Assessment of per se performance and variability of key fruit traits of oriental pickling melon (Cucumis melo var. conomon) genotypes

Abstract

Key fruit characters of 27 segregating variants of Oriental pickling melon (Cucumis melo var. conomon) local variety of Telangana state were assessed. Analysis of variance had shown highly significant (P=0.01) difference among variants for all the five fruit parameters, with the highest variation in average fresh fruit weight. Based on per se performance, MCHCM-26 for fruit weight, MCHCM-22 for fruit polar diameter and MCHCM-08 followed by MCHCM-22 for fruit equatorial diameter were identified as promising variants. While, for flesh thickness, MCHCM-06 and MCHCM-25 for desirable cavity diameter was scored better. Greater variability was assessed for all the five fruit traits based on per se performance in the present study. The variants can be used as parents or inbred lines for improving melon varieties. The estimates of PCV are in perfect agreement with GCV in all the characters studied indicating no influence of environment of expression of characters. High GCV and PCV (>20%) were observed for all the five key fruit traits. High heritability (>60%) was also registered for almost all the traits. Direct selection of these traits is effective for increasing the commercial fruit yield.