Estimation of heterosis for yield and yield contributing traits in bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.]

Abstract

Twenty eight F1 hybrids developed from a diallel set involving eight parents (excluding reciprocals) in bottle gourd were evaluated at Horticulture complex, Department of Horticulture JNKVV. Jabalpur (MP). The study was aimed to estimate heterosis for yield and yield contributing traits in bottle gourd. Analysis of variance revealed the presence of considerable variability among parents and hybrids for all the characters under study. Heterosis for fruit yield per vine ranged from -1.27 to 17.33 % over mid parent and 0.61 to -22.74% over better parent. For number of fruits per plant and average fruit weight was ranged from 0.25 to -25.30% and 1.37 to 46.67% over mid parent and -0.17 to -33.44% and 0.00 to 41.94% over better parent, respectively. Regarding fruit length the heterosis ranged from 0.64 to 16.50 over mid parent while heterosis over better parent ranged from -0.51 to -22.85. Heterosis for days to first fruit harvest ranged from 0.00 to -12.02 and 0.00 to -14.51 over mid parent and better parent, respectively. It was important to note that only two F1 hybrids viz. Arka Bahar x Kashi Ganga and Arka Bahar x Pusa Naveen exhibited higher positive and significant values over better parent. While, crosses Arka Bahar x Narendra Dharidar, Kashi Ganga x Narendra Dharidar, Pusa Santushti x PSPL and Arka Bahar x Samrat showed significant negative heterosis over better parent for earliness.