Assessment of selection criteria in sesame by using correlation coefficients, path and factor analyses

The study was conducted in West Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute's fields of Antalya at 2008-2009 to evaluate character associations using correlation coefficients, path and factor analyses with 345 sesame accessions originating from 29 different sesame producing countries covering worldwide. The correlation coefficient analysis indicated that plant height, number of branches, number of capsules per plant and 1000 seed weight had the significant positive effect on seed yield. The characters related to maturity, days to first flowering and 50% flowering, showed negative correlation with seed yield. The path coefficient analysis based on seed yield, as a dependent variable implicated that plant height had the highest positive direct effect on seed yield. This character was followed by days to first flowering, number of capsules and 1000 seed weight. Number of branches and number of capsules per plant had powerful indirect effect over plant height on seed yield. The overall results demonstrated that plant height, number of capsules per plant, number of branches and 1000 seed weight were the most contributing characters on sesame seed yield and these characters was of great importance in making indirect selection for seed yield. Factor analysis divided the 9 measured variables into 3 factors and these three factors had close contributions. Factor 1 (22.73%) strongly influenced days to first flowering and days to 50% flowering. Second factor (18.82%) was affected strongly by stem length to first capsule and plant height. Third factor (18.72%) was associated with number of capsules per plant, number of branches, seed yield and 1000 seed weight. According to factor analysis, plant height, number of branches and number of capsules per plant were the important attributes in sesame. Three different analyses proposed that sesame breeding for higher seed yield could be based on these characters as selection criteria.