Estimation of Genetic Parameters and Path Analysis on Yield and Yield-Related Characteristics of Ridged Gourd (Luffa acutangula L. Roxb.)

The present study was conducted with the objectives of evaluating genetic parameters, and identify yield-related characteristics that may be improved through selection in ridge gourd breeding. The experimental material consisted of 30 F₁ hybrids produced at the Horticultural Crops Research and Development Institute, Gannoruwa, Sri Lanka. Experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design with two replicates. Days to first male flowering and female flowering, days to 50% flowering, number of pods per plant, pod weight, pod length, pod circumference and yield per plant were recorded. All the characteristics showed a higher phenotypic coefficient of variation than the genotypic coefficient of variation. Though days to first male and female flowering and 50% flowering showed high heritability values, none of them showed significant correlations with per-plant-yield indicating that selection for those characteristics has no influence on per-plant-yield of ridge gourd. Per-plant-yield showed positive significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations only with the number of pods per plant which also showed a significant negative correlation with pod weight. This indicates the possibility of improving yield through selection based on the number of pods per plant within the limits that it is not affecting pod weight to maximize yield in ridge gourd.