GENE EFFECT STUDIES FOR QUALITY CHARACTERS IN CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativus L.) USING GYNOECIOUS PARENT.

Six generations (P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1P1 and BC1P2) of cucumber were developed from crossing gynoecious parent (Gy-14) with three commercial varieties (Pusa Uday, Punjab Naveen and Pant Kheera-1) during Feb-May 2017 and September-December 2017 and were evaluated during Feb-May 2018 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to find out the genetics of quality characters in cucumber. From the ABCD scaling test and three parameter model of joint scaling test, the absence of non-allelic interactions was detected for total soluble solids, ascorbic acid in Gy-14 × Pusa Uday and Gy-14 × Pant Kheera-1 and mineral matter, improved by selection of desirable segregants followed by pedigree method. Among epistatic interactions, in trait such as ascorbic acid in Gy-14 × Punjab Naveen, dominance × dominance interaction was higher in magnitude, therefore these traits can be improved by heterosis breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]