Vol. 11, Issue 3 (2022)

Author(s):
Arun Kumar Verma, KP Singh, Pratyksh Pandey, Mahendra Kumar Yadav, PK Singh, IN Shukla and Rajiv

Abstract:
An investigation was conducted with ten diverse parents to develop forty-five F₁’s and forty-five F₂’s by using half-diallel mating design to estimate heterosis and inbreeding depression for fruit yield and its components in bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.]. The analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among parents, F₁’s and F₂’s almost all the characters studied. High heterosis for fruit yield per plant was reflected through high heterosis for number of fruits per plant, fruit length, and average fruit weight in most of crosses. High magnitude of mid parent heterosis for fruit yield per plant was recorded in the cross, Pusa Naveen × Kalyanpur long green followed by KBGL-14 × NDBG-1, KBGL-20 × KBGL-29, KBGL-22 × H-22 Kalyanpur long green × KBGL-22, Pusa Santhusti × Kalyanpur long green NDBG-1 × NDBG-121. The highest standard heterosis for fruit yield per plant was registered by the cross Pusa Naveen × Kalyanpur long green, followed by Kalyanpur long green × NDBG-1, KBGL-14 × NDBG-1, NDBG-1 × NDBG-121, Pusa Naveen × NDBG-1, Pusa Santhusti × Kalyanpur long green, Kalyanpur long green × KBGL-22. Two crosses viz., Pusa Naveen × Kalyanpur long green, KBGL-14 × NDBG-1and exhibited significant and lowest inbreeding depression for fruit yield per plant. The crosses with high heterotic values for fruit yield per plant and its important attributes also showed high inbreeding depression. The cross combinations, Pusa Naveen × Kalyanpur long green, Kalyanpur long green × NDBG-1 and Pusa Naveen × Kalyanpur long green, Kalyanpur long green × NDBG-1were the most promising cross combinations for fruit yield per plant, based on their high midparent and standard heterosis respectively in both F₁ and F₂ generations and thus, can be utilized effectively in the breeding programme.