Abstract

On analogy with the large scale improvements that were possible by selection, from natural and hybrid populations in self-fertilised crop plants, it would appear that such a method may also be fruitful in cross-fertilised crops. The results obtained in some of the cross-fertilised crops, like maize and lucerne have showed the value of selection methods in improving them. A standard method for these cross-fertilised crops does not however appear to be feasible as it is found that the effects of continuous self and cross fertilisations are sometimes good and sometimes bad. Hence the methods of improvement in cross-fertilised crops will depend upon the crop in question. On the West Coast gourds are one of the vegetables extensively grown as summer crops and sometimes as monsoon crops. At the Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, studies are in progress on these vegetables and the present note deals with the studies of Vine-to-Vine' selection made on cucumber at the Station.

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