Combining Ability Studies in Ridge Gourd [Luffa acutangula (Roxb.) L.] for Quantitative and Qualitative Traits

Abstract

to identify best general combiner and specific combiner in ridge gourd for yield and quality traits. Twenty four ridge gourd hybrids, six female parents (lines) and four male parents (Testers) were sown in the field during kharif, 2018. Based on the gca effects it was found that the female parent L3 (Virdhunagar local) is best combiner for narrow sex ratio (-0.57), days to harvest (-13.71), number of fruits per plant (3.04), fruit weight (21.67), yield per plant (0.61) and yield per hectare (2.44) and L5 (Arka Sujath) is best general combiner for high fruit length (5.93) and low moisture content (-1.62). L1 (PKM1) is best general combiner for early days to harvest (-2.44) and fruit length (2.15). L2 (CO1) is best general combiner for fruit weight (40.65), yield per plant and yield per hectare (1.01, 4.05). The male parent T1 (Periyakottai Local) is best general combiner for days to first male flower (-2.10), days to first female flower (-1.88), node to first male flower (-1.47), sex ratio (-0.43), The T2 (Alatur Local) for narrow sex ratio (-0.17), early days to harvest (-1.98), for low moisture content (-2.03), for fruit length (4.04), number of fruits per plant (1.67), for dry matter content (2.03), for yield per plant and yield per hectare in T2 (0.20, 2.11). The specific combing ability reveals that among the twenty four cross combination L3XT1 (Virdhunagar local X Periyakottai Local) and L3XT2 (Virdhunagar local X Alatur Local) are best combiner for early days to male flower (-3.18, -3.01), for days to female flower(-3.88,-2.52), for narrow sex ratio (-0.39,-0.42), for fruit weight (49.41, 56.65), for more number of fruits per plant (3.39, 4.06), high fruit yield per plant (1.28,1.21) and yield per hectare (4.32,4.21 ). The crosses L1XT1(PKM-1X Periyakottai Local) L2XT2 (CO1X Alathur Local), and L5XT4 Arka Sujath X Srirampuaram Local) are best combiner for early days to harvest (