Correlation studies revealed that seed yield per plant exhibited highly significant and positive correlation with umbels per plant, plant height, branches per plant and umbellets per umbel while it exhibited highly significant and negative correlation with days to 50% flowering and days to maturity. Its association with 1000-seed weight and seeds per umbellet were positive and non-significant. Path analysis at both genotypic and phenotypic levels indicated that the magnitude of both direct and indirect effects was generally low. Among the characters the direct effect of umbels per plant was found to be positive and highest indicating that the correlation of umbels per plant with seed yield per plant was primarily because of the direct effect.

Correlation coefficient, Path Analysis, Fennel, Umbels and Umbellets

The association analysis revealed that the seed yield per plant was significantly and positively correlated with, branches per plant, plant height, umbellets per umbel and umbels per plant, while days to 50 per cent flowering and days to maturity had negative and non-significant correlation with seed yield per plant. Path coefficient analysis at both genotypic and phenotypic level revealed that 1000- seed weight, plant height, branches per plant, umbellets per umbel, days to maturity and umbels per plant were the important characters for selection of high yielding genotypes as they exerted high positive direct effect as well as showed positive correlation with seed yield per plant, while seeds per umbellet and days to 50 per cent flowering exerted direct and negative effect on seed yield per plant. The direct effect of umbels per plant was found to be positive and highest among the characters, indicating that the correlation of umbels per plant with seed yield was primarily due to the direct effect.

Govardhan Lal Kumhar, Dinesh Kumar Gothwal and Amit Kumar (2023). Correlation and Path Analysis of Inbred Lines of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(11): 237-242.