Estimation of Combining Ability Effect for Hybrid Breeding in Bottle Gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] Using Diallel Mating Design

Abstract

A half diallel mating design was employed to cross eight parental lines of bottle gourd, resulting in 28 F1 hybrids (excluding reciprocals). These F1 hybrids, along with the parental lines and a commercial check (Pant Lauki-3), were evaluated during the summer of 2024 at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. The study aimed to assess the combining ability for yield and yield-related traits using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The genetic variance ratio being less than unity suggested that non-additive gene action was dominant for all the characters. The analysis indicated that none of the parents consistently exhibited good general combining ability across all traits. However, the cross combination NDBG-104 × Pusa Sandesh followed by Pant Lauki-4 × Kashi Kirti emerged as the best for most of the traits analyzed. The results suggest that it may be possible to further enhance fruit yield and earliness through hybridization and selection in transgressive segregants.