Vol. 9, Special Issue 1, Part A (2025)

Eleven periwinkle genotypes were evaluated for qualitative and quantitative characters to assess the genetic variability, association of characters and their direct and indirect effects on secondary branches per plant. Correlation and path coefficient analysis indicated that the characters viz., plant height, plant spread (N-S), plant spread (E-W), number of primary branches per plant, leaf area, survival percentage, fresh weight of shoot, fresh weight of root, fresh weight of whole plant, dry weight of shoot, dry weight of root and dry weight of whole plant exhibited positive significant correlation (genotypic and phenotypic) with secondary branches per plant. The highest positive direct effect towards secondary branches per plant was exerted via dry weight of whole plant and was followed by fresh weight of whole plant, survival percentage, number of primary branches per plant, days to 50% flowering, shoot length, flower diameter, internodal distance and flower length. The present investigation indicated that these characters are important in deciding the secondary branches per plant. Hence these characters may be considered as selection indices for deciding secondary branches per plant and might be considered as selection indices in periwinkle improvement programme.