Faten alsafadi*(1), Abdel Mohsen Marie(2), Ramzi Murshid(3) and Hesham Alatwani(1)
(1). Sweida Research Centre, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Syria.
(2). Administration of Horticulture Research, General Commission for
Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Damascus, Syria.
(3). Department of Horticulture Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Damascus, Damascus, Syria.
(*Corresponding Author: Dr. Faten Alsafadi, E.mail:.f.alsafadi@gmail.com .)
Received:17/12/2023 Accepted:10/01/2024
Abstract:
This study was conducted at GCSAR-Swaida research center (Hout station) during 2019-2020 seasons produced by complete diallel mating design, using RCBD with four replications, to estimate the phenotypic and genetic correlation coefficient and path analysis between yield components, to evaluate six melon inbred lines and their F1 hybrids (30 individual hybrids). The results showed that genotypic correlations coefficient were higher than those of their respective phenotypic correlation coefficients for most of the traits studied, and this indicates that there is a strong genetically relationship between the traits, and that they are less influenced by the environment, and we found high and significant positive correlation between length, diameter and average weight of the fruit with yield per plant. The results of the genetic path coefficient analysis showed that the main Stem length trait had the highest direct and positive effects (0.847) on plant yield, followed by the average fruit length trait, then the average fruit weight trait, and the correlation coefficient between the fruit length and yield and the average fruit weight and plant yield was positive and significant, and this indicates the existence of a real correlation for these two characteristics with plant yield. while internode length has the highest negative direct effects (-0.804) on yield, followed by the trait of the number of days until the first female flower appears, this trait related with earliness. Regarding to the relative importance of the contribution of each trait on yield. The highest percentage of contribution was for the average fruit weight trait (35.683%). Therefore, the main stem length traits and fruit weight and length of the fruit are considered important traits for selection in breeding programs, because they have a direct effect on yield and indirectly through other characteristics that play an effective role in increasing yield.
Keywords: Cucumis melo L., Genotypic Correlations Coefficient, Path Coefficient. Melon, Yield.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF