Genetic variability and selection parameters for fruit yield in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

The nature and magnitude of genetic variability and intercharacters association were studied during kharif season of 2007 at Vegetable Research Farm, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh for fruit yield and attributing traits in 20 morphologically diverse genotypes of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). High estimates of genotypic coefficient variation (GCV), heritability and genetic advance were observed for fruit yield plant⁻¹, length of fruit, length of main vine, number of fruit plant⁻¹, number of nodes for first female flowering and, internodal length and width of fruit and number of nodes main vine⁻¹, indicating their reliability for effecting selections. Fruit yield plant⁻¹ had high positive association with number of nodes per main vine, length of main vine and width of fruit both at genotypic and phenotypic levels. The study revealed the importance of length and number of nodes per main vine as selection criteria for improvement of fruit production in cucumber.