Sixty F1 hybrids involving three females, viz. M 221, M 225 and W 321 and twenty males were produced in muskmelon (Cucumis melo) in a line X tester design. Eight economic characters contributing to earliness, fruit yield and sweetness were studied. Analysis of variance for combining ability revealed that MS due to gca lines (except TSS%), gca testers and sca hybrids were highly significant for all the characters studied. Magnitude of gca lines was greater compared to the other two components. W 321 among lines and H 172 among testers were good general combiners for majority of characters. Among the crosses, M 221 X N 231, M 225 X A 102, M 225 X M 224, M 225 X F 143, W 321 X M 222 and W 321 X N 233 combined well to produce significant desirable sca effects for days to picking, yield per plot and TSS%. Cross W 321 X N 233 out yielded Punjab Hybrid (check) by more than 50% and was also significantly earlier than Punjab Hybrid.
Muskmelon, Cucumis mela, combining ability, line x tester analysis
