Abstract

An experiment was under taken to study the combining ability analysis using ten parental lines and their F1 hybrids of bitter gourd through full diallel analysis for yield and its contributing characters. The mean squares due to GCA (General Combining ability) and SCA (Specific Combining Ability) were significant for all the characters. The ratio of σ2 g/σ2 s was lesser than one for the characters viz., yield of fruits per vine, ascorbic acid content and iron content thereby indicating preponderance of non- additive (dominance) variance in expression of these traits. The parents CO-1 and Preethi were the best general combiners as it showed desirable GCA effects in favourable direction for most of the traits. The highest SCA effects observed in MC-105 x MC-10 for total fruit yield per plant and number of fruits per plant and for iron content, days to first female flower appearance and days to first harvest, Preethi x MC-30 showed desirable SCA effects in favourable direction. The best general combiners and desirable cross combinations may be further used in the breeding programme for bitter gourd crop improvement.

Keywords: Momordica charantia L., yield, earliness and quality characters, GCA,SCA, RCA