breeding

1. Breeding Of
Cucurbit Crops

2. Cucumber
Introduction
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus var. sativus L.) is a
member of the economically important family
Cucurbitaceae which includes squash (Cucurbita ssp.),
watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. &
Nakai], and melon (Cucumis melo L.).
Aftertomato (Solanum lycopersicum L) and
watermelon, cucumber and melon are cultivated more
broadly used than any other vegetable species .
where 2,479,728 hectares were harvested in 2005
producing 42,611,337t under field and greenhouse
culture.
Production of cucumber is the second largest of all
cucurbits, where China (26,559,600 t), Iran (1,400,000
t), Russia (1,414,700 t),Turkey (1,725,000 t) and the
United States (981,660 t) represented 75 % of the
world production in 2005.

3. The Cucurbitaceae consists of two subfamilies, Zanonioideae and the
Cucurbitoideae (Jeffrey, 1980; Kirkbride 1993) .
The Cucurbitoideae houses eight tribes, one of which (Melothrieae) includes
the genus Cucumis, where the basic chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 24
(Dane and Tsuchiya 1976). Cucumis is partitioned into two subgenera
designated as Cucumis (2n = 2x = 14 and 24) and Melo (2n = 2x = 24) that
contain five cross-sterile species groups (Jeffrey 1980).
C. sativus houses several botanical varieties including var. sativus, the
cultivated cucumber and the wild, free-living var. hardwickii (R.)

4. Wild African Cucumis species (mostly 2n = 2x = 24) are cross incompatible with
cucumber and melon, which are themselves cross-incompatible (Kroon et al., 1979).
Likewise, the wild, free-living C. hystrix is only sparingly fertile with cucumber
(Chen et al., 1995; 1997a and b). This species is found only in the Yunnan Province
of Southern China, and has unique genetic attributes that make its taxonomic
determination complex.
Cucurbitaceae (Family)
Zanonioideae (Subfamily)
Cucurbitoideae (Subfamily)
Melothrieae (Tribe)
Cucumis (Genus)
Cucumis (Subgenus)
C. sativus L. (Species)var. sativus var. hardwickii
C. hystrix Chakr. (Species)
C.Melo (Subgenus)
C. melo L. (Species)
subsp. agrestis
subsp. Melo
Taxonomic classification of cucumber (C. sativus L.) and melon (C. melo) L. in
the family Cucurbitaceae according to Chung et al. (2006).

5. Origin and Domestication
The centre of origin for Cucumis species is likely Africa for the wild
species.
According to decandolle (1886)cucumber is an indigeneous vegetable to
India.
The possible progenitor of cucumber cucumis hardwick which is seen in
the foot hills of himalayas
This species similar to cucumber except for smooth fruit surface &
extremely bitter flesh and falls within the range of variability of cucumber.
Burma is the secondary center of origin
Now grown in tropical and subtropical climates.

6. Botany
The key character of the genus are fleshy fruit; many seeded pepo; solitary
flowers-lemon yellow to deep orange, deeply or shallowly lobed leaves,not
pinnatified and corolla is robate deeply 5parted and small
The genus cucumis has over 40species of which 8are indian species.All these
species are monoecious with basic chromosome number 7.
Sex Expression
 The type (e.g., gynoecious or monoecious) and intensity of sex expression is
important to commercial cucumber production since differences in sex type and
flowering can affect harvest date and relative yield.
 Genes that are hormonally controlled and influenced by growing environment
affect both the type and intensity of sex expression (Lower and Edwards 1986;
Tatlioglu 1993; Staub and Bacher)

8. classification
Botanical classification: boss (1959)classified c.sativus into
subspecies
Based on the origin & fruit shape.
C.s.rigidus-the english long fruited cucumber of east asiatic
type.
C.S.agrestis-the soveint far east type
C.S.gracillis
Based on the utility of edible part:-
Slicing types-used for salad purpose;
Pickling type-used after cooking
Based on the season of cultivation:-
Purseglove (1974) classified cucumber into:-
Hot weather & rainy season cultivars.

9. Floral biology
Chaudary and phatak (1959)studied floral biology in cucumber the
whole development process from initial bud stage to stage when
flower developed from pedicel has been divided into 8stages.
Opening and closing of maleflowers are mainly influenced by sunrise
& sunset i.e by light& time of day
Anthesis in all varieties dehiscence between temperatures 20.5 c &
21.5 c
Pollen fertility is considerable upto noon& by afternoon(2pm)fertility
is greatly reduced and is negligible by the evening
Stigmatic receptivity is very short duration & pollination should be
carried out within 2 hrs after anthesis.
Rise in temperatures causes early drying of stigmatic secretion
different floral abnormalities like mixed inflorescence
,hermaphroditism,fusion,dimorphic female flowers reduction and
increase in floral partd have been observed.

10. Genetics of Sex Expression:-
Cucumber sex phenotypes are mainly monoecious (staminate and pistillate
flowers) or gynoecious (pistillate flowers only), but androecious (staminate
flowers only), hermaphroditic (perfect flowers),
andromonoecious(staminate and perfect flowers), and trimonoecious
(staminate, perfect, and pistillate flowers) types also exist.
Plants possessing pistillate and perfect flowers have also been observed
and used in hybrid production (El-Shawaf and Baker, 1981a).
These sex types are determined by three major loci (F, M, and A; Shifriss,
1961; Galun,1961 and Kubicki, 1969).
The F locus influences the degree of femaleness (FF > Ff >ff ), while the M
locus determines whether flowers are unisexual (M_) or bisexual(mm).
The A locus conditions increased male tendency if a plant is homozygous
recessive aa and ff.
Interactions between these loci yield the basic sex types found in cucumber.

11. While this three-gene model describes the basic regulation of sex types, a
plant’sphenotype is also influenced by modifying genes and environmental
factors .
The existence of sex modifying genes is supported by the observation that inbred
gynoecious plants differ in their level of gynoecy and their capacity to confer
femaleness in F1 hybrids.
Monoecious plants also vary quantitatively in sex expression, ranging from
predominately staminate to predominately pistillate. In fact, there are at least five
genes that modify the expression of gynoecy in cucumber (Serquen et al.,
1997b;Fazio et al., 2003a). Thus, hybrids between monoecious and gynoecious
lines can show considerable variation in the frequency of female flowers
depending upon the level of gynoecy in the parents (the F locus and the
constitution of alleles at sexmodifying loci).
This variation in the level of gynoecy in gynoecious × gynoecious and
gynoecious × monoecious hybrids remains a potential deficiency in many
commercial cultivars.

12. Breeding methods
Introduction:-
Japanese long green;poinsette are popular varieties.
Mass selection:-
cucumber lines with desirable recessive characters like
bush habit ,spinelessness,spindlelessness and lack of
bitterness have been obtained by selection
Back cross method:-
Scab resist lines have been evolved through back
crossing. Lines which combine high yield with quality
fruits have been developed through repeated
backcrossing.

13. Recommended resistant varieties of
cucumber
variety source Special features
Chinese long china resistance toTMV
Tokyo long green,
Ohayo lines
japan mosaic virus
Wisconsin,SMR9 USA Resist to scab & CMV
Stono USA HYV, Resistant to downy
mildew
wantee USA resistant to downy
mildew

14. Heterosis breeding
It has been exploited for earliness,high yield &quality fruits.
Hybrid seeds are produced by use of gynoecious lines
malesterility, selective differential gametocide (sodium; 2,3-
dichloro isobutynate(S 2,3 DCIB).
Use of gynoecious lines:-
In cucumber hybrids are produced using a gynoecious inbreed as
female parent crossed with monoecious inbreed as male and
honeybees as pollen vectors.
Gynoecious inbreeds can be maintained by inducing male flower
for self pollination through treatment with AgNO3 or other
ethylene inhibitors.

15. Dominant nature of gynoecious sex expression ensures development
of pistillate flowers in every node of F1hybrids.
A monoecious pollinizer must be mixed with the hybrid,if it is not
parthenocarpic for ensuring pollination & full productivity.
Specific combinations involving gynoecious line and male parental
lines are planted in 10:1 ratio and hybrid seeds are collected from
gynoecious line.
Gynoecious lines are maintained through spraying of GA3
(15ppm),which induces male flower production in lines.
The 1st F1 processing cucumber developed from a gynoecious line
(MSU 71305) is sparfan dawn.
Two F1 hybrids DCH 1 & DCH 2 have been developed using these
gynoecious lines.

16. Interspecific hybridization
• There are nearly 40sps under cucumis
• All non-cultivated forms are originated from africa.
• The related species of C.sativus(n=14) are
C.trigonus(c.callosus) (2n=14),it is closest to C.sativus
and it is a source of resistance to fruitfuly.
• C.hardwickii supposed to be ancestor of cucumber.
Intergeneric crosses:-
• Plants could be obtained from open pollination of
C.sativus & luffa cylindrica that has glaborous
stem,leaf,petiole flower ,tendril & fruit and grow well in
hot climate .
• The intergeneric crosses would have only limited use.

17. Hybrid breeding
Manual pollination or use of insects.
Use of chemiclas-2chloroethyl phosphonic
acid(ethephon)

18. Polyploidy breeding
Natural hexaploids:-
C.heptadactylus
C.ficifoli.
4n produced by colchicine treatment.
They are not have any economic significance mainly due to their low
productivity capacity.
3n are also obtained from 4n ×2n.
Polyploids had lower fertility measured in terms of percentage of
viable seeds and degeneration of pollen tubes & embryo sacs.
Pollen diameter is found 25X greater in tetraploids.
Haploids have been developed in cucumber .they have utility in
developing homozygous diploids resistant to diseases where resistance
behaviour is due to recessive genes

19. Breeding objectives
 Reduced number of nodes to 1st female flower.
 Bushy plant type.
 Self staked habit.
 Higher female:male sex ratio.
 More flesh thickness.
 Desirable flesh colour
 Fruit shape as per local preference.
 Less or negligible cucurbitacin content.
 Uniformity of fruit.
 Less seediness.
 Resistance to parasitic & non-parasitic diseases.

20. Breeding achievements
 Japanese long green & straight eight- high yielding
 Hanski 264- drought.
 Palmetto,ashley,chinese long-downy mildew,
 Polaris,Ambra,hybrid 517-powdery mildew.
 Hybrid 517-anthracnose
 Viral+mosaic-more market.
 Swarna poorna-resistance to powdey mildew.
 Swarna ageti-tolerant to powdery mildew.
 Swarna sheetal:-tolerant to powdery mildew.
 Pusa uday;-early maturity

21. varieties Breeding methods Specific features
Japanese long green introduction from japan
Straight -8 Introduction from USA Suitable for growing through
out the year.
Pusa uday
Pusa barkha Extra early variety Tolerant to high temperature
& downy mildew
Swarna ageti Hybridiztion Slicing type
Swarna sheetal Slicing type
DCH-1 DCH-2 Tropical gynoecious hybrids
himangi
Pusa khira-1
sheetal
Pant parthenocarpic khira-2 Parthenocarpic variety
Ppk-3 Parthenocarpic variety

22. F1 hybrids:-
• Pusa sanyog- japanese gynoecious line &
green long naples.
• Pusa seedless –cucumber-6:- suitable for
protected cultivation can be cultivated off
season(nov-march).

23. Genetics of sex
Following main sex types are reported in
cucumber:-
• Monoecious plants:- staminate & pistillate
flowers,
• Androecious plants:-only staminate flowers.
• Gynoecious plants :-only pistillate flowers.
• Hermaphrodite plants:-only hermaphrodite
flowers.
• Andromonoecious plants:-staminate &
hermaphrodite flowers.

24.  Three major genes Acr/acr, M/m,A/a are mainly
responsible for different sex types. The gene Acr is
responsible for gynoecious.
 Development of stable gynoecious linesis of
commercial interest to produce F1 hybrids of cucumber.
 Rouging of monoecious segregates during increases of
gynoecious lines is important in this content
 Gynoecious lines are suggested to be grown at high
plant density,high temperature & long days to promote
male tendencies so that really stable gynoecious lines
could be selected.

25. Acr acr acr
A or a A a
M gynoecious monoecious androecious
m hermaphrodite andromonoecious androecious

26. • The hybrid population for such sdelection can be created by
• Gynoecious × hermaphrodite
Acr Acr MMA-×Acr Acr mm Aa= Acr Acr Mm A-
• Gynoecious × monoecious
• Acr Acr MMA- × acr acr mm AA= Acr acr Mm A
• This gynoecious* monoecious lines have become important
particularly for mechanically harvested pickling cucumber
gynoecious hybrids are advantageous for mechanical
harvesting,not only because of their sex expression.
• Partial dominance of the gynoecious gene usually confer a
high degree of female sex expression to gynoecious hybrids
and the abundance of pistillate flowers results in uniform &
concentrated fruiting.
• Consequently high yield is often possible in a single
mechanical harvest.

27. • Many commercial seed lots of gynoecious hybrids cucumber
cultivars are a blend of gynoecious & monoecious types.
• Generally 10% of seed of monoecious cultivar is blended with
gynoecious hybrid seed.
• Seed of monoecious parent of the hybrid can be used for this
purpose.
• The monoecious cultivar sumter has often been used as a
blender for gynoecious & predominantly female pickling
cucumber cultivar.seed company breeder have developed
monoecious cucumber lines specifically for use as blenders
selecting for early pollen production and for fruit type similar
to hybrid that the blender will pollinate. A problem that has
been encountered with many gynoecious × monoecious
hybrids is that they are not dependably gynoecious.

28. Gynoecious×gynoecious hybrids:-
• Cucumber hybrids homozygous for F1 the female sex
expression gene have the important advantage of being more
stable for gynodioecious sex expression than comparable
hybrids heterozygous for that gene.
• They are more likely to produce entirely female plants
especially under environmental conditions or gene background
that promote the development of male flowers.
• Homozygocity for gynoecious sex expression is especially
important for parthenocarpic green house cucumbers.

29. Summer squash & Pumpkin
SCIENTIFIC NAME:-
C.pepo(summersquash);
C.moschata(pumpkin).
2n=2x=40 AABB-Amphidiploid
Origin:- America
• The term squash is used for C.pepo
which is eaten as immature fruit.
• The term pumpkin is used for edible
fruit of any species of cucurbita
utilized when ripe as a table vegetable.

30. Five species:-
• C.pepo(summer squash);
• C.moschata(pumpkin);
• C.maxima(winter squash);
• C.miata
• C.ficifolia(fig leaf
gourd,malabar gourd)

31. The fruit had hard & tough rind with excessively bitter
flesh.
The seeds ,however non-bitter,tasty & nutritive
The wild forms of cucurbita are classified into:-
Xerophytic forms:-
C.digitata;C.palmata;C.cylindriata;C.foetodiscima.
Mesophytic forms:-
C.ficifolia ; C.sororia ; C.lundelliana
Pumpkin closely related to xerophytic forms.
 C.lundelliana( ancestor)is seen as key species in a group.
C.lundellianaxc.moschata(wide spectrum compatability)

32. Horticulturally, squash cultivars into 2:-
• Bush type:-summer squash (short internode)
• Vine type:-winter squash;pumpkin(prickly
spiny,rounded and angled.

33. Botany
Cucurbita consists of 13sps.but 5species are cultivated:-
Leaves:- large,alternate,shallow to deeply,lobed & palmate.
Flowers:- large,showy with yellow or creamy corolla.plant is
monoecious (bushy & viney)
Flowers are unisexual & occur singly in the leaf axile.
the staminate flowers are near the center of plant & have
long ,slender pedicles.
The pistillate flowers have short,ridged pedicels.
Tap root system is strong ,efficient goesdeep down into the
soil.
Calyx and corolla are companulate & anthers, filaments are
partly free .
Pistill oblong /discoid,unilocular with 3-5 placenta.
Style thick stigma five each 2 lobed.
Fruit is pepo,highly crosspollinated entomophilous.

34. The morphology of peduncle is distinct in
determining species.
C.pepo-peduncle is deeply furrowed & 5-8 ridged.
C.moschata-peduncle is cylindrical(or clasiform)but
never prominently ridged.
C.mixta-peduncle is basically,5 angled,rounded but
not all or slightly enlarged at first attachment.
C.ficifolia-peduncle is hard,smoothy angled,slightly
flaring but comparatively much smaller than in
other species of cucurbita.

35. Cultivated
species
Common name Skin texture Fruit flesh
colour texture
Stage of edible
fruit
C.moschata pumpkin Hard
rind,smooth
surface
Fine grained,
gelatinous
substances
sticking to seed
yellow flesh
Ripe,strong
flavour,long
keeping quality
C.pepo summersquash Hard ,angular Coars,grained,
deep yellow
flesh
Immature,poor
keeping quality
C.mixta Winter squash hard Coarse
grained,deep
yellow flesh
immature
C.maxima Winter squash hard Fine grained,
gelatinous
substances
sticking to seed
yellow flesh
immature

36. Breeding objectives
• High fruit yield
• Early fruiting
• 1st pistillate flowers are early node no
• High female to male flower ratio
• Yellow or mottled skin of fruit
• Non-ridged fruit surface
• High antioxidants specially carotenoides
• Thick flesh & small seed cavity
• Round/oblong/flat round fruit shape.
• Orange flesh colour,rich in beta-carotene,the precursor of vit-A
• Resistant to powdery mildew downy mildew,yellow vein mosaic
virus and red pumpkin beetle
• Tolerance to low temperature & saline conditions.

37. Breeding methods
Introduction:-
• Varieties:- emerald,butternut,japanese pie in squashes.
Mass selection:-
• Co-1 & ambili varieties have evolved through selection
• The selection through discriminant function & combination are
• Days to first female flower anthesis
• Length of main vine
• Thick branches per plant
• Leaf area /plant
• Average fruit weight
• Flesh thickness of fruit.
• The selection based on yield has been most efficient way,
compared to selection based on component character or its
combinations

38. Pure line selection:-
• Arka chandan from rajasthan
• Suvarna from KAU-evolved through single plant selection
• Co-1 Co-2& solan badami have developed through single plant selection & selfing.
Heterosis breeding:-
Reported for earliness of fruits per plant,fruit weight per plant and weight of seed /plant.
Yield increases to 80%was reported.
The specific parental combinations showing heterosis are grownin 10;1 ratio in isolation fields.
KM-14 from KAU C.moschata
Pusa biswas : local selection of line SM-107 at IARI-leaves are dark green with white spots
including veins C.moschata.
Arka suryamukhi-IIHR banglore- C.maxima- tolerant to fruit fly.
Narendra amrit-NDUAT,faizabad-rich in vitamin A & excellent flavour
Pusa pasand-summersquash
Pusa viswas-ACRIP-1990 J&K ,HP
Pusa vikas-IARI-spring ,summer & rainy season cultivar rich in vitamin-A
Pusa pasand-flattish round variety.
The male flowers from female lines are clipped off as soon as they appear.
Fruits from female lines are only collected.
CM12×Arka chandan and CM12×IHR 8 gave significant heterobeltiosis for fruit weight

39. Polyploidy breeding
Tetraploids (2n=80)of four japanese varieties
of c.moschata have been produced through
colchicine treatment ,drop of 0.2-0.4%solution
applied for 5-7 days.
Have larger epidermal & stomatal cells,have
greater thickness,fruits are 4times heavier with
large seeds & sugar content,delayed ripening,
increase in resistant to cold & drought.

40. Interspecific hybridization
C.moschata self-
compatible
Fruit formed
but no seed
F1 viable but
self sterile
Sparingly
viable self
sterile
CC
C.pepo self-compatible Fruit formed but
no seed
-Sparingly viable
self sterile
CC
C.mixta - Fruit formed but
no seed
f1 sparingly
viable but ss
CC
C.maxima F1 viable but self
sterile
F1 viable but self
sterile
Small f1seeds sc A few viabe seeds
weak f1 plants CC
C.fici - A few viabe seeds
weak f1 plants
F1 sparingly viable
but ss
f1 sparingly
viable but ss
sc CC
C.lunda Cross compatible Cross compatible Cross compatible Cross compatible Cross compatible Cross compatible

41. Breeding for resistance:-
• CM-14(ambili) arka chandan-fruit fly resistant.
• Pumpkin CM67 arka suryamhukhi resistant to
aphids.
Breeding achievements:-
15 F1 hybrids were developed by crossing at
australian green, EC 27050,vegetable marrow,sel
1-pl-8,sel9-pl-2,early yellow prolific.
Application of 2chloro ethane phosphonic acid
(200ppm) at 4-5 leafstage & 7-10days later
increases fruit set

42. Varieties:-
• Punjab chappan kaddu-1:- C.pepo resistant to downy mildew
& tolerance to CMV,PM & red pumpkin beetle.
• Portly pan;
• Early yellow prolific;
• Australian green;
• Pusa alankar;
• Arka chandan (C.moschata) rich in carotene (3331IU/100g)

43. Ridge gourd & smooth gourd
Ridge gourd (4angled
gourd,angled luffa)
Smoothgourd(dishrag gourd) are
important warm season fruit
vegetables.
Both are climbers their stem are
acutely 5angled hairy and tendrils
are trifid or more and leaves are 5-
7angled or shallowly lobed
Fruits are used only in immature
stages on maturity they become
bitter & inedible.

44. Origin and Domestication :-
Both are originated in India and found wild in north
wesy of India
They are grown in malaysia ceylon japan & brazil
Botany and floral biology:-
Key characteristics are fruits fleshy and many seeded
pepo
Flowers are racemes
In ridge gourd sex forms are monoecious androecious
gynoecious andromonoecious and hermaphrodite.
Male infloresence is in racemes of several flower
peduncle is 15-35cms long female flowers are 4-5 cms
in diameter are fragnant calyxis 5 partite glandular
petals are yellow obovate 2-2.5cms long stamens are 3
ovary is inferior style is persistant .
In ridge gourd fruits are angled many black and pitted
seeds.in smooth gourds seeds are flattened
Anthesis occurs 5-8am stigma receptivity 6hrs .

45. Differences between ridge gourd and
smooth gourd
ridge gourd smooth gourd
6sex forms are seen Monoecious form are seen
Leaves are shallowly lobed & larger Leaves are deeply lobbed & smaller
No white patches on leaves White patches are present on
theleaves
Male flowers are smaller Male flowers are larger
Ovary is disc shaped & not tomentose Ovary is cylindriical & tomentose
Fruits are tangled and ribbed Fruits are smooth
Seeds are black & pitted Seeds are black, white, flat & not
pitted

46. Smooth gourd is closely related to ridge gourd.
Crosses between them involving T28 & T21 of smoothgourd
as male survived
Morphological features of F1 plants were intermediate
between parents
Both parental species were 2n-26 forming 13bivalents at
meiosis
The hybrids also had 2n=26 & showed various irregular
metaphase configurations including a ring of 4chromosomes

47. Genetics of characters of ridge gourd
character No of genes Type of gene action
Colour of node monogenic Blue>green
Seed surface monogenic Pitted surface>smooth
Sex expression digenic Monoecious>hermaphrodit
e
Fruit bearin habit monogenic Non clustering>clustering
Corolla colour monogenic Orange yellow>lemon
yellow
Fruit surface monogenic Ridged >smooth
Fruit taste monogenic Bitterness>non bitterness
Type of stamens monogenic Partially fused>completely
fused

48. Breeding methods
Single plant selection
Mass selection- haritham from KAU
Pedigreemethod:-
• Useful to improve highly heritable characters
Interspecific hybridization:-
• Luffaacutangula× luffa cylindrica
• Luffa acutangula× luffa graveolens
• Luffa echinata × luffa graveolens
Polyploidy breeding :-
• Colchicine induced tetra ploids of taiwan variety tokado exhibited thicker
& shorter fruits lower fertility than corresponding dipliods.
• Breeding for resistance to diseases
• Inheritance of ridge gourd reistance to downy mildew using dialles crosses
among 6 cultivars

49. Breeding achievements
• Pusa nasdar-ridge gourd
• Pusa chickni-smooth gourd
• Superior lines found for fruit yield & qualityare DPL-
RG 2 & Pusa sadabahar
• Morphactin fluresol application at 1,10,100 or
1000ppm to 6 weeks old plants increased proportion of
pistillate to staminate flowers
• A single spray of 2-chloro ethyl phosphonic acid at
240ppm at 2-3 leaf stage lowered number of staminate
& pistillate flowers in monoecious variety but increased
no of perfect flowers in hermaphrodite variety

50. Breeding objectives
• Earliness
• High female:male ratio
• Uniform thick cylindrical fruits free from bitterness,green/light green
• Tender non fibrous fruits for longer time
• High fruit yield
• Resistant to PM & DM.
VARIETIES:-
Ridgegourd:-
Co-1 ;Pusa nasdar
Pusa sadabahar;
Satputia
Konkan harita
Punjab sadabahar
Sponge gourd:-Pusa chikni .Kalyanpur chikni; Pusa supriya.

51. BITTER GOURD
Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L, 2n = 2x = 22) is one
of the most popular cucurbitaceous vegetable, commonly
cultivated in many countries.
It is also known as bitter melon, balsam pear. It is
extensively grown in China, Japan, SE Asia, Tropical Africa
and South America.
In India it is grown both as rainy season and spring-
summer season crop.
Bitter gourd (M. charantia) is also grown as an
ornamental crop in the USA, Japan and some other
countries.
The immature fruits are rich source of vitamin and
minerals and contain 0.61 mg iron, 20 mg calcium, 70 mg
phosphorus & 88 mg vitamin C.

52. ORIGIN, DOMESTICATION AND HISTORY:-
According to the Zeven and Zhukovsky (1975) the origin of
bitter gourd remains unidentified. However, now it is
considered of Indo-Malayan origin.
Its domestication was in eastern India and southern China.
It has a long history of cultivation. It was introduced from the
OldWorld in Brazil, the newWorld.
It is widely distributed in India, China, Malaysia, Thailand,
and Tropical Africa.
The wild species, M. charantia of Asia is perhaps progenitor
of the cultivated bitter gourd, M. charantia L.

53. BOTANY :-
Plants are monoecious annuals with medium size climbing
vines with thin stem and tendrils.
Leaves are palmately 5 to 9 lobed, 5 – 10 cm in diameter.
Flowers are born singly in the leaf axils.
Staminate flowers are small, yellow and borne on long
slender pedicels appear first and usually exceed the number
of female flower by about 20 :1. Female flower Male flower.
The pistilate flowers are solitary, have small pedicel and are
easily distinguished by oblong to long distinct green colour
ovary. Flowers are yellow.
There are 5 calyx and 5 corolla.
Filaments are three, two are bilocular and one is unilocular.

54. BIOSYSTEMATICS:-
The bitter gourd, Momordica charantia L. belong to the
family Cucurbitaceae, subfamily Cucurbitoideae, tribe
Joliffieae Schard and subtribe Thladianthinae Pax.
The genus Momordica has about 80 species, among which M.
charantia L. is the most widely cultivated species.
The other species grown for their edible fruits are M. dioica
Roxb. ex Wild. (kakrol), M. cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng.
(kheksa or sweet gourd), M. tuberose Roxb. (syn. M.
cymbalaria Hooker) and M. balsamina L (Balsam apple).
Six wild species of Momordica occure in India. These
includes M. balsamina, M. cochinchinensis, M. cymbalaria,
M. denudata, M. dioica, M. macrobhylla and M. subangulata.

55. CYTOLOGY :-
The bitter gourd M. charantia L. is a diploid, 2n = 2x = 22.
The chromosome number of Momordica species ranges
between 2n = 22 (M. charantia, M. balsamina, M. cymbalaria)
and 2n = 44 (M. foetida) and the between species are M.
dioica and M. cochinchinensis (2n = 28).
A natural triploid (2n = 33) has been reported in M.
charantia, and natural polyploids (triploid female, 2n = 42
and male and female tetraploid’s, 2n = 56) in M. dioica.

56. INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION:-
All attempts for interspecific crosses in Momordica failed
(Roy, 1985).
Fluorescence microscopic studies undertaken to investigate
causes for failure for embryo formation in cross M. charatia x
M. dioica have showed heavy deposition of callus at the tops of
pollen tube which obstructed the transfer of male gametes &
fertilization. Similarly the species, M. charantia, M. dioica and
M. cymbalaria fail to cross among themselves (Vaheb, 1989).
Intergeneric hybridization between bitter gourd, Momordica
charantia and snake gourd, Trichosanthes angina was found to
be successful and the F-1 hybrid was fully fertile (Patrude and
Krishnamurthy, 1934).

57. Inheritance of qualitative characters in bitter gourd
Characters Inheritance Fruit skin colour Green skin colour
monogenically dominant over white Bitterness Monogenic,
dominant over mild bitterness.
Fruit surface Single gene, spiny dominant to smooth surface
Seed size Small dominant over large seed size, monogenic(Is)
Epicarp White epicarp recessive to the green, single gene
Seed color Light brown (bs) single gene, recessive to dark
brown seed Source: Mini Raj et al., 1993; N.M. Nayar and T.A.
More, 1998.

58. BREEDING METHODS & IMPROVED CULTIVARS:-
The breeding method practiced in Bitter gourd are the
same as in other cucurbits.
Inbreeding, pureline selection in segregating generations
and heterosis breeding are particularly applicable to bitter
gourd.
Selection from a local cultivar has been most commonly
adopted breeding procedure in bitter gourd. So far very
few cultivar developed through hybridization.
Through mutation also two cultivar have been developed
in bitter gourd.
Improved cultivar of bitter gourd:-
Pusa Do Mausami local variety IARI, New Delhi Suitable
for spring summer and rainy both season
Pusa Vishesh local variety of Hapur (UP) IARI, New Delhi
Suitable for pickling and dehydration

59. Co 1 Local type of Thudiyalur, district Coimbatore (TN) TNAU, Coimbatore Fruit dark
green with medium length.
Arka Harit Local collection of Rajasthan IIHR, Banglore Suitable for both kharif &
summer season .
Coimbatore Long White Local cultivar of Coimbatore TNAU.
Coimbatore Extra long fruit(60 cm) with dark green colour.
VK-1 (Priya) Selection from a local type KAU, Vellanikkara Extra long fruit with white
tinge at styler end.
Konkan Tara -Selection Konkan, Maharashtra- Long self life & Export quality
Kalyanpur Barahmasi -Local cultivar CSAUAT, Kanpur- Tolerant to fruit fly and mosaic
Kalyanpur Sona -Local Type CSAUAT, Kanpur -Tolerant to mosaic and fruit fly
Punjab – 14 Local Type PAU, Ludhiana Bushy plant, fruit light green.
C – 96 Local Cultivar PAU, Ludhiana –
Hirkani Local Collection MPKV, Rahuri Dark green spindle shape fruit.
NDB – 1 Local Type NDUAT, Faizabad

60. Pant Karela 1- Selection GBPUAT, Pantnagar- Highly resistant to red pumpkin
beetle.
Preethi(MC-84) Local type KAU - Priyanka (Sel- Local type from KAU, SRS, 1010)
Thiruvalla Thiruvalla Medium size white fruit with spines, less seeds.
Pant Karela – 1 Selection from indigenous germplasm GBPUAT, Pantnagar Suitable
for planting in hills.
Pant Karela – 3 Developed from germplasm line PBIG – 4 GBPUAT, Pantnagar
Suitable for planting in hills and plains both.
Pusa Hybrid – 1 - IARI, New Delhi 42 & 58% high yield than Pusa Do Mausami &
Pusa Vishesh
Phule Green Gold Green Long x Delhi Local MPKV, Rahuri Tolerant to DM
RHR BGH – 1 MPKV, Rahuri Tolerant to DM
Pusa Hybrid 2 S-63 x Pusa Do Mausami IARI .
BTH – 7 VRBT – 3A x VRBT– 82-1 - Field tolerant to PM & DM.
COBG H 1 MC 84 x MDU 1 TNAU Rich in momordicin (2.99 mg/100 gm), fruit wt.
450 g. BTH – 165 KB-1 x VRBT – 36 - Tolerant to PM & DM .
MDU 1 Induced mutant of local cultivar TNAU, Coimbatore Fruit weight 300 – 450g,
greenish white fruit.
CBM – 12 Mutant of M. charantia var. muricata Antidiabitic variety

61. Heterosis :-
Heterosis in bitter gourd for yield/vine ranges
from 27.3 to 86 % over better parent.
Studies on heterosis in relation to yield & quality
traits of bitter gourd have been made at IARI.
A bitter gourd hybrid, Pusa Hybrid 1 is developed
and released for commercial cultivation under
north Indian plains, which gives 42 % heterosis
over better parent & its fruit are suitable for
making pickle and dehydration (Sirohi, 2000).
An other variety Pusa Hybrid – 2 exhibited 75 %
heterosis for yield over Pusa Do Mausami.

62. Hybrid seed production :-
 Isolation distance for breeder/foundation & certified seed is 800 m and
400 m respectively.
 For hybrid seed production in India, 150g female parent seed & 40g male
parent seed are planted in separate blocks with in 1 units of land (1000
square meter).
 Since bitter gourd is a monoecious plant, its seed is produced by hand
pollination & without emasculation.
 Female flower bud are identified of the female parent & covered using
with butter paper bag size (7.5 cm x 12 cm)in the evening before
pollination take place.
 Mature male flower bud from male parent plant, which will open the
next morning are identified and covered with paper bag or non –
absorbent cotton.
 Next morning open male flower from male parent are collected and used
in pollination of already covered female flower which have opened by
now.
 Pollinated flower are again covered.

63. Maintenance of inbred lines :-
For achieving uniformity in the hybrids it is
essential to inbred the parents.
The degree of inbreeding required in the parents
will be determined by the extent of uniformity
desired.
In bitter gourd the parents/inbreeds are
maintained in pure form by selfing without loss of
vigour.
The first one or two female flower on the plants
must be selfed, otherwise selfing in later stage
often fails to set fruits.

64. Tissue culture :-
Holder & Godgil (1982) attempts tissue culturing of
bitter gourd.
Two year old callus derived from cotyledons were
subject to NAA (0.1 mg/litre) + adenine (13.5 – 67.5
mg/litre) & IBA + BA(both 0.25 – 10.0 mg/litre)
treatments.
NAA (1.0 mg/litre) + adenine (33.75 mg/litre) induced
buds in bitter gourd.
Fresh hypocotyl callus did not induces in the buds and
plantlets formation, but 23 – month old callus could be
induced to buds and plantlets by addition of NAA (1.0
mg/litre) and adenine (33.75 mg/litre).

65. Breeding objectives :-
• Yield – high yearly & total yield.
• Earliness – First pistilate flower to appear at lower node.
• High femaleness – High female to male ratio of flowers, resulting in high
number of fruit per plant.
• Fruit quality traits – fruit quality should be as per consumer preferance.
i. Size – generally the preference for medium – sized fruits, 10 – 15 cm long.
ii. Shape – fruit with uniformly medium – thickness are preferred.
iii. Surface – smooth surface and continuous smooth ribs or ridges are
preferred in many places. - tough spines for long distance transportation.
colour– preference varies in different regions- White fruits – Tamilnadu,
Karnataka & Maharashtra. Green/Light green – Bihar, Eastern U.P., West
Bengal and some other areas. Dark green fruit – most of the northern,
southern and western regions.
V. Less mature seeds.
VI. Bitterness – moderately bitter.
VII.Disease resistance - resistance to important diseases like - Powdery mildew
Downey mildew Mosaic
VIII.Insect resistance : - resistance to important insect-pests like- Red
pumpkin beetle and Fruit fly.

66. BOTTLE GOURD :-
The bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria, 2n = 2x=22
(Molina) Standle];
synonymously called white flower gourd or calabash
gourd, is an important vegetable crop of Africa and
Asia.
In India it is cultivated is cultivated in almost all the
part, both as rainy season and summer season
vegetable.
The name bottle gourd is due to bottle like shape of
fruit & its use as container in the past.
It is a cultivated annual monoecious species.
Fruit at tender stage are used as cooked vegetable and
for preparation of sweets.

67. Origin, Domestication & History:-
• According to the De Candolle (1882), bottle gourd has been
found in wild form in South Africa and India.
• However, Cutler and Whitaker (1961) are of the view that
probably it is indigenous to Tropical Africa (south of
Equator) on the basis of variability in seeds and fruits.
• The species appear to be domesticated to be independently
in Asia, Africa, and The NewWorld (Heiser, 1973).
• it has diffused to the new world by trans-oceanic drift or
human transport.
• its progenitor is unknown. It has a prehistoric existence in
India.
• It was cultivated during ancient times.
• its utilization by man is about 16,000 years old in the Old
World and 12,000 years old in NewWorld.

68. Botany :-
• Bottle gourd is a monoecious, annual vine pubescent
herb with five angled stem, stem is profusely branched.
• The flowers are large, unisexual, white, solitary, showy.
The flower has five petals.
• The staminate flower are on long pedicels than female and
hermaphrodite flower & exceeding the foliage.
• The pistilate flowers are single with short peduncle and
hairy ovary. Ovary may be round, ovate long or
cylindrical.
• There are three stamens, two as compound and one as
single.
• The ratio of male & female flower may vary from 5 : 1 to
15 : 1 in common type.
• The fruits are essentially a berry, it is called because of its
hard and tough rind at maturity

70. Biosystematics :-
• The bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standle, belong
to the genus Lagenaria Ser., family Cucurbitaceae,
subfamily Cucurbitoideae, tribe Benincaseae Ser., and
subtribe Benincasinae (Ser.) C. Jeffr.
• T he genus Lagenaria include six species that are distributed
in Africa, Madagascar, Indo-Malaysia and the neotropics.
• There is only one cultivated species, L. siceraria, which is
an annual and monoecious.
• The five other species are wild, perennial and dioecious,
occurring in east Africa and Madagascar. The cultivated sp.
L. siceraria have two subspecies, one domesticated in India
i.e. ssp. asiatica (Kab.) Heiser and the other in Africa &
New world ssp. siceraria.

71. Qualitative genetics
 The fruit colour, patchy vs. white has monogenic inheritance (Kallo 1993).
 The bitterness in fruits is governed by a single dominant gene (Bi). Two
major genes were reported for fruit shape (Pathak and Singh 1950).
 Long-fruited cultivars had AA genotype and round-fruited, aa genotype,
with partial dominance.
 Andromonoecious sex form, reported recently, is a monogenic recessive
character.
 The polygenic character include length of main shoot, number of branches
per plant, time of maturity (earliness), number of seed per fruit, 100-seed
weight, seed size, days to opening of first female flower and yield. The yield
is controlled mainly by dominant alleles.
 The characters like days to opening of first female and first male flowers,
fruit length, girth and weight and number of fruits per plant had high
heritability.
 Most of the economic trait showed equal importance of additive and non-
additive gene effects.

72. Breeding goals :-
• Higher yield
Earliness: First pistilate flower at an early node number.
• Sex-ratio: A low male : female sex ratio.
• Plant growth habit: Pants vigorous and well branched.
• Greater fruit number
• Fruit Quality
a) Shape: The consumer preference for fruit shape varies in different regions. Generally
the preference is for long , uniformity cylindrical, without neck and medium - sized fruit
or spherical fruit.
b) Surface: Glossy green surface, pubescent with sparse hairs in immature fruits at
marketable stage.
c) Non bitter fruit.
d) Flesh texture: It should not become fibrous quickly at edible stage.
e) Seeds: The fruit at edible stage should have less number of immature soft seeds.
f) Attractive green fruit with long colour retention. •
Resistance to Diseases:- - Powdery mildew - Fusarium wilt - Downy mildew and - Viral
diseases • Resistance to Insect-Pests:- - Red pumpkin beetle - Fruit fly.

73. Breeding Methods :-
• Individual plant selection or pureline selection has been
effective in developing improved cultivars from
heterogeneous local types.
• Similarly two parental cultivars can be crossed and the
typical pedigree/bulk/back cross method can be used.
Heterosis breeding has also been followed.
• Recurrent selection and reciprocal recurrent selection have
been advocated for improvement of bottle gourd.
• Male sterility was reported in the bottle gourd but it has not
been used for hybrid seed production.
• Monoecious female parent with removal of male flowers and
monoecious male parent are utilized for hybrid seed
production

74. Disease resistance
Attempts have not been made in bottle gourd to develop disease
resistant cultivars.
Genetic sources of resistance to some diseases have been reported in
the crop, such as-
1) PI 271353 - Resistant to the Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV),
squash mosaic virus, Tobacco ring spot virus (TRSV), Tomato ring
spot virus (TmRSV), and Watermelon mosaic virus 1 (WMV1).
2) Doodhi Long Green and Three Feet Long Green - Moderately
resistant to the powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca fuliginea).
3) Taiwan variety Renshi - Highly resistant to the Fusarium wilt and
tolerant to the abiotic stresses of very dry and wet soils.
4) Punjab Komal - Tolerant to the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV).

75. Insect resistance breeding
Nath (1971) has reviewed insect resistance breeding in
cucurbits.
The three major insects of bottle gourds are red pumpkin
beetle (Aulacophora spp.), fruit fly (Daucus spp.) and aphid
(Aphis spp.). Red pumpkin beetle Fruit fly ,Red pumpkin
beetle cause damage on seedling and continuous further.
For effective screening the adult beetles at the rate of one
beetle per seedling at the cotyledonous stage are released
inside the cage. In gourds a final observation with regard
to the damage by adult beetle on cotyledonous leaves is
made 10 days after seed germination.
The degree of fruit damage by fruit fly is recorded in terms
of damaged fruit showing puncture on each vine twice a
week and after record such fruits are harvested.

76. • The fruit with no damage are left on the vine till maturity to
confirm their resistance against the fly at every stage of fruit
development.
• The % of total fruit damaged throughout the season is
calculated for each line. The rating system is as fallow:-
Immune - no damage Highly resistant - 1 – 10 % damage
Resistant - 11 – 25% damage Medium resistant - 26 – 50%
damage Susceptible - 51 – 75% damage Highly susceptible -
76 – 100% damage
• For screening against aphids, artificial infestation in the
seedling stage is required.
• The resistance to the red pumpkin beetle (Aulacophora
foveicollis) is governed by a single dominant gene, Af. Fruit
Fiy

77. Improved cultivar of bottle gourd:-
Pusa Summer Prolific long Selection from a local type IARI, New
Delhi Suitable for both summer and kharif season.
Pusa Summer Prolific Round Selection from a local cultivar IARI, New
Delhi Suitable for both summer and kharif season.
Pusa Meghdoot (F1 hybrid) Pusa Summer Prolific Long x Sel. 2 IARI,
New Delhi (1971) Suitable for both spring and summer season.
Pusa Manjari (F1 hybrid) Pusa Summer Prolific Long x Sel. 11 IARI,
New Delhi (1971) Both season, 106% high yielder than PSPR.
Pusa Naveen Selection from a local germplasm IARI, New Delhi
Suitable for packing & long distance transportation .
Pusa Sandesh Selection (fruits green, round) IARI, New Delhi .
Pusa Hybrid – 3 F1 hybrid, Pusa Naveen x Sel P – 8 IARI, New Delhi
For long distance transportation, 45% high yield than Pusa Naveen,
both season

78. Pusa Santusthi - IARI, New Delhi Pear shaped fruit, hot and
cold set variety.
Pusa Samridhi - IARI, New Delhi Non-crook neck variety
Kashi Ganga IC – 92465 x DVBG – 15 - Early variety
Rajendra Chamatkar Selection BAU,Sabour (Bihar)
Punjab Long Selection from a local type PAU, Ludhiana
Punjab Round Selection from a local cultivar PAU, Ludhiana
Punjab Komal Selection from a local type PAU, Ludhiana
Tolerant to CMV
NDBG – 1 Selection from a local variety NDUAT, Faizabad.
NDBG – 4 A Hybrid NDUAT, Faizabad .
Arka Bahar Selection from a local cultivar of KN. IIHR,
Banglore Non-crook neck, suitable for export .
CO – 1 Selection from a local type TNAU, Coimbatore .

79. Kalyanpur Long Green Selection from a local type
CSAUAT, Kanpur .
KBG – 13 Selection from a local cultivar
CSAUAT,.Kanpur.
Samrat Selection from a local germplasm of
Maharashtra MPKV, Rahuri Good for box packing Pant
Sankar Lauki – 1 A hybrid, PBOG 22 x PBOG 40
GBPUAT, Pantnagar Resistant to powdery mildew .
Pant Sankar Lauki – 2 A hybrid, PBOG 22 x PBOG 61
GBPUAT, Pantnagar Suitable for plains and hills
Pant Lauki – 4 Pureline selection from PBOG 61
GBPUAT, Pantnagar Suitable for plains and hills both

80. Heterosis in bottle gourd
• A good number of F1 hybrids, Pusa Meghdoot, Pusa Manjari, Pusa Hybrid –
3 and Pant Sankar Lauki – 1 has been developed in the bottlegourd in
public sector.
•
• F1 hybrid Varad (MGH-4) developed by Mahyco, Jalna yields 60 – 65 t/ha.
•
• Rajendran (1961) recorded 266.5 % heterosis in the yield of the best hybrid
combination of bottle gourd over better parent.
• Choudhary and Singh (1971) developed two high yielding bottle gourd
hybrid viz. Pusa Meghdoot and Pusa Manjari which gave 75% and 106%
higher yield over the better respective parent.
• Janakiram and Sirohi (1989) studied heterosis for 9 yield component in 45
F1 hybrids and they found the cross S – 46 x S - 54 gave 148.97% higher
yield than commercial cultivar PSPR.

81. Kumar et al. (2001) conducted experiment at NDUAT,
Faizabad to study the environmental effect on the standard
heterosis of bottle gourd and Pusa Naveen an elite cultivar was
used as the standard check.
Degree of standard heterosis were high during winter
season(up to 61.65%) and early summer season (up to71.93%)
as compared to main summer season crop (only up to 18.14%).

82. Pollination control mechanism
Dehiscence of anther in bottle gourd take place between 11 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.,
whereas anthesis of both staminate and pistilate flowers take place between
5.0 p.m. and 8.0 p.m. (Nandapuri and Singh 1967). Stigma remained
receptive 6 hours before and 30 hours after the flower opened.
Fruit formation could be recognised only after 24 hours of pollination.
Bottlegourd being monoecious in nature, controlled pollination is necessary
for pureline breeding & maintenance of germplasm.
Male and female flower which are likely to open in the offing evening must
be completely wrapped in morning before 10 a.m.with strips of bandage
cotton.
Controlled pollination are made in afternoon when the dehiscence begins,
after pollination female flower are wrapped with cotton strips to avoid
undesirable pollen transfer.
Development of F1 hybrids in bottle gourd hybrid seed production has been
simplified by manipulation of the sex mechanism and sex expressions.
In bottle gourd special attention is given to standardize techniques for the
suppression of male flowers.
There are the following techniques which involved for hybrid seed
production of bottle gourd-a) Pinching of male flower b) Chemical sex
expression c) Use of male sterile line

83. Pinching Of Male Flower :-
One row of male parent are sown after every three rows of female parent.
Pinching all the male flower before opening from the female parent. Allow
the male parent for natural cross pollination.
All the fruit set in female parent would be necessary through cross
pollination by insect.
F1 seed is extracted after harvest the fruit from female parent line.
Choudhury and Singh, 1971
Chemical sex expression :-
Application of ethrel (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) at the rate of 200 –
300 ppm at 2 & 4 true leaf stage.
Ethrel help in supressing the staminate flower and initiating pistilate
flower successfully in first few flowering node of female parent(Verma,
Singh and Choudhury, 1985)
Row of male parent is grown by side of female parent and allow natural
cross pollination. Four to five fruit set at initial nodes containing
hybrid seeds would be sufficient.

84. Use of Male Sterile Line:-
• Dutta (1983) reported that in bottle gourd,
genic male sterile is controlled by ms-1.
• This can be used for the production of hybrid
seeds.
• Till date none has developed hybrids using
male sterile line in bottle gourd.

85. Snake gourd
Annual creeping known for its fringed corolla slender angled and pubescent stem
2n=22
Genetics:-
White fruit colour has been shown to be dominant over greeen white stripes
Breeding methods:-
It is being highly crosspollinated crop mass selection pedigree and bulk population
methods are suggested in the crop
TA19-KAU;PKM1;CO1 & CO2Mare single plant selection.
Pillai etal exposed dry seeds of H375 to gamma rays at 10,20,40 & 50kr one of the
mutants selected from 20kr treatment was promsing PKM1 after evalution for 5
generations.
Breeding Achievements:-
co1
Kaumudhi
baby

86. WATERMELON
Introduction
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a member of the cucurbit family
(Cucurbitaceae).
The crop is grown commercially in areas with long frost-free warm
periods.
Plants must be grown at a wide spacing because of their long, trailing
vines.
The exception is for dwarf cultivars where the plants can be grown at a
tighter spacing. The crop may be established in the field by planting
seeds or using containerized transplants.
Management of plant pests (weeds, insects, and diseases, including
nematodes) is essential during the production period.
Three-fourths of the world production is grown in Asia, with China the
leading country in production.
Watermelons are grown in most states of the United States, but the
major producers are in the South and West (Florida, Georgia,
California, and Texas) where the warm production season lasts longer.

87. The fruit are harvested by hand, with the most experienced workers
doing the cutting (removal of the fruit from the vine) and the others
loading the bins or trucks.
The fruit are shipped to markets throughout the United States, with
some exported to Canada.
Watermelon fruit will keep for two to three weeks after harvest if they
are stored properly at 10 to 15°C and 90% humidity.
Besides whole watermelons, it is becoming popular to sell watermelon
in pre-cut halves, quarters, slices, and chunks.
Seedless watermelons are especially popular for pre-cut sales, since
that shows their seedless quality.

88. Depending on the cultivar, watermelon fruit are produced in
different sizes: ice box, small, medium, large, or giant;
different shapes: round, oval, blocky, or elongate;
different rind patterns: gray, narrow stripe, medium stripe, wide
stripe, light solid, or dark solid;
different flesh colors: white, yellow, orange, or red; and
different types: seeded or seedless.
Commercially, the most popular seeded cultivars are red flesh,
blocky shape, and large sized (8–11 kg), like the cultivar
Allsweet.
For seedless watermelons, the popular cultivars are red flesh,
oval shape, and medium sized (5–8 kg), like the cultivar Tri-X-
313

89. Watermelon is served fresh as slices, as chunks (often in fruit
salad), as juice, pickled rind, glacé candy, and as edible seeds
(harvested from confectionary type cultivars).
It is no longer just a summer fruit and is becoming an everyday
fruit like apples, bananas, and oranges.
The watermelon fruit is 93% water, with small amounts of
protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins.
In some arid regions, watermelon is used as a valuable source of
water.
The major nutritional components of the fruit are carbohydrates
(6.4 g/100 g), vitamin A (590 IU), and lycopene (4,100 µg/100g,
range 2,300–7,200), an anticarcinogenic compound found in red
flesh watermelon.
Lycopene may help reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as
prostate, pancreas, and stomach.

90. The lycopene content of the new dark red watermelon
cultivars is higher than in tomato, pink grapefruit or
guava.
Orange flesh types have only small amounts of
lycopene, and the beta carotene content is similar to
that of red flesh types.
Canary yellow types do not contain lycopene, but do
have a small amount of beta carotene.
Watermelon seeds are rich in fat and protein

91. Watermelon flowering and fruit development are promoted by high
light intensity and high temperature.
Watermelon is the only economically important cucurbit with
pinnatifid (lobed) leaves; all of the other species have whole (non-
lobed) leaves.
The leaves are pinnately divided into three or four pairs of lobes,
except for a non-lobed (sinuate) gene mutant controlled by the “nl
gene.
Watermelon growth habit is a trailing vine.
The stems are thin, hairy, angular, grooved, and have branched
tendrils at each node.
Floral morphology

92. The stems are highly branched and up to 30 feet long,
although there are dwarf types (dw-1 and dw-2 genes)
with shorter, less-branched stems.
Roots are extensive but shallow, with a taproot and
many lateral roots.
Watermelon has small flowers that are less showy
than those of other cucurbits.
Males :female ratio ranges from 6 to 10:1 in early & 20 to 25:1
in late cultivars.
Bees are pollinators.

93. • Flowering begins 4 to 8 weeks after
seeding.
• Flowers of watermelon are staminate
(male), perfect (hermaphroditic), or
pistillate (female), usually borne in that
order on the plant as it grows.
• Monoecious types are most common, but
there are andromonoecious (staminate and
perfect) types, mainly the older cultivars or
accessions collected from the wild .
• The pistillate flowers have an inferior
ovary, and the size and shape of the ovary
is correlated with final fruit size and shape.

94. • The fruit of watermelon are round to cylindrical, up to
600 mm long and have a rind 10 to 40 mm thick.
• The edible part of the fruit is the endocarp (placenta).
That contrasts with melon (Cucumis melo), where the
edible part of the fruit is the mesocarp.
• Fruit as large as 120 kg have been recorded, but
usually they weigh 4 to 16 kg. In Asia, even smaller
watermelon fruit in the range of 1 to 4 kg are popular.
• Fruit rind varies from thin to thick, and brittle to
tough.

95. Seeds continue to mature as the fruit ripens and the rind lightens
in color.
Seeds will be easier to extract from the fruit if the fruit is held in
storage (in the shade or in a seed processing room) for a few days
after removing them from the vine.
If seeds are left too long in the fruit they will germinate in situ.
There is no dormancy in watermelon seeds, so they can be
harvested on one day, cleaned, dried, and planted on the next day.
Seeds germinate in 2 days to 2 weeks depending on temperature
and moisture conditions.
Seeds will not germinate below 60°F.
The optimum germination temperature is 85 to 90°F, especially for
triplo id seeds.
For germination of triploid hybrid seeds, temperature and
moisture are more critical, and it is especially important to avoid
excess moisture

96. Origin and Domestication :-
Watermelon has been cultivated in Africa and the Middle East for
thousands of years, and in China since at least 900 AD.
Watermelon was brought to the New World in the 1500s. In the
United States, watermelon is a major vegetable crop that is grown
primarily in the southern states .
The major watermelon producing states are Florida, California,
Texas, Georgia, and Arizona.
Through history, watermelon was distributed throughout the
world as trade and knowledge of central Africa developed.
The crop was grown in India by at least 800 AD, and in China by
1100 AD.

97. Centers of Origin:-
Watermelon is thought to have originated in
southern Africa because it is found growing wild
throughout the area, and reaches maximum
diversity there.
Citrullus colocynthis is considered to be a wild
ancestor of watermelon, and is now found native in
north and west Africa.

98. Centers of Diversity :-
The primary center of diversity for watermelon is
southern Africa, with wild relatives also found in
west Africa.
The secondary center is China, and related species
can be found in India

99. Genetics of characters in watermelon
character Number of genes Type of gene action
Inheritance of sex Monogenic (AA) Monoecious dominant to
andromonoecious
Leaf lobing Monogenic Lobed dominant than non
lobed
dwarfness Digenic(dw1,dw2) Spreading dominant to
dwarfness(bushy nature)
Male sterility &glaborous
leaf
monogenic Male sterility &glaborous
leaf are pleiotropic &
governed by recessive genes.
Fruit shape - Round partially dominant to
long fruit.
Fruit weight monogenic Higher fruit weight
incompletely dominant to
fruit weight

100. Seed number monogenic High seed number
dominant to low seed
number
Rind thickness digeneic Thick incompletly dominant
to thin
Rind toughness digenic Toughness incompletely
dominant to less toughness
Growth rate trigenic Incompletely dominant
Days to 1st male flower monogenic dominant
Days to 1st female flower trigenic Incompletely dominant
Days to fruit ripening digenic Incompletely dominant

101. BREEDING METHODS
• Watermelon is a highly crosspollinated crop as being monoecious and
andromonoecious
• Malesterility has also been reported.
Introduction:-
• Sugarbaby , crimson sweet ,Asahi yamato & new hampshire midget.
Mass selection:-
This method is used for improvement as well as maintenance of varieties
As selection is based on phenotype,heritability of character determines
the success of the mass selection
This method is effective for improving qualitative trait like sugar content
in watermelon.
Arka manik is a advanced generation derivative of modified backcross
between IIHR-21×Crimson sweet- TSS 12-15%- Average fruit weight
6kg-triple reistant to downy mildew, powdery mildew and
anthracnose.

102. Polyploid breeding and breeding for
seedless varieties
Seedless watermelon offers the consumer a high quality
product,flesh free from seeds,firm & sweet,TSS high
and extra hard rind,extra hard flesh.
Steps in the seedless watermelom are as follows:-
Development of tetraploid lines- application of
colchicine(0.2%-0.4%) in morning &evening to
growing points of young seedlins over 4 to 6 days and
soaking of seeds in solution of colchicine(0.4%)for
24hrs.
Detection of tetraploid lines:-
These have large pollen size,have larger seeds and
degree of ploidy can be recognised by the pattern

103. Identification of specific heterotic combinations
between tetraploids and diploids plants.
3n seeds are produced by crossing 4n with 2n.
Natural crossing results approximately 84% of 3n
plants
Degree of ploidy can be determined by rind pattern.
Non lobing is a recessive marker gene character of
leaf is used as marker character tagged with 4n plants.
The male parent (2n)is lobed and true F1 would be all
with lobed leaves.
About 36% of F1plants produced were triploids at a
spacing of 1×2m & 21% at 3×3m spacing.

104. Problems of seedless watermelon production:-
Development of 4x line is lon
4x lines usually low in fertility.
The cost of seed is high.
Yield of seedless watermelon is low
Ex:- Pusa bedana –tetra2 × Pusa rassal

105. Mutation breeding:-
• Resorted to induce dwarfness &male sterility
• No worth while varieties are developed.
Interspecific hybridization:-
• Watermelon readily crossable with citrullus
colocynthis results in production of variables for
crop improvement

106. Salient breeding achievements
 Caltham gray, summit ,shipper ,white hope and
verons are resistant to fusarium oxysporum.
 Alena is tetraploid from diploid sugar baby
 Fairfase resistant to alternaria.
 AHW19-for hot arid region
 AHW65-3 to 4 per vine
 Durgapur kesar
 Durgapur lal
 Durgapur meetha

107. IIHR varieties:-
• Arka muthu;
• Arka akash;
• Arka manik-IIHR-21×Crimson sweet
F1 hybrid:-
• Arka jyothi- IIHR-20×Crimson sweet;
• Arka madhura-triploid seedless- suitable for year
round production under protected cultivatiom
• Arka aishwarya
• Pusabedana-tetra-2×pusarassal

108. Improved varieties
• Ashahi yamato- introduced from japan;
• Sugarbaby- introduced from USA;
• New hampshire midget- introduced from USA-
suiatable for kitchen garden
• Improved shipper- introduced from USA;
• PKM-1 selection from local type
• Durgapura meetha-selection from local cultivar
• Durgapura kesar-selection from local cultivar-yellow
fleshed variety
• Durgapura lal- sugar baby × k-3566-unlobed leaf
marker

109. Musk melon
Annuals with climbing or creeking vines of length
upto 3m.
The leaves are shallow lobed & more or less
rounded,
Flowers are large ,yellow,fragrant and edible.
Fruits are extremely variable in size & shape
which may be ellipsoid to globose with or without
longitudinal grooves.
Skin may be soft or hard tellow,cream or orange
& plain netted or prickly in nature.
Flesh inside varies from white to cream yellow,
orange or green.
At present most of the commercial types have thin
skin & thick orange pulp.
Fruits are many seeded pepo.

110. Origin and distribution
• China is the primary center of origin.
• Indo burma center is considered as the
secondary center of origin.
• In India particularly oriental pickling
melon(C.melo var.conomon) &
snapmelon(C.melo var.momordica) are unique
and have considerable variability in
westernghats.

111. The characteristics of the genes cucumis are
fleshy fruits,many seeded pepo, flowers are
solitary,small,lemon yellow to
deeporange,leaves are deeply or shallowly
lobed not pinnatified,corolla is rotate &
deeply parted.
Many sex form-monoecious ,
gynoecious,andromonoecious and perfect
Melons are highly cross
pollinated,honeybees are pollinators
Time of anthesis-5:30-6:30am,
Dehisence occurs for 5-6hrs
Stigma receptivity 2-3hrs.

112. Botanical classification
• Based on fruit shape:-
C.melo var. agrestis Smallround,inedible,grown at
higher altitudes upto 1100m
C.Melo var.cultas Fruits are large & edible
C.Melo var.reticulatus Netted or nutmeg muskmelon.green
to red orange flesh colour
C.Melo var cantaloupensis Medium sized fruits round shape
smoothsurface aromatic flavour &
sweet
C.Melo var ,inodorus Wintermelon. Honey
dew,whiteskinned,muskyodour

113. C.Melo var .conomon Very large with thick flesh no odour
oriental pickling melon
C.Melo var .flexuosus Serpent snake melon fruit shape long
& peculiar
C.Melo var .chicko Mangomelon,garden melon.
C.Melo var .utilissimus Long melon fruits are long &slender
& are ribbed.
C.Melo var.dudaim Pomegranate melon deep orange flesh
colour

114. Classification of cultivated melons
Cantaloupe melon of europe-thick scaly rough
rind often deeply grooved.
Muskmelon grown in USA-small fruits &
rinds are finely netted to nearly smooth and
have very shaloow ribs.
Cassaba or winter melon:-large fruits with
good storage quality.
Oriental pickling melon:-resembling cucumber
used as vegetable

115. F1 hybrids
• Pusa rasaraj-M-3×durgapurmadhu-used for
monoecious line
• Punjab hybrid-MS-1×haramadhu-1st f1 hybrid
• MH-10 gynoecious lines ×indian cultivar

116. Fruit taste:-
• C.melo var callosus- bitter
• C.melo var.acidulus-sour
• C.melo var.cantalupensis-bland
• C.melo var.reticulatus-sweet.
• Chromosome no:- 2n=24
• Cantaloupe polyploids 2n=48
• C.Melo sps .flexuosus- semi dry regions.
• C.Melo sps.rigidus-hot dry regions (central asia & iran)
• C.Melo sps.orientale-hot humid regions(asia-minor).
• C.Melo sps europus-cool dry regions
• C.Melo sps chinensis-chinese melons(east asia)
• C.Melo sps spontaneum-wild melon(east africa)

117. Genetics:-
• Sex forms are controlled by 2 genes
• A & G-monoecious
• A gg-gynomonoecious
• aaG-andromonoecious
• Agg-hermaphrodite

118. Breeding objectives
• Attractive round,spherical fruit shape
• Thick flesh with attractive orange/green colour
• Small seed cavity
• Sweet juicy musky flavour
• TSS not<10%
• Tough netted skin of fruit
• High early & total marketable yield
• Resistant to common diseases( DM,PM , fusarium
wilt, viruses,gummy stem blight)
• Resistant to common pests(aphid,leaf minor)

119. Breeding methods
Mass selection:-
Arka jeet,arka rajhans,MH1
Pedigree method:-
This method is applicable to develop genotypes by
crossing parental lines having complementary traits
followed by selection of desired types in selfed or
inbred generations upto 5-6 generations till
homozygosity is attained
Punjab sunheri(haramadhu×edisto)
Hissar madhu(pusa sharbati ×75-34)
Punjab rasila(WMR29 ×haramadhu)

120. Back cross method:-
• Is preferred for incorporating simply inherited qualitative
characters like fruit colour,skin &moderately to high
heritable quantitativecharacters like maturity and fruit size
• It is comparitively easy where seed yield per fruit is high.
Heterosis breeding:-
• Male sterility gene ms1 has been discovered in
georgia47×smith perfection cross
• Hybrid seed set is generally low(15-20%).
Mutation breeding:-
• Male sterile lines are developed through mutation breeding
which is restricted to creation of variability in muskmelon.

121. Interspecific hybridization:-
• Chatterjee & more(1991)attempted interspecific hybridization
in cucumis species to transfer high level resistance to cucmber
green mottle mosaic virus from 5 wild cucumis species.
• Based on this results some advanced biotechnological tools
such as somatic hybridization might be useful in solving the
problem
• They employed bud pollinatiom use of mentor pollen brush
pollination,growthregulator application and treatment of
stigma with organic solvent to overcome the barriers of
interspecific hybridization.

122. Breeding achievements
Resistant varieties:-
• Powdery mildew:- campo,jacumba
• Downy mildew:-georgia 47 gulf stream
• Watermwlon virus 1:- B665
• Muskmelon virus:- oriental pickling melon
• Aphids:-P1371795
High yielding varieties:-
arka jeet-local collection from lucknow-highTSS content(IIHR-103)
• Arka rajhans-local collection from-tolerant to PM
• Pusa madhuras
• Pusa sharbati
• Kasi madhu-long storage capacity
• Punjab raseela-phoot×indian cultivar
• Punjab sunehari
• Hissar madhu
• Hara madhu
• MHY-5