Combining ability and heterosis for yield and its contributing traits in bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)

Twenty nine genotypes comprising twenty eight F1’s and eight parental lines of bottle gourd developed by diallel cross were evaluated for yield and its contributing traits. Pusa Summer Prolific Long (PSPL) was observed to be the good combiner for marketable yield and PBOG-8 for fruit weight and fruit number. Among crosses PSPL x Gutka Long and Punjab Komal x PBOG-8 exhibited good specific combining ability for fruit weight whereas, Gutka Long x Pusa Naveen, Punjab Barkat x Pusa Naveen and Punjab Komal x Pusa Naveen for marketable yield. Maximum heterosis for marketable yield was recorded for Punjab Komal x PSPL (54.02%) followed by Punjab Komal x PBOG-8 (51.94%) and PSPL x Gutka Long (50.28%) over standard check hybrid Vardan.