Studies on hybrid vigour in papaya (Carica papaya L.) varieties

Fifteen varietal crosses were made between five papaya cultivars as female and other three cultivars as male. They were evaluated along with parents for their fruit yield and other component traits. Positive heterosis was observed for fruit yield and number of fruits per plant but negative heterosis was observed for fruit weight, fruiting height, nodes at first fruiting, plant girth, fruiting length, plant height and days to first flowering. Heterobeltiosis was observed in different crosses for various desirable traits, indicating the overdominace for gene expression. Based on fruit yield per plant and fruit number, hybrids between Pusa Delicious and Ramnagar Local, and Pusa Majesty and Ramnagar local were found promising.