Genetic analysis for yield and yield attributing traits in bottle gourd Lagenaria siceraria Mol Standl

Abstract

The present investigation entitled Genetic analysis for yield and yield newlineattributing traits in bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.) was carried newlineout at College of Horticulture, Venkataramannagudem, Andhra Pradesh during newlineSummer, 2020 and Kharif, 2020 to estimate heterosis, inbreeding depression, newlinevariability, heritability, genetic advance and the nature and magnitude of gene newlineaction involved in the expression of yield and yield attributing traits in bottle newlinegourd through generation mean analysis. The experimental material consisted of newlinesix basic generations (P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2) of four crosses (Pusa Naveen newlinex Local Round, Pusa Naveen x Pusa Santhusti, Pusa Sandesh x Punjab Bahar and newlinePusa Sandesh x Arka Bahar) involving six diverse parents which were grown in newlinecompletely randomized block design . newlineThe analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the newlinegenerations for most of the characters in all the four crosses except for days to newlinefirst female flower, fruit diameter and TSS content in cross 3, vitamin- C content newlinein crosses 1 and 2 and total sugars in crosses 2, 3 and 4 indicating the existence newlineof wide variability in the material studied. newlineA perusal of per se performance of different populations viz., parents, F1s, newlineF2s BC1s and BC2s revealed that the parents, Pusa Santhusti, Arka Bahar and newlineLocal Round were the most promising parents for fruit yield per plant and other newlinedesirable traits and the same was also reflected in the performance of their newlineprogeny. Out of six parents, fruit fly and red pumpkin beetle infestation and newlinedowny mildew and anthracnose incidence was found in all the parents. The newlinelowest incidence of pest and disease was found in Local Round and in its newlineprogeny. newlineRelative heterosis and heterobeltiosis were found significant and positive newlinein majority of the crosses for number of nodes per vine, number of branches per newlineplant, fruit length, number of fruits per vine, average fruit weight, fruit yield per newlinevine, fruit yield per plot and fruit yield per hectare.