Exploitation of heterosis in bitter gourd for horticultural traits

A field experiment was carried out at the Vegetable Experimental Field, College of Horticulture, Venkataramannagudem, Andhra Pradesh, during the Summer and Kharif seasons of 2022. Seven diverse parents, along with 21 hybrid combinations, were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Several hybrids, including IC-44418 × IC-433630, IC-68314 × Special Boldar, and Preethi × Kashi Mayuri, demonstrated superior performance compared to standard checks in terms of days to first male and female flower appearance and days to first picking. Notably, IC-469512 × Special Boldar and Preethi × Special Boldar combinations exhibited significantly larger fruit diameters compared to Pragathi and Monarch. With regard to yield and its components, such as the number of fruits per plant and average fruit weight, the crosses IC-469512 × Special Boldar, Preethi × Special Boldar, and IC-433630 × IC-469512 emerged as the top performers. These promising hybrid combinations can be evaluated across diverse locations and seasons to confirm their potential and stability before considering them for release as new hybrids