Genetic Parameters on Fruit Characters in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

A study on gene action of four important fruit characters namely fruit length, fruit girth, tender fruit weight per vine and ripe fruit weight per vine was conducted at the orchard of the Department of Horticulture, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai. Five cucumber genotypes and their twenty F1 hybrids resulted from 5x5 diallel cross. The results revealed over dominance for fruit length, fruit girth, tender fruit weight per vine and riped fruit weight per vine. The proportion of genes with positive and negative effects in the parents showed asymmetry at the loci showing dominance. The mean degree of dominance was found to be more than 1 that confirmed the presence of over dominance in the inheritance for fruit length, fruit girth, and riped fruit weight per vine. High heritability with high genetic advance as a percent of mean was observed for ripe fruit weight per vine. The predominance of non additive gene action suggested that heterosis breeding might be advantageous to get higher gain in cucumber.