Agronomic performance and phenotypic variability of the F2 population derived from various types of okra varieties

Abstract

Okra is a functional vegetable with high nutrient content and medicinal value potential. Evaluating genetic material from various genetic sources is a standard procedure in plant breeding programs. A field study was carried out to evaluate the agronomic traits of F2 populations derived from various types of varieties and assess the phenotypic variability of the traits. The research was conducted at the Research Station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Andalas University, from January to May 2021. The materials used are seeds from self-pollinated of 16 F1 populations with various varieties, i.e., hybrid, composite, introduced and local varieties. Data was collected based on an individual observation, and the data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that the entire population of the F2 derived from both hybrid or composite varieties, introduced or local varieties, has diverse agronomic traits, indicating their potential to be developed as parental inbred lines. All agronomic traits evaluated showed wide variability, indicating a high possibility to obtain plants with valuable and desirable traits. The exception was found for the optimum picking time; however, the optimum picking time 7, 8 or 9 DAA is sufficient to obtain fruit with higher fruit weight and fruit size.