Gynoecious inbred with better combining ability improves yield and earliness in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

This study was the only report for exploiting gynoecy for studying combining ability and hybrid development in bitter gourd. Thirty-six F1 hybrids and nine inbred lines including one gynoecious line were used to assess combining ability for earliness and yield in bitter gourd Momordica charantia L.). Among parents, gynoecious parent; DBGy-201 showed maximum GCA effect in desirable direction for node to first female flower, days to first picking, numbers of fruits and yield per plant. The parent, P6 (Priya) exhibited highest GCA effect for fruit length, weight and diameter. These parents were good general combiners for yield and earliness and could be used to improve these traits in bitter gourd breeding programmes for the accumulation of favourable genes. The parent P1 (DBGy-201) also exhibited earliest in per se performance with first female flower at ~7th node and the gynoecious hybrids DBGy-201 × Pusa Vishesh and DBGy-201 × Pusa Do Mausami had female flower at lower node (~8th node). The best gynoecious hybrids were DBGy-201 × Priya for numbers of fruits per plant and DBGy-201 × NDBT-12 for fruit yield per plant. The findings of second experiment (i.e. Line × Tester mating design) confirmed the potentiality of gynoeciuos × monoeciuos hybrids for high yield and earliness. The gynoecious inbred, DBGy-201 showed maximum GCA effect in desirable direction for node to first female flower, days to first picking, numbers of fruits and yield per plant and additive gene action is more important for breeding by selection.