Exploring the Genetic Diversity and Agronomic Performance of Okra Varieties Using Variance Analysis

The experiment was conducted at the experimental field of Genetics and Plant Breeding Department of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka Bangladesh during March 2017 to July 2017. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications. Twenty eight genotypes of okra were used in this study which was collected from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur and local market. The extent of diversity present between genotypes determines the extent of improvement gained through selection and hybridization. The more divergent the two genotypes are the more will be the probability of improving through selection and hybridization. Mean square of most of the characters studied revealed that genotypes showed highly significant (P< 0.01) differences for all the traits studied.  High genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation were observed for primary branches (43.91 and 33.64) and fruit yield per plant (37.51 and 32.48). So, divergent genotypes are recommended to use as parents in future hybridization program.