Quantification of parents and diallel derived progenies contributing towards heterosis in sponge gourd [Luffacylindrica (Roem) L.]

The experiment was conducted at ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi (U.P.) to examine the variability of parents, diallel derived progenies and identify the suitable contributing lines for yield and desired horticultural traits to improve productivity in sponge gourd. Sixty three diverse genotypes were evaluated initially and out of these 10 lines (VR-11, EC- 381651, NSG-28, VR-15, VR-156, VR-104, PusaSupriya, VR-44, VR-103 and VR- 116) were selected as parents and which were then crossed in a diallel design without reciprocals during 2006-07. The forty five F1s along with ten parents were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications for horticultural traits and compared to standard variety PusaChikani. The data were collected on 12 agro-morphological characters. As per mean value, parents like EC-381651 (days to 1st flowering of female bud, days to first harvesting, vine length, fruits per vine), VR-116 (node to emerges of 1st female bud), VR-11 (fruit length and, fruit weight) and VR-156 (yield per vine)expressed stable performance for different horticultural traits in this crop.A wide range of variation in the estimates and heterosis (Mid Parent and Better Parent)observed positive (yield) and negative (earliness) direction, which expressed usefulness of parents in development of hybrids.Days to early emergence of male and female flower at lower node should be considered for yield improvement. The parents which contributed significantly in expression of heterosis are VR-10, VR-103, EC381651VR-11 and VR-156 for all the traits under studies.