“Study on Genetic Variability, Heritability, Character Association and Genetic Divergence in Ridge Gourd [Luffa Acutangula (Roxb.) L.]”

The Horticulture Research Centre, College of Horticulture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut (U.P.) conducted an experiment on genetic variability, heritability, and genetic divergence in twenty genotypes of ridge gourd during the 2024 kharif season. Fifteen characters that contributed to yield and yield were observed. The current investigation’s findings showed that genotypes IC-429970 (201.70 q/ha) and IC-355961 (196.40 q/ha) were superior in terms of fruit production per hectare (q) based on mean performance. Analysis of variance revealed that all genotypes differed significantly, indicating that there is a high amount of genetic diversity. The greatest estimates of genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were found from node to first male flower appearance (25.43% and 25.75%). The heritability estimate was found to be high (>60) for node to first male flower appearance (97.55%, 51.75), demonstrating the dominance of additive gene action. Genetic divergence study separated the twenty genotypes into four groupings. The most inter-cluster distance was found between Cluster III and Cluster I (5.738), followed by Cluster II and Cluster IV (5.114). Cluster I had the highest average fruit output per hectare (187.76 q/ha), while Cluster III had a modest yield but greater blooming trait values. As a result, hybridization between genotypes from Clusters I and III may produce superior segregants that combine early maturity with higher output. In the current study, crop duration (11.04), days to germination (10.58), days to first female flower appearance (9.27), days to first male flower appearance (8.50), and vine length (8.37) all contributed significantly to the expression of genetic divergence.