Department of Vegetable Crops, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Forty cross-combinations among the four female parents and ten male parents were assessed for their heterosis over better parent and two standard checks (Punjab Hybrid and MH-10) and combining ability effects. Cross MS-1 x NDM-15 showed maximum heterosis for TSS, Wl 998 x NDM-15 for yield/vine and WI-998 x DMDR-3 for resistance to downy mildew. For general combining ability effects among the females, MS-1 was found to be good general combiner for fruit yield/vine and TSS. Among the males, NDM-15 was the best combiner for fruit yield/vine, average fruit weight and rind thickness, while DMDR-3 for resistance to downy mildew. The best cross-combination, generally, involved one of the best combining parents. The cross-combinations WI-998 x NDM-15, GM-6E-7 x Punjab Rasila and WI-998 x DMDR-3 were found to the worth exploiting.
Gynoecious line, Heterotic hybrids, Hybridization, Male sterility, Muskmelon
