Variability studies in F3 populations of muskmelon [(Cucumis melo L.) Standl.]

An experiment was conducted at College of Horticulture, Venkataramannagudem, Andhra Pradesh during the Late Kharif, 2023 with an aim to study genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance in F3 populations of four crosses of muskmelon. The results revealed that estimates of PCV were higher than the corresponding GCV and the difference between PCV and GCV was minimal for most of the characters, revealing a limited impact of environmental factors. High values of PCV and GCV were observed for traits like fruit yield per vine, average fruit weight in all the crosses and total soluble solids in cross-1 and cross-4 indicating the presence of greater variability and hence more amenable to selection and improvement. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was recorded for traits like number of fruits per vine, fruit yield per vine, average fruit weight, average fruit length and TSS in all the four crosses; vine length in cross-4; average fruit diameter in cross-3 and cross-4; average pulp thickness in cross-2 and cross-4 recorded revealing the dominance of additive gene action, implying that the traits expression is primarily influenced by the cumulative effect of multiple genes, allowing for effective selection and improvement.