Development and assessment of biotic stress tolerant cucumber hybrids using land races and commercial varieties

Abstract

Cucumber growers suffer significant economic losses due to yield reductions caused by pest such as fruit fly and diseases like powdery mildew, and downy mildew. Therefore, one of the greatest ways to reduce losses caused by these pressures is to grow resistant cultivars. The objective of this study was to estimate important genetic parameters to approximate inbred line performance in the F1 generation, and to identify appropriate F1 cross combinations resistant to these biotic stresses. Thirty F1 hybrid combinations were screened, along with 13 parents (ten diverse stable lines and three testers), and a standard check. The genotypes UHF-CUC-11, UHF-CUC-13, UHF-CUC-6, UHF-CUC-15, UHF-CUC-8, Solan Srijan and F1 cross-combinations UHF-CUC-11 × Solan Srijan, UHF-CUC-13 × Solan Srijan, UHF-CUC-6 × K-75, UHF-CUC-15 × Solan Srijan and UHF-CUC-8 × Solan Srijan were found superior for these biotic stresses in the experimental results. Additionally, the predominance of non-additive gene activity due to genetic complementation between parents suggests that heterosis breeding could be helpful in enhancing these features in cucumber. Therefore, the present study's identification of resistant parents and hybrid combinations can be used to introduce the resistance genes into the necessary elite backgrounds of cucumber for the generation of biotic stress resistant varieties/hybrids.