Potential of Gynoecious Line in Generating Superior Heterotic Hybrids in Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

Abstract

An experiment was designed to find out the extent of heterosis in bitter gourd using gynoecious line, KAU- MCGy-101 and three monoecious lines viz., Preethi, Priyanka, and MC133. Hybrids were generated by both direct and reciprocal crosses. All the hybrids exhibited earliness in terms of days to first female flower opening, node bearing first female flower, and days to first harvest. The hybrid KAU-MCGy-101 × Priyanka exhibited significantly higher heterosis with regard to heterobeltiosis (-16.03 %) and standard heterosis (-18.63 %) for days to first female flower opening. All the six hybrids manifested significant standard heterosis for sex ratio in the desirable negative direction, ranged from 44.25 to -55.52 %. The highest yield was recorded in the hybrid KAU-MCGy-101 × Priyanka (22.88 t/ha) and was followed by KAU-MCGy-101 × Preethi (20.42 t/ha) and KAU-MCGy-101 × MC 133 (20.05 t/ha). Heterobeltiosis for yield (t/ha) varied from 14.72 to 57.85 % and the standard heterosis ranged between 37.59 to 89.31 %. The best performing hybrids were KAU-MCGy-101 × Preethi, KAU-MCGy-101 × Priyanka, and KAU-MCGy-101 × MC 133 with respect toearliness, number of fruits per plant, and yield. Thus, the superiority of hybrids having gynoecious line as a maternal parent is prominent in the present study.