Nutrients profiling for investigating variation and its effect on heterosis and combining ability of cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Vegetable Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, during 2021 and 2022 to determine the nutritional quality, variation and its effect on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Heterosis for nutritional quality in 30 F1 of cucumber obtained by L×T method involving 10 gynoecious and 3 monoecious cucumber, was studied and significant difference was found in all the characters. Based on per se performance, PPCUC-6 (gynoecious) followed by PPCUC-3 (gynoecious) are best performing parents and PPCUC-7 × PCUC-8 (monoecious) is best performing hybrid for most of characters. The cross combination PPCUC-10 × PCUC-28 (monoecious) based on mid parent, PPCUC-10 × PCUC-28 (monoecious) and PPCUC-12 × PCUC-28 (monoecious) based on better parent and PPCUC-12 × PCUC-28 (monoecious) based on standard parent are found best hybrids for maximum traits. PPCUC-3 (gynoecious) and PCUC-28 (monoecious) were best general combiner for most of characters, which can be used as a parents in improvement of nutritional quality. PPCUC-12 × PCUC-28 (monoecious) was best specific combiner for most of characters. Information of gene actions obtained from the study indicates the predominance of dominant gene action which is highly desirable to develop hybrids in cucumber with better nutritional quality.