Exploitation of hybrid vigour for yield and attributing traits in cucumber

Twenty eight non-reciprocal F₁ hybrids derived from eight diverse cucumber genotypes were evaluated in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications during summer 2002 to study heterosis over better parents and the check cultivar, Pant Cucumber Hybrid-1 (PCUCH-1). The results on earliness, vegetative characters and yield and its components, the hybrids PCUC-83 × PCUC-15, PCUC-83 × PCUC-25 and PCUC-25 × PCUC-15 were found to be the most promising. Heterosis to the tune of 45.5, 43.7 and 38.5 per cent over their better parents and 20.2, 18.2 and 20.0 per cent, respectively over the check cultivar were evidenced by these three hybrids for fruit yield per plant. Therefore, these three hybrids were identified for evaluation at multilocation and commercial exploitation.