Improving Earliness-Related Traits of Egyptian Local Okra Cultivar (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)

Abstract

This study aimed to improve the local okra cultivar (cv. Balady) by accessing superior earliness pure lines using an individual plant selection breeding program. Six cycles of individual plant selection were carried out at the Agricultural Experimental Station Farm at Abies region, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt, which resulted in ten pure lines with distinct horticultural traits. The selected pure lines were evaluated in the summer season of 2020 with the original population. The results showed that the pure lines L5 and L1 recorded significantly the lowest mean values compared to all the genotypes for the earliness traits, viz., days number to first flower and pod, as well as days number to 50% flowering, and days number to first harvest. Moreover, the selected pure lines significantly exceeded the original population in the characteristics of early and total yield per plant, and the three pure lines L4, L8, and L9 were the most distinguished for these traits. Concerning correlation estimates, the characteristics of earliness reflected positive and significant correlations between one another, as well as, with the characteristics plant height and early yield as the number of pods. The results of cluster analysis illustrated that the first group (I) was distinguished as being the earliest, while the third (III) and fourth (IV) clusters were the best for the productivity traits. So, it is recommended to use the pure lines L4, L8, and L9 to improve total and early yield as well as the earliness traits.