Path Coefficient and Character Association Analysis of Yield-Contributing Traits in Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L.)

Fruit yield in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a composite trait shaped jointly by numerous morphological, floral and fruit-related components, and this study was undertaken to resolve how these components act on yield, both directly and through one another, as part of a broader programme characterizing cucumber germplasm through tools. Phenotypic and genotypic correlations of thirteen component characters with fruit yield per hectare were decomposed into direct and indirect path coefficients following the standard path-analysis framework. At the phenotypic level, days taken to first female flower opening emerged as the strongest positive direct determinant of yield, trailed by seed number per fruit, fruit length, plot-level fruit yield, individual fruit weight, vine length and harvest-duration. Fruit length showed the strongest overall phenotypic correlation with yield, with vine length, fruit weight and plot yield following closely behind. At the genotypic level, plot-level fruit yield contributed the largest direct effect, ahead of fruit number per vine, timing of male-flower initiation and days to first harvest. Fruit length again showed the highest genotypic correlation with yield despite carrying a negative direct path coefficient, indicating the influence on productivity is transmitted almost entirely through other traits, chiefly plot yield and fruit number. Residual, unexplained variation stood at 0.311 for the phenotypic model and a comparatively small 0.0184 for the genotypic model. Together, the findings point to fruit number per vine, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit diameter and vine length are the vital traits when selecting high-yielding cucumber lines, to guide the choice of genetically distinct, agronomically superior parents.