Genetic variability and correlation analysis for fruit yield and quality traits in bottle gourd

Twenty-five bottle gourd genotypes were evaluated to know the heritable genetic variation and correlation coefficients among fruit yield, yield attributes and quality parameters. Mean sum of squares due to genotypes were highly significant for all the traits studied. Genotypes Narendra Shivani, MBL 3, Anand Bottle Gourd 1, MBL 2 and IC 085608 were high fruit yielding genotypes. The yield attributes among these genotypes varied from genotype to genotype being governed by different genetic mechanism. In general, the low to moderate estimate of GCV and PCV, ranging from 2.85 to 44.53 and 6.21 to 46.17 was observed in the present material, respectively. Fruit yield q/ha, fruit length, fruits/ vine and vine length showed the moderate estimates of both GCV and PCV, whereas, rest of the characters exhibited the low estimates. Fruit yield q/ha, fruit length, fruits/ vine, vine length, fruit diameter, nodes bearing first female flower, primary branches/ vine and nodes bearing first male flower exhibited high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percentage of mean thus, direct selection based on phenotypic performance would be effective. Fruit yield q/ha showed significant positive correlation coefficient with fruits/vine, fruit length, harvest index, vine length, primary branches / vine, nodes bearing first female flower, fruit weight, nodes/vine, SPAD value, inter nodal length, fruit diameter, nodes bearing first male flower, inter nodal length and days to first male flower anthesis. Similarly, total soluble solids showed positive and significant correlation with fruit yield, harvest index and dry matter content of the fruits thus, these characters can be improved simultaneously in bottle gourd.