CHARACTERIZATION AND DIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF RIDGE GOURD (Luffa acutangula) GERMPLASMS

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University in kharif season with thirty ridge gourd germplasms to study the diversity among the germplasms. The germplasms were examined for seventeen yield and yield contributing characters. Significant variation was observed among all the germplasms for all the characters studied. High heritability along with high genetic advance in percentage of mean were observed for fruit yield per plant, fruit weight and no. of fruits per plant. High heritability along with moderate genetic advance in percentage of mean were observed for seed breadth and hundred seed weight. High heritability along with low genetic advance in percentage of mean were observed for days to male flower appearance. Highly significant positive correlation of yield per plant were observed with internode length (r g =0.44, r p =0.43), fruit length (r g =0.33, r p =0.32), fruit weight (r g =0.55, r p =0.53), no. of fruits per plant (r g =0.83, r p =0.81) at both genotypic and phenotypic level. Path analysis indicated that, yield per plant had positive and direct effect through days to emergence, days to male flower appearance, internode length, leaf length, petiole length, fruit breadth, seed length and hundred seed weight. The germplasms were grouped into five clusters. Cluster IV was the largest and containing fourteen germplasms followed by cluster III and V with five germplasms and cluster I and II with only three germplasms. Cluster I showed maximum performance for fruit yield per plant (2.28 kg) and fruit weight (2.06 g). Cluster II showed maximum performance for days to emergence (0.42). Cluster III recorded highest mean performance for peduncle length (1.44 cm), fruit breadth (1.41 cm), days to emergence (1.28) and petiole length (1.10 cm). Cluster IV showed maximum performance for leaf breadth (0.38 cm) followed by seed length (0.32cm) and hundred seed weight (0.32 g). Cluster V showed maximum performance for leaf length (1.33 cm) and no. of fruits per plant (1.05). Considering the degree of variability, heritability, genetic advance in percent of mean, correlation with fruit yield, path analysis, magnitude of distance, contribution of different characters towards the total divergence, magnitude of cluster means for different characters and performance, the germplasms G4, G5, and G24 for yield per plant from cluster I; G1 and G19 for fruit length from cluster III might be considered better parents for efficient hybridization programme.