Heterosis and combining ability to the F1 in watermelon | ||
| Euphrates Journal of Agriculture Science | ||
| Article 1, Volume 6, Issue 2, April 2014, Pages 93-104 | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Abstract : A experiment was conducted at the field of the Department of Horticulture and Gardening Design, College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad during the spring seasons of 2012 and 2013. Three varieties of watermelon (Charleston Gray, Crimson Sweet, and Sugar Baby) were crossed in all combinations during the spring season of 2012. During the spring season of 2013, seeds from the outcome of the previous spring crosses (H1 to H6) along with their parents (P1, P2, and P3) and three F1 commercial hybrids[King Charleston , Shahad and Manila] (used as control) were sown according to the RCBD statistical design with three replications. Results showed significant differences between the parents, F1 hybrids, and control in all traits tested where P1 and P2 were significantly superior in most traits compared to P3. In addition, F1 hybrids including H1, H2, H4, H5, and H6 were significantly high in term of yield/plant which yielded 8.81, 8.33, 8.39, 8.38, and 7.29 kg, respectively. Interestingly, most of the hybrids exhibited significant hybrid vigor towards favorable traits. Results concerning variation analyses of combining ability showed that the general combining ability in all traits was significant excluding chlorophyll, fruit count, and pith/cortex ratio whereas the specific combining ability was significant in all traits. Most of the traits tested were controlled by the non-additive gene action which implies that plant breeders can choose the best breeding program to enhance these traits. Results also showed that heterosis in its broad-sense perspective was high in most traits of the produced hybrids whereas heterosis in its narrow-sense perspective was low in most traits of the diallel hybrids and high in most traits of the reciprocal hybrids. | ||
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