Combinning ability for yield and its contributing characters in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

The experiment was conducted with 45 F₁s developed through line x tester technique by using 15 lines and 3 testers viz., lines 2015, 2016, 2017, 2028, 2020, 2225, 2227, 2229, 2230, 2231, 2332, 2333, 2334, 2336, 2337 and testers 2014, 2226, 2238 in randomized block design with three replications at the Department of Vegetable Science, C.S.A. Uni. of Agric. and Tech., Kalyanpur, Kanpur during Zaid 2005. The data were recorded for 12 quantitative characters mainly days to flowering of first male flower, days to flowering of first female flower, length of vine (m), number of primary branches per plant, number of nodes of first male flower, number of nodes of first female flower, number of nodes per vine, length of fruit (cm), diameter of fruit (cm), number of fruits per plant, per fruit weight (g) and fruit yield per plant (kg). The study revealed that parents 2020 followed by 2017, 2231 and 2336 showed the significant general combining ability effect Number of fruits per plant has positive effect in yield per plant ranged from -1.28 to 3.74 in 2227 and 2020 lines, respectively. On the basis of specific combining ability seven superior heterotic crosses were selected for yield and related to yield traits, these crosses were 2237 x 2226, 2237 x 2238, 2015 x 2014, 2228 x 2238, 2028 x 2238, 2336 x 2014 and 2229 x 2226.