PHENOTYPIC CORRELATIONS AMONG GROWTH, FLORAL, AND YIELD TRAITS IN OKRA (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS) UNDER ASPERGILLUS NIGER INFECTION

Abstract

Effective breeding for stress resilience and high yield in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) requires a clear understanding of the phenotypic correlations among key agronomic traits under Aspergillus niger (Asp) infection. This study investigates the interrelationships among growth, floral, and yield traits under Asp stress, with the aim of identifying morphological indicators that can support indirect selection for improved performance. Twenty okra germplasm lines of diverse genetic backgrounds were obtained from the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and evaluated in a screen house experiment using a completely randomized design with three replicates. Asp inoculation was conducted at sunset to ensure effective infection, while a common regional landrace of okra was maintained as the uninfected control. Morphological data on growth, flowering, and yield traits were collected using standard descriptors, and phenotypic correlations among traits were analyzed using SPSS. Strong positive correlations among growth (leaf length-width r=0.98, stem diameter-leaf length r=0.91), flowering (number of petals-sepals r=1.00, flower count-petal length r=0.80), and yield traits (fruit length-weight r=0.91, peduncle length-fruit length r=0.87) were identified in okra under Asp infection. These key morphological indicators can guide effective selection for disease resistance and improved yield. These relationships provide a basis for efficient indirect selection and marker-assisted breeding to develop high yielding, disease resilient okra varieties adaptable to diverse environments.