Evaluation of Heterosis and Combining Ability for Important Characters In Muskmelon

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) is an important dessert fruit, cultivated during the arid summer months in north Indian plains. Being dessert fruit, quality parameters, especially TSS, flesh thickness, texture, colour and higher sugar content are the important one. Round fruits with orange thick flesh and tough/netted rind suitable for long distance transportation are preferred in the market. Earliness is of greater importance, as market prices for such a crop are exorbitant and they can ultimately lead to higher net returns to the growers. However, growers of north India are still not happy with the existing varieties of muskmelon especially due to their low yield potential, poor keeping quality, and lower sweetness. Therefore the objective of this study was to develop hybrids of muskmelon combining desirable characteristics. Eight genetically diverse parents viz., Kesar, exotic collections (EC-2, EC-3, EC-4, EC-5), and indigenous collections (GP-210, GP-211, GP-141) were crossed in a diallel fashion excluding reciprocals. The resulting 28 F₁'s were evaluated with their parents in completely randomized block design with three replications under open field conditions. The analysis of variance revealed presence of considerable genetic variability for all the characters studied. A highest positive and significant heterosis for fruit yield over existing commercial hybrid Abhijeet (standard heterosis) was exhibited by the cross EC-3 x GP-211 (26.67%) followed by the cross EC-5 x GP-211 (25.00%), EC-3 x EC-4 (23.33%) and EC-3 x EC-5 (18.33%). Estimates of gca and sca were found to be highly significant. Parent GP-210 and GP-211 were best general combiners for vine length, number of fruits per hill and TSS. Parent GP-211 and GP-141 were best for days to first fruit harvest while EC-5 and EC-3 for fruit weight. Parents EC-2 and Kesar were best for small size of seed cavity, higher flesh thickness, and rind thickness and resistance to fruit fly. On the basis of overall performance, the two best crosses were Kesar x EC-2 and EC-3 x GP-211. Kesar x EC-2 was superior in fruit weight, yield, size of seed cavity, flesh and rind thickness, shelf life and resistance to fruit fly. EC-3 x GP-211 took lesser days to harvest first fruit and recorded higher fruit weight, yield, rind thickness and had least incidence of fruit fly.