Genetic variability analysis in coriander (coriandrium sativum L.) in agro climatic condition of Jhansi, India

The present investigation was conducted to study the genetic variability in 30 indigenous populations of coriander. The genotypes were studied for two years in the rabi (Winter) seasons of 2014-15 and 2015-16. Data were recorded on 13 economic characters namely, fruit yield per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, number of umbels per plant, number of umbellets per umbel, number of fruits per umbel, 1000 fruit weight, dry matter content per plant, harvest index and essential oil content of fruits. A considerable range of phenotypic, genotypic and environmental variation was noted for all the characters except essential oil content of fruits, number of umbellets per umbel, number of primary branches per plant, and dry matter content per plant. The highest estimates of heritability were recorded for essential oil content of fruits and fruit yield per plant. The estimates of genetic advance as % of mean for essential oil and yield were also high. Number of umbellets per umbel showed high heritability but low genetic advance. Hence breeding methods that consider heterosis was suggested to make effective improvement of this character.