• Varinder singh
• V.K Vashisht
• Ramandeep Kaur

A study was conducted to assess the extent of heterosis and combining ability of muskmelon in a half diallel mating design. Forty five F1 hybrids and ten inbred lines were evaluated for fourteen different characters during 2014-15 at Department of Vegetable Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The analysis of variance indicated significant variability among all the genotypes for all the traits except acidity. The combining ability analysis revealed that general combining ability effects and specific combining ability effects were significant for all the traits. Among inbred lines, MS-5 and MM-311 were found to be the best general combiners for TSS content along with other important traits. MM-303, MM-311 and MM-310 good general combiner for β- carotene content and ascorbic acid content. While MM-303, MM-306 and IC-267375 had negative significant gca values for lower incidence of viral and fusarium wilt diseases.Cross combination, MS-5 × MM 2008-8 and MS-5 × MM-308 were best specific combiners for TSS content and days to fruit maturity, respectively. Cross combinations viz., MS-5 × MM 308 and MS-5 × MM-304 were significantly better for days to fruit maturity, total fruit yield per plot and TSS content along with other important fruit traits over standard checks, Punjab Hybrid and Farmers’ Glory.

Muskmelon, Diallel analysis, Heterosis, General combining ability, Specific combining ability.

"HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY FOR BIOCHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES AND FUSARIUM WILT IN MUSKMELON (Cucumis melo L.)", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 7, page no.711-720, July-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807564.pdf

"HETEROSIS AND COMBINING ABILITY FOR BIOCHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES AND FUSARIUM WILT IN MUSKMELON (Cucumis melo L.)", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 7, page no. pp711-720, July-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807564.pdf