importance for successful cultivation. Correlation estimates between fruit yield and its components are useful in developing suitable selection criteria for selecting desired plant types or developing high yielding varieties. Path analysis is helpful in choosing the character (s) that has direct or indirect effect on yield. Such a study may be useful in effective selection and simultaneous improvement of the component characters that Abstract A study was undertaken to analyses the correlation and path coefficient for different characters in twenty ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) genotypes grown at Asalpur Farm, Department of Horticulture, SKN College of Agriculture, Jobner during two consecutive years of 2014-15 and 2015-16. In general, the genotypic correlation coefficients were higher than the respective phenotypic correlations which might be from modifying effect of environment on the association of characters at genotypic level. Further, the fruit yield/ tree showed significant positive correlation at phenotypic level with fruit set, fruit retention, number of fruit pickings, pulp weight, specific gravity, fruit breadth, fruit weight, pulp: stone ratio, fruit length, plant spread (E-W), duration of fruiting, stone weight, plant spread (N-S), total acidity and canopy volume. However it had significant negative correlation with fruit drop, TSS: acid ratio, total days taken to first harvesting, total days taken to complete harvesting and reducing sugar in fruit. Similarly, path coefficient analysis at phenotypic level revealed that total days taken to first harvesting had highest positive direct effect on fruit yield/ tree followed by pulp weight, fruit length, specific gravity, duration of fruiting, fruit breadth, fruit set, volume of fruit, plant height, fruit weight, stem girth, canopy volume, non-reducing sugar, ascorbic acid content, reducing sugar and duration of flowering. These characters may be simultaneously selected to develop the high yielding varieties as they exerted high positive direct effect as well as had positive association with fruit yield.