Line x tester analysis for combining ability in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

Abstract

An experiment was under taken to study the combining ability analysis using seven lines and four testers and their 28 F₁ hybrids of bitter gourd obtained from line × tester analysis for fruit yield and its contributing characters. Analysis of variance indicated that mean squares due to lines × testers were significant for all the characters except fruit girth indicating predominant role of both additive and non-additive gene effects in the inheritance of all these traits. The estimates of σ²gca were higher than the corresponding σ²sca for days to open first female flower, days to open first male flower, days to first picking, vine length, number of primary branches per vine, number of fruits per vine, fruit length, fruit girth and fruit yield per vine, while in case of remaining characters viz., number of nodes bearing first female flower, internodal length and average weight of fruit, the magnitude of σ²sca was higher than σ²gca. This indicated the preponderance of additive and non-additive component of genetic variance. The estimate of gca effects indicated that among the lines, Preethi and Ujjwala were the good general combiners for fruit yield and some of the yield contributing characters viz., internodal length, vine length, number of fruits per vine, average fruit weight and fruit length, while among testers, HABG-22, CO-4 and HABG-21 were found good general combiners for fruit yield per vine and number of primary branches per vine. These parents were expected to accumulate additive genes that can be used as one of the parents for the development of varieties/hybrids in bitter gourd.  The cross combinations viz., Kalyanpur Baramasi × HABG-21, Hirkani × CO-4, Phule Green Gold × Pant Karela-1, Kalyanpur Sona × CO-4 and Priya × HABG-21 were found to be good specific cross combinations for fruit yield per vine. These findings can be further utilized to develop and enhance the best yield potential of bitter gourd cultivars.