Inter character association and path analysis studies for yield and related components in red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata F. rubra)

In the present study, screening of twenty-eight genotypes of red cabbage was carried out to understand character association and path coefficient analysis for yield and its related horticultural traits. The objective was to assess the degree of association between pairs of characters at genotypic and phenotypic levels and thereby collating the direct and indirect effects of the characters. Correlation and path analysis were performed in ten economic traits viz. days to 50 % marketable maturity, number of non-wrapper leaves, head compactness, gross head weight, net head weight, polar diameter, equatorial diameter, stalk length, core length and vitamin C content. Estimates of correlation coefficient revealed that net head weight had significant positive correlation with gross head weight (0.79 and 0.80), vitamin C content (0.45 and 0.87), days to 50 % marketable maturity (0.40 and 0.66), core length (0.33 and 0.59), polar diameter of head (0.30 and 0.40) and head compactness (0.20 and 0.38) at phenotypic and genotypic levels respectively. Meanwhile, path coefficient analysis indicated that vitamin C had the highest positive indirect effects on net head weight followed by gross head weight and number of non-wrapper leaves whereas positive direct effects were exerted by head compactness, core length and polar diameter, thus giving an idea of focusing on these traits for improvement in red cabbage.