Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis in chowchow (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz.)

Correlation and path analysis were carried out in twenty diverse genotypes of chow-chow collected from different North Eastern states of India. Correlation studies indicated that fruit yield per plant was positively and significantly correlated with days to first flowering, number of nodes at first fruit set, length of internodes, length of leaf, width of leaf, petiole length, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit diameter which indicated the importance of these traits in selection for yield. Path analysis revealed that maximum positive direct effect on fruit yield per plant was imposed by fruit weight, number of fruits per plant and number of nodes at genotypic level. This indicated that these are the real independent characters and have maximum contribution towards increase in fruit yield per plant.