Combining ability for yield related traits, earliness and yield in Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia)

• Main Author: K. Radha Kaniti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Indian Society of Plant Breeders 2016-06-01
• Series: Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding
• Subjects: bitter gourd; combining ability; yield; yield components; earliness
• Online Access: http://ejplantbreeding.org/index.php/EJPB/article/view/705

Combining ability analysis using eight parents and their 28 F1 crosses of bitter gourd obtained from diallel mating design (excluding reciprocals) for yield and earliness indicated that non-additive gene action played major role than additive gene action in inheritance of the traits. Among the parents, IC-04448, IC-470560, IC- 470558 and IC-085622 were found good general combiner for yield attributing characters and earliness hence, these parents can be exploited for hybridization for producing desirable recombinants in the segregating generations. High sca effects for yield and related characters were exhibited by IC-044438 × IC- 045339 followed by IC-044417 × IC-470558 and IC-045339 × IC-085622. For earliness the crosses viz., IC-044438 × IC-045339, IC-045339 × IC-470550 and IC-045339 × IC-470558 were identified as promising ones. Most good specific cross combinations involved High × Low and Low × Low general combiners. Five crosses were identified for developing high yielding genotypes of bitter gourd.