Heterosis Combining Ability Gene Action For Yield And Quality Traits In Pumpkin

Abstract

The present research work entitled Heterosis, combining ability, gene action for yield and quality traits in pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch. Ex Poir.) were conducted during Zaid, 2019 to 2021 at Department of Vegetable Science, Kalyanpur, C. S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur (U.P.). The aims to assess the genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance as per cent of mean association among traits, combining ability, gene action, heterosis and inbreeding depression involving 8 parents namely, Azad Pumpkin - 1 (P1), P-35-16 (P2), P-40-16 (P3), Narendra Agrim (P4), NDPK- 7-24 (P5), Kashi Harit (P6), DVRP-2-5 (P7), and Punjab Samrat (P8), and their 28 F1 hybrids produced in diallel mating design excluding reciprocals. The experiments were laid out in RBD with three replications having each experimental unit of single row with spacing of 3.0 m × 0.5 m. The observations were recorded on parents and F1 s for nineteen quantitative traits viz., days to first male flower appearance, days to first female flower appearance, node numbers to first male flower appearance, node numbers to first female flower appearance, vine length (cm), internodal length (cm), number of primary branches plant-1, days to first harvest, average fruit weight (kg), number of fruits per plant, equatorial circumference of fruit (cm), polar circumference of fruit (cm), flesh thickness (cm), total soluble solids (0Brix), dry matter content (%), moisture content (%), number of seed per fruit, Specific gravity (g/cm3) and fruit yield per plant (kg). Analysis of variance revealed that the mean square differences due to genotypes, parents, F1 and F2 were found highly significant for all traits. The Mean sum of squares due to genotypes were further divided into parents, parents vs F1, F2 and parents vs F2 population. Variances due to parents were found highly significant for all the characters except node number to first male flower appearance while, variances due to F1 s were highly significant for all the traits studied