Study of transgressive segregation of different progenies for different characters in F2 and F3 generations of watermelon

Abstract

Desirable transgressive segregation was observed for ten characters in both crosses for F2 and F3 generations. The highest proportion of desirable transgressive segregation were observed for fruit length, node at which first female flower appeared (31.33%), followed by fruit length, yield per vine (29.33%), rind thickness (23.33%) in cross C1 of F2 generation whereas for fruit length (30.67%), node at which first female flower appeared (26.67%), fruit diameter (20.00%), yield per vine (17.00%) in cross C1 of F3 generation. The highest transgressive segregation were found in vine length (39.00%), rind thickness (35.66%), yield per vine (22.33%), No. of seeds per fruit (18.00%), Fruit Weight (15.33%) in cross C2 of F2 generation whereas for vine length (32.33%), rind thickness (27.33%), No. of seeds per fruit (16.67%), yield per vine (13.00%), in C2 of F2 generation. In most of the segregation of two crosses in both generation (F2 and F3) the yield per plant of better parent was found to be trans greed simultaneously with transgression of one or more other yield contributing character. Thus all the characters were improved beyond capacity of their parental genotypes on the basis of high values of transgressive segregation. It was concluded that, when desired intensity (i.e. percent improvement) of a character is not available in the parent, transgressive breeding may be successfully used to extend the limit of expression of character in a particular cross combination