Assessment of genetic purity and earliness in F1 and F2 population of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) using SSR markers

Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers were used to assess the genetic purity and earliness in F1 and F2 population of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) respectively. Experiment was carried out at the Experimental Research Farm of the Department of Vegetable Science, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh (HP) during the years 2015 and 2016. Experimental material used in the study comprised of Khira-75, a commercial variety grown in low and mid hills of the state (Himachal Pradesh) which is late in flowering and genotype PI-618860, an inbred line collected from North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, USA which is early in flowering and tolerates various biotic stresses. For assessment of genetic purity and earliness the parents Khira-75 and PI-618860 were crossed and F1 and F2 population were raised. Genetic purity studies revealed that one marker CSN 160 was observed to be segregating in the parents as well as the population. Further, scoring of earliness in F2 population revealed promising results using 2 co-dominant SSR00262 and SSR17922 markers, which segregated in the parents and population in correlation with the observed phenotypes.