EVALUATION OF F2 SEGREGATING POPULATIONS FOR YIELD AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES IN BITTER GOURD (MOMORDICA CHARANTIA L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to estimate the genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation, heritability in broad sense and genetic advance as per cent of mean in the F2 generation for twelve growth, flowering, yield and quality characters in two intraspecific crosses of bitter gourd, viz., IC85633 × IC50526 and IC599421 × IC50526. Each F2 population comprising 250 plants was evaluated separately in an augmented block design along with the respective parents, F1 and the check Phule Green Gold during Kharif 2025. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the F2 plants for all the characters in both crosses. In the F2 population of the cross IC85633 × IC50526, high (> 20 %) genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were detected for vine length at last harvest, number of branches per vine, fruit diameter, average fruit weight, number of fruits per vine, fruit yield per vine, flesh thickness and cavity size. In the F2 population of the cross IC599421 × IC50526, high GCV and PCV were observed for the same eight characters and also for fruit length. Fruit yield per vine recorded the highest GCV and PCV in both the populations. High heritability (> 60 %) along with high genetic advance as per cent of mean (> 20 %) was recorded for all the twelve characters in the F2 population of IC85633 × IC50526 and for all the characters except days to first harvest in IC599421 × IC50526, which showed high heritability with moderate genetic advance as per cent of mean. This indicated that these traits are governed largely by additive gene action and hence selection in the F2 and subsequent generations would be effective for the improvement of fruit yield and its component traits in bitter gourd.