Study of Heterosis for yield and its component traits in sponge gourd (Luffa Cylindrica L.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the magnitude of heterosis of fruit yield per plant and its thirteen yield attributing components. Perusal of mean data revealed that among females, JSG-14-06, JSG-14-03, ASGS-04-23, JSG-14-04, ASGS-11-47 and JSG-14-02 and among males, Pusa Chikni exhibited higher per se performance for fruit yield per plant and its contributing traits. Considering per se performance of hybrids, the superior cross combinations for fruit yield per plant were ASGS-04-23 x GJSG-1, JSG-14-02 x JSG-13-07, JSG-13-04 x Pusa Chikni, JSG-14-03 x Pusa Chikni, JSG-14-03 x JSG-13-07, JSG-14-05 x GJSG-2, JSG-14-05 x JSG-13-07, JSG-13-04 x GJSG-1 and JSG-14-06 x JSG-13-07. These cross combinations also had high per se performance for one or more yield contributing traits. Four most significant heterotic cross combinations over better parents were JSG-14-03 x Pusa Chikni, ASGS-04-23 x GJSG-1, JSG-13-04 x Pusa Chikni and ASGS-11-47 x Pusa Chikni showed positive and significant heterobeltiosis for fruit yield per plant.