Genetic Diversity Analysis in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Based on Morphological Traits

Abstract

Evaluation of fifteen diverse genotypes of cucumber was carried out in a randomized complete block design for studying genetic divergence. Presence of wide genetic diversity, among the genotypes studied was confirmed by using Mahalanobis D2 statistics. Based on the interactions genetic distances of cucumber genotypes had grouped into five separate clusters inferring that the genetic divergence between them was quite high. The germplasm were so divergent, that only six genotypes were grouped in cluster V and three genotypes in each cluster I and III. The two genotypes SKY/AC-270-613481 and JB/11-091-613462 were grouped as cluster II and the genotype Tripura local was so divergent in all the characters that they were allotted as a separate group as cluster IV. Cluster mean analysis proclaimed that, genotypes in cluster I recorded maximum value for vine length (3.36 m), number of leaves per plant (43.85), number of branches per plant (12.98), leaf area (144.71 cm2), number of female flowers per plant (20.30), fruiting period (52.20 days), fruit set (89.10 %), average fruit weight (214.72 g), number of fruits per plant (19.00), fruit yield per plant (2.50 kg), fruit yield per ha (31.23 t/ha), rind thickness (2.79 mm) and flesh thickness (3.02 cm), whereas, same cluster I recorded minimum value for traits viz., internodal length (6.55 cm), days to appearance of first male flower (30.34 days), days to appearance of first female flower (31.81 days), node number at which first female flower appeared (4.00), days to first harvest (41.22 days) and number of seeds per fruit (211.69) which are negatively desirable characters in the crop production and crop improvement programme.