Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

GENETIC VARIABILITY IN GERBERA (GERBERA JAMESONII)

S.D. Magar, R.D. Pawar and T.R. Birari

Abstract

Genetic variability and character association in twenty eight genotypes of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) for different quantitative and qualitative characters were studied. High heritability with high genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for number of ray florets per flower, no. of days required for first flowering, leaf area, vase life and number of flowers per plant, suggesting the additive genetic control in the inheritance of these characters. Number of flower per plant exhibited positive and significant correlation with number of leaves per plant, plant spread, leaf area and number of suckers per plant indicating that these characters are major yield contributing characters. Therefore, there is a better chance for improvement of flower yield through the direct selection of these four characters in gerbera.