Abstract
Heterosis breeding is a potential tool to achieve improvement in quantity, quality, and productivity of pumpkin. A line x tester mating design was used to study standard heterosis for earliness and yield characters in pumpkin. An investigation was carried out during 2009 to 2010 with twelve lines and three testers at Department of Vegetable Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the heterosis and combining ability for earliness and yield characters. Evaluation of parents based on per se and general combining ability (gca) effects revealed that the parents Kasi Harit, Vadhalagundu Local and CO 2 were identified as the best genotypes for improvement of earliness and yield characters. The hybrids viz., Kasi Harit × Avinashi Local and Vadhalagundu Local × CO 2 had registered favourable values of mean, significant sca and standard heterosis for earliness and yield characters. Considering the per se performance, specific combining ability (sca) and the standard heterosis, the aforementioned hybrids had registered favourable values for the most important characters like earliness, number of fruits and yield of fruits. Further, these top performing F1 hybrids can be tested in different seasons over different locations for assessing their stability for high yield. Key words: Pumpkin, Per se performance, general combining ability (gca), specific combining ability (sca) standard heterosis.
Highlights
Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch ex.Poir) originated from Central Mexico is cultivated in tropical and subtropical region all over the world and an important cucurbitaceous vegetable crop of India and principal ingredient of several Indian dishes (Mohanty and Mohanty, 1998)
“hybrid MPH-1” (Mahyco Hybrid Seeds Private Limited) in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications at Department of Vegetable Crops, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore - 641103 during 2009-10.The seeds of the experimental material was planted in an inter row spacing of 2.5 m and intra row spacing of 2.5 m apart
Observations were recorded on traits viz. days to first female flower appearance, node number to first female flower appearance, sex ratio (Female flowers / Male flowers), days to first harvest, fruit number per vine, fruit weight, flesh thickness (FT) and fruit yield per vine quality traits viz.,Total carbohydrate content, total carotenoids content and crude fibre content
Summary
Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch ex.Poir) originated from Central Mexico is cultivated in tropical and subtropical region all over the world and an important cucurbitaceous vegetable crop of India and principal ingredient of several Indian dishes (Mohanty and Mohanty, 1998). Among the twelve lines and three testers evaluated, Vadhalagundu Local (L9) was the best as it expressed good performance for yield, seven yield contributing characters viz., days to first female flower appearance, sex ratio, days to first harvest, fruit number per vine and total carbohydrate content and total carotenoids content.
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