Assessment of Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance in French Marigold (Tagetes patula) Genotypes

AbstractAstudy was done in 2021-2022 at the Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, College of Horticulture, Bagalkot. The research examined 17 different growth and flower traits in French marigold (Tagetes patula) plants to check for genetic differences, inheritance patterns and improvement potential. The results showed clear variations among the plants for all traits studied. Flower yield per plant (204.66) and flower yield per hectare (7.01) exhibited high genetic coefficient of variation (GCV) values of 55.98% and 61.10%, respectively. Both traits demonstrated exceptional heritability estimates of 99.03% and 99.01%, indicating a strong genetic foundation for improvement through selection. The genetic advance (GA) for flower yield per plant was 234.87 (114.76% GAM), highlighting the potential for substantial yield improvements. Individual flower weight, another critical yield-related trait, showed considerable variability with a GCV of 58.94%, a heritability estimates of 98.37%, and a genetic advance of 2.02 (120.42% GAM). These findings emphasized the potential of using flower yield per plant, flower yield per hectare and individual flower weight as key traits for selection in breeding programs focused on improving marigold productivity. Additionally, shelf life, though exhibiting moderate variability, also showed heritable potential, contributing to both yield and marketability. These results underscored the efficacy of breeding programs targeting enhanced yield traits, as they exhibit high heritability and genetic advance, making them suitable characters for genetic improvement in French marigold.