Author(s): K. SURESH, S. K. JALAJA, R. BANERJEE AND K.TRIVEDY

Abstract: Improvement of leaf productivity and quality is the most sustainable and economic approach in sericulture development programme. The experiment was conducted to study the “Genetic variability, Correlation and path coefficients in 982 segregating progenies derived from 57 crosses (utilizing 6 females and 12 male parents), in Gangetic Alluvial plains of West Bengal at the Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Berhampore during June 2014 to July 2016. The investigation revealed the high phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation for leaf yield per plant, petiole weight, shoot yield, single lamina weight, total shoot length, single leaf area, shoots per plant, total chlorophyll content and inter-nodal distance indicated the existence of greater magnitude of genetic variability in the population. Character association analysis revealed that leaf yield per plant was positive and significantly associated with all the traits studied viz., shoot yield per plant (0.952), total shoot length (0.788) and plant height (0.671), except for leaf moisture and total chlorophyll content etc.. Besides, total shoot length (1.295), shoots per plant (0.619), single lamina weight (0.411) and harvest index (0.205) had a high direct effect on the leaf yield and can be used for indirect selection or as secondary traits in the selection process. Hence, total shoot length, laminar weight, shoots per plant, specific leaf area and harvest index may be considered has a useful surrogates for selection among segregating progenies in mulberry improvement programme.

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