Study of hetrosiss for yield and its component traits in bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Mol. Standl.)

Abstract

The present investigation entitled “Study of hetrosiss for yield and its component traits in bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Mol. Standl.)” using diallel cross analysis was undertaken to find out the genetic architecture of various quantitative traits, heterosis and combining ability, heritability and genetic advance. The experimental material of seven diverse parents and 42 F1s including reciprocals was sown in Randomized Block Design with four replications during September 1999 at Students Instructional Farm, N.D.U.A.&T., Kumarganj, Faizabad. The data were recorded on six randomly selected plants in each F1, reciprocal and parents in each replication for 14 characters viz., days to anthesis of first male flower, days to anthesis of first female flower, node number of first male flower, fruit yield per plant (kg), node number for first female flower, days to first harvest, fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), fruit weight (kg), number of fruits per plant, number of branches per plant, number of nodes per plant, internodal distance (cm), vine length (m).In general considerable heterosis over better parent and standard variety was observed for almost all the characters under study. For fruit yield per plant the maximum heterotic response was observed in the cross Pusa Naveen x NDBG-140 followed by NDBG-140 x L-22. The maximum heterosis over standard variety was observed in reciprocal cross NDBG-140 x Pusa Naveen.