Development of hybrids in bitter gourd for charantin and other qualitative traits

Abstract: Commercial exploitation of bitter gourd hybrids is primarily focused on yield, while limited research has been conducted on the quality aspects of this crop. The study was conducted during the Summer and Kharif seasons of 2022 to identify superior hybrids compared to the standard checks in terms of significant quality traits. A total of 21 crosses were produced by crossing seven genetically distinct parents in a half diallel mating pattern during the summer of 2022. A total of 7 parents, 21 F1 hybrids, and 2 checks were assessed using a randomized complete block design with three replications during the Kharif season of 2022. The crosses, viz., Kashi Mayuri x IC-44418 and IC-44418 x IC-68314 have shown better performance in terms of quality aspects such as TSS. On the other hand, Kashi Mayuri x Special Boldar and IC-44418 x Special Boldar were found to be superior than commercial checks, Pragathi and Monarch for vitamin-C. Significantly greater heterosis for iron content was observed in the crosses viz., Kashi Mayuri x IC-469512, IC-433630 x IC-469512, and Kashi Mayuri x Special Boldar. Charantin, known for its antidiabetic properties, is a significant quality character present in fruits. The hybrids viz., IC-44418 x IC-68314, IC-433630 x IC-68314, and IC-68314 x IC-469512 demonstrated a significant increase in charantin heterosis. The superior cross combinations identified in this study warrant further evaluation to assess their potentiality and stability for commercial release as hybrids or varieties.