Introduction: Papaver somniferum L. is well known cultivated plants known to mankind since ages. It is used as a drug and medicine since the beginning of civilization (Husain and Sharma, 1983). The poppy or the Papaver is one of the genera of the family Papaveraceae and sub-family Papaveroideae. This genus is known to contain latex tissues or laticiferous system. The plant contains about eighty different tetrahydro-benzylisoquinoline-derived alkaloids, including several other of medicinal importance. Opium poppy is still a well known commercial source for the narcotic drug morphine, cough suppressant codeine, antitumor agent noscapine (Ye et al., 1998) and thebaine, which is frequently used as an intermediate for the semi-synthesis of other…show more content… The highest direct effect was exhibited by poppy straw yield and followed by days to maturity. The direct effect of days to 50% flowering on seed yield is positive (0.1246). Indirect effect via peduncle length, capsule index, poppy straw yield, thebaine content, papaverine content is positive while plant height, number of capsule/plant, morphine content, codeine content, narcotine content and seed yield is negative. Direct effect of plant height on seed yield is positive (0.1529) and indirect effect via Days to maturity, number of capsule/plant, capsule index, thebaine content, papaverine content, narcotine content is positive while negatively affected by all other characters. Looking towards the path coefficient analysis, all the components show either low or negligible indirect effect either positive or negative. Peduncle length shows low and negative direct effect on seed yield. Days to maturity, no of capsule per plant, capsule index, thebaine content and narcotine content exhibit positive indirect effect while poppy straw yield, morphine content, codeine content and papaverine content exhibit negative indirect effect. Days to maturity has a moderate positive direct effect on seed yield. Poppy straw yield exhibit high and negative indirect effect along with number of capsules per plant, morphine content, codeine content, papaverine content and narcotine content. Positive indirect effect acted by capsule index and thebaine content. The direct effect of no of capsule on seed yield is positive (0.2861). The indirect effect acted by morphine content, codeine content, narcotine content and seed yield is positive, while capsule index, poppy straw yield, thebaine content and papaverine