Vol. 11, Issue 6 (2022)

Author(s):
Aniket Kumar Verma, Neetu, Brijesh Kumar Maurya and VB Singh

Abstract:
An investigation was conducted at Main Experiment Station of Department of Vegetable Science at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P). The experimental material consisted of 28 pumpkin genotypes including three standard checks viz., Arka Chandan, Azad Kaddu and Pusa Vikash was conducted in a Randomized Block Design with three replications. The germplasm of pumpkin collected from different sources to study the extent of variability, heritability and genetic advance in per cent of mean for different quantitative traits. Analysis of variance studies indicated significant differences among all the genotypes for all the characters under study. High magnitude of phenotypic as well genotypic coefficients of variation were observed in case of number of primary branches followed by vine length, node number at first male flower anthesis, node number at first female male flower anthesis, fruit yield per plant, average fruit weight and number of fruit per plant. This indicates possibility of obtaining higher selection response in respect of these traits. Moderate estimate of PCV and GCV were noted in case of number of fruit per plant, flesh thickness and fruit polar circumference. The occurrence of moderate values for these three parameters reveals reasonable scope of improvement through selection. However, the existence of low value of GCV and PCV for remaining traits suggested likely days to first staminate and pistallate flower anthesis, fruit polar circumference and days to first fruit harvest to showed less response under selection. High heritability along with high genetic advance in per cent of mean were recorded for most of the traits except days to first staminate and pistallate flower anthesis, days to first fruit harvest, and fruit polar and equatorial circumference. Eight traits viz., node number to first staminate and pistillate flower appearance, number of primary branches, vine length, flesh thickness, number of fruit per plant, average fruit weight and fruit yield per plant, with high heritability and genetic advance are likely to provide very high selection response which are showing additive gene effect.