Department of Vegetable Science, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263 145, Uttarakhand.
* Present Address: Krishi Vigyan Kendra (BAU, Ranchi), Garhwa-822 114 (Jharkhand)
Online published on 3 April, 2012.
Combining ability was studied in bitter gourd (Momordica Charantia L.) for yield and its components following half diallel mating system among six diverse parents. The statistical significance of GCA effects suggested that genetic difference existed among the parents selected for hybridization. Additive gene action was predominant for earliness, vegetative and fruit characters, while non-additive effects of genes predominated for the expression of yield components. The parents PBIG-4 and PBIG-2 were good general combiners for most of the characters while three crosses viz. PBIG-2 X PBIG-1, PBIG-2 X Priya White and PBIG-1 X Kalyanpur Barahmasi came out to be the best specific combiners for yield components. Therefore, these are proposed for their further utilization in hybrid breeding programmes aimed at improving the desired traits.
