Duhan, D.S.Panigrahi, Ipsita2017-10-092017-10-092017http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810032544A field experiment entitled “Genetic characterization and divergence studies in bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria ( Mol.) Standl. ]” comprising of 37 genotypes was conducted at Research Farm of the Department of Vegetable Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during rainy 2016. The genotypes were planted in randomized block design with three replications. The data recorded were subjected to statistical analysis. Considerable amount of variability was noticed for the 16 quantitative traits as indicated by the analysis of variance. High estimates of GCV and PCV were recorded diameter of fruit, length of fruit, weight of 100 seeds, no. of fruits per vine, number of primary branches, nodes to first male flower, fruit yield per vine, leaf length, nodes to first female flower and fruit yield per vine. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for diameter of fruit, length of fruit and weight of hundred seed that these traits were under the strong influence of additive gene action The fruit yield per vine and per hectare had positive and highly significant correlation with most of the characters viz., number of primary branches, vine length, number of fruits per vine and length of fruit. Fruit yield per vine and yield per hectare were also positively correlated with each other at both genotypic and phenotypic level. Path coefficient days to first female flower opening, number of primary branches, leaf width, days to fruit harvest, nodes to first female flower, fruit yield per plant, number of fruits per vine and weight of seeds. The maximum intercluster distance was observed between clusters within a range of 9.75 to 22.49. Cluster VII and cluster VIII showed maximum inter cluster distance of 21.37, indicating that in these clusters had maximum divergence. Hence hybridization between the genotypes included in these different clusters may give high heterotic responses and thus better segregants. The lowest inter cluster distance was noticed between cluster II and IV (14.87), followed by that presented between cluster IV and V (14.99), indicating the close relationship among the genotypes included in these clusters. The genotypes viz., GH-48, GH-54, GH-58, Rajender Chamatkar and GH-55 based on yield and yield contributing characters were found promising for future improvement programme.ennullThesis