Studies on Heterosis in ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.) in summer season

Abstract

Heterosis study was under taken in 28 F1 hybrids of ridge gourd obtained from half diallel by using eight parental lines for fruit yield and its contributing characters during summer season. The complete sets of 36 genotypes were evaluated in a randomized block design (RBD) with two replications during summer season. For fifteen different characters the magnitude of heterosis noted in percentage increase or decrease over better parent, top parent and standard check. The cross combinations RHR RG-1 x RHR RG-8, RHR RG-2 x RHR RG-7, RHR RG-2 x RHR RG-8, RHR RG-5 x RHR RG-8, RHR RG-6 x RHR RG-7, RHR RG-6 x RHR RG-8, displayed the significant positive heterosis for most of the traits in summer season. As earliness is a desirable character in ridge gourd, the significantly negative heterosis is considered desirable for all maturity traits viz., length of internode, days to 50% flowering, length of pedicel and days required for first harvest.