Correlation and path coefficient analysis for quantitative traits in early season bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Stand L.]

Abstract

Bottle gourd is a cultivated annual monoecious belonging to cucurbitaceace family. It is grown for its tender fruits, basically used as vegetable. In many cases of ailments, it is a preferred vegetable because of its cooling effects and easy digestibility. Known as the poor mans vegetable in India; bottle gourd is now attaining fast popularity among the health conscious urban elites, which has encouraged round the year cultivation of this potentially important vegetable except in very cool regions during winter. Growing of bottle gourd in plastic mulches during October in eastern plateaus fetches an early summer crop which is highly remunerative. It is highly cross pollinated crop with large amount of variation for many economically important traits. Studies on variability along with heritability and genetic gain helps in predicting inheritance pattern of various characters. Correlation studies between yield and its components and their relative contributions to yield will be of great value in planning sound breeding program. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken with a view to work out phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation, heritability, genetic gain, association of important genetic traits and path analysis between components of yield in bottle gourd, so as to make effective selection for improvement of this crop.