Studies on trait association and path co-efficient analysis of sesame (Sesamum sp.) for quantitative traits and oil quality parameters

Abstract

Sesame is called as Queen of Oilseed crops because of its high oil content. The current study was focusedon the association and path co-efficient analysis of 17 yield components with yield and six oil quality parameterswith oil content. From 17 traits days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of primary branchesper plant, number of secondary branches per plant, top petiole length, capsule length, capsule width, seedweight were associated with single plant yield and oil content. The outcome of the study gives a tremendousscope in identifying plants with high yielding early plant type with increased oil content and more number ofbranches. For six oil quality parameters, oil content had a positive correlation with saponification value andperoxide value, negative correlation with sesamin, sesamol and iodine value. Path analysis for yield componentsrevealed that the number of primary branches made the highest direct effect on single plant yield of sesame,while the lowest direct effect was from days to maturity. The high residual effect (0.37) showed the contributionof other yield contributing characters towards the yield. The direct effect of the traits acid number, saponificationvalue and peroxide value were negative and positive direct effect was recorded by sesamin content.  Basedon correlation and path analysis for oil quality parameters, the availability of high oil yielding genotypes withincreased sesamin and sesamol content is extremely difficult, with a rare exception of CO 1, future breedingprogrammes should be aimed at utilizing genotypes with the high sesamin content having lipogenetic,cholestrogenetic character and sesamol content exhibiting anti-ageing, antitumor, anti-carcinogenic andhepatoprotective property to get superior oil quality combined with high oil yield.