Heterosis for Yield and Attributing Traits in Bitter Gourd

摘要

Hybridisation to exploit heterosis on commercial basis or for selection of promising recombinants in subsequent generations is the prime objective of heterosis breeding programme. Cross pollinated crops like bitter gourd offers tremendous scope for heterosis breeding owing to its out crossing nature and heterosis in cross pollinated crop has long been known to offer good potentialities for increased yield. Further, superior recombinants identified in subsequent generations could also be explored forcommercial exploitation, as cucurbits do not show inbreeding depression. The present investigation with fifty six hybrids of bitter gourd resulting from diallel mating of eight genetically diverse parents had revealed the presence of heterotic vigour for majority of the traits. Two hybrid combinations Bikaneer 1 x CO 1 and Bikaneer 3 x Paravai Local were found to express the maximum heterosis for yield of fruits per vine.