Performance of bottle gourd genotypes under hot arid environment

Twenty-four genotypes of bottle gourd (standard cultivars, lines, F₁ hybrids and F₂ segregants) were evaluated for yield potential during rainy season of 1996 and summer season of 1997. Among F₂, segregants of P₁ × P₄ and P₁ × P₂ combination: F₁ hybrid of P₁ × P₄ cross and open-pollinated cultivar Pusa Naveen had potential for earliness, number of marketable fruits and fruit yield under high temperature and extremes of climatic conditions of hot arid environment. In these genotypes, number of fruits and fruit yield/plant (kg) were respectively 8.55 and 8.05; 7.06 and 6.03; 8.02 and 7.41; and 6.37 and 5.70. The promising F₂ segregants are under advanced generation testing along with their parents and F₁ cross combinations.