Heterosis and combining ability studies in watermelon [Citrulus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai]
Loading...
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
A study was conducted to assess the extent of heterosis and combining ability of watermelon in a line x tester mating design at Vegetable research farm, Department of Vegetable Science, PAU, Ludhiana. The 40 F1 hybrids, 10 lines, 4 testers and standard check (WMH-7) were evaluated in Feb-May, 2019 for yield and component traits. The analysis of variance indicated significant variability among all the genotypes for all the traits. The combining ability analysis revealed that general combining ability effects and specific combining ability effects were significant for all the traits. The ratio of σ2SCA/ σ2GCA indicated predominance of non-additive gene effects for vine length, internode length, days to appearance of 1st female flower, number of days taken to first fruit harvest, fruit length, fruit width, average fruit weight, number of fruits/ plant, yield/ plant, 100 seed weight, TSS, vitamin C and total dry matter. Among the lines, Yellow-2 was good general combiner for TSS, lycopene content and number of fruits/ plant; 5419-2011 for days to appearance of 1st female flower, fruit length, seed number per fruit and total dry matter and WM-10 for yield/plant. Among the testers, KFF 1-1-2 was good general combiner for of most characters viz. short vine length, days taken to first fruit harvest, seed number per fruit, TSS, vitamin C, total carotenoids and lycopene. Sugar Baby noted good combiner for fruit width, average fruit weigh and 100 seed weight. The hybrid, 5419-2011 × EC-829870 recorded best specific combiner for TSS, total carotenoids, lycopene and days to appearance of 1st female flower. Barmer × Sugar Baby exhibited highest SCA effect for number of fruits/plant and yield/ plant. The cross combination exhibited highest positive and significant heterobeltiosis for TSS was WM-5 × EC-829870; for yield/plant was Yellow-2 × EC-829870 and for number of fruits/plant was 5419-2011 × EC-829828. Yellow-2 × KFF 1-1-2 performed best with highest heterosis over check (WMH-7) for total carotenoids, lycopene, vitamin C and number of days taken to first fruit harvest. W-6-3-3-3-2 × KFF 1-1-2 and Barmer × Sugar Baby exhibited highest standard heterosis for TSS; number of fruits/plant and yield/plant, respectively.
Description
Keywords
null