CHARACTER ASSOCIATION IN RELATION TO INFESTATION BY SHOOT AND FRUIT BORER (LEUCINODES ORBONALIS GUEN.) IN BRINJAL (SOLANUM MELOENGENA L.)

Genotypic correlation coefficients and path coefficients among fruit yield and other elevan
yield related traits in brinjal were estimated from 15 diverse genotypes evaluated during two
consecutive years. Fruit yield was significantly and positively correlated with fruit number and
ratio of length of peripheral seed ring. It had negative correlation with fruit diameter and
mesocarp thickness. Mesocarp thickness also showed positive association with infested shoot
percentage, fruit diametere and ratio of length of seedless area while it was negatively associated
with fruit number, fruit length and ratio of length of peripheral seedling area. Percentage of
infested fruit yield was highly positively correlated with infested fruit number percentage. Path
analysis indicated that mesocarp thickness had the maximum influence on fruit yield followed by
fruit diameter, fruit number and ratio of length of peripheral seedring, suggesting that the
improvement in fruit yield could be efficient if the selection is based on these component
characters.