This investigation was carried out at the Sabahyia Horticultural Research
Station, Alexandria, during 2004 and 2005 summer seasons, Plant materials of this
study consisted of eight ecotypes of moloukhyia, which were collected from different
regions of Egypt in addition to eskandarany variety. Siwi ecotype gave the highest
mean values of plant weight, leaves weight 1 plant, number of leaves I plant. and seed
yieldiplant. The balady sohag ecotype recorded the largest number of branches! plant.
The largest number of seeds I pod was obtained by the balady sharkeia ecotype.
Balady sohag ecotype recorded the largest fresh leafy yieldlfed. Concerning the later
trait, balady sohag ecotype did not significantly different between siwi and saidy
sohag ecotypes in the first cut, and eskandarany variety in the second cut, while
eskandarany variety and fallahy sharkeia and saidy sohag ecotypes were not
significantly different in the total leafy yield. The results revealed significant
differences among moloukhyia genotypes for all studied traits indicating wide genetic
variation. Broad—sense heritability was high in all studied characters. Plant weight, net
leaves weight, plant height, number of seeds lpod, and number of podslplant may be
improved by selecting the top 5% of the studied genotypes, because they had the
highest values of heritability, which were associated with high values of genetic
coefficient of variability and genetic advance. Pathecoefficient analysis indicated that
number of podsfplant had a clear positive direct path, followed by plant height. As the
correlation coefficient between both of number of brancheslplant and number of
seedsi‘pod with seed yield was positive and the direct effect of this factor was
negligible, it seems that indirect effect appeared to be the cause of correlation. Hence,
these factors may be used, simultaneously, with plant height, and number of pods, in
improving seed yield in moloukhyia.