Genetic Improvement of Sponge Gourd (Luffa cylindrica Roem.)

Smooth gourd (Luffa cylindrica Roem. 2n = 2x = 26) is one of the important member of the family Cucurbitaceae and originated in subtropical Asian region particularly India. Smooth gourd is an annual plant, which produces fruits containing a fibrous vascular system. It is monoecious plant with branched tendrils. Flowers are yellow and showy having five petals. The inflorescence of staminate flowers is in racemes while the pistillate flowers are solitary and short or long pendunculate. Both types of flowers may occur in the same leaf axil. Various breeding techniques have been advocated considering the breeding behavior of crop species. Out of these F1 hybrid breeding is prominent and used in the improvement of vegetable crops, especially in out breeding species. Speedy improvement can be brought about by assembling the genetical variability locating the best combiners and exploiting heterosis. Combining ability analysis is one of the powerful tools available which gives the estimates of combining ability effect and aids in selecting desirable parents and crosses for further exploitation.