Combining ability studies of quantitative traits in sponge gourd [Luffa cylindrica (Roem)L.]

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to estimate the general and specific combining ability in diallel mating design (receprocal) involving 10 parents for 12 characters in sponge gourd [Luffa cylindrica (Roem)L.] at ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi during 2004-05. The combining ability analysis revealed highly significant differences among the treatments for all the parameters studied. The variances due to sca were higher thant the gca for all the charactersindicating the predominance of non-additive gene effects. Out of 10 parents VR-44 and VR-156 were best general combiners for days to first flowering of male bud emergence, fruit length, fruit weight and marketable fruit yield/vine as they expressed maximum and significant gca effect. The crosses NSG-28 x VR-116, Pusa Supriya x VR-44 and VR-44 x VR-116 were identified as best specific combiners for days to 50% female bud anthesis and days to 1st harvesting. The best specific combiners for marketable yield/plant were VR-104 x VR-103, EC-381651 x VR-103 and VR-11 x VR-156.