Breeding of

Cucurbits
Important
• Cucumber Dr Devinder K Mehta
• Bitter gourd Principal Scientist
• Bottle gourd Dept of Vegetable Science,
• Pumpkin Dr YSPUHF Nauni Solan HP
• Muskmelon
• Watermelon
CUCUMBER
 INTRODUCTION

 Botanical Name – Cucumis sativus

 Common name –Khira
 Family –Cucurbitaceae
 Chromosome no. -2n=2X=14
 Origin –South Asia (India)
 Wild
Origin and Domestication
According to De Candolle (1886) cucumber is an
indigenous vegetable to India.
The possible progenitor of cucumber Cucumis
hardwickii which is seen in the foot hills of
Himalayas. This species similar to cucumber except
for smooth fruit surface & extremely bitter flesh and
falls within the range of variability of cucumber.
Burma is the secondary center of origin
The related species of C. sativus (2n=14) are C.
trigonus, C. callosus (2n=14), and are sources of
resistance to fruitfully.
 Cucumber is an important summer vegetable in
all parts of India.
 It is used as salad, as pickle and also as cooked
vegetable.
 It has been cultivated in India for at least
3000years.
 Cucumber seeds have a number of Ayurvedic
uses.
 The oil from its seeds is good for the brain and
the body.
 Floral biology

 Anthesis –flower open in the morning hours mainly

from 5:30am -7:00 am.
 Anther dehiscence-Normally the male flower appears
first than the female flower. It is 4:30-5:00am.
 Stigma receptivity – 12 hours earlier to 6-7 hours
after anthesis.
 Pollen viability –Remains viable upto 14 hours after
the dehiscence.
 Pollination Mechanism-Plants are Monoecious, both
male and female on the same plant.
Female flower
Breeding objectives
 High yield
 Early yield
 Increase number of harvest per plant
 More number of lateral branches
 Increase percentage of fruit set
 Predominantly gynoecious type
 Desirable fruit size, shape and colour as per need of
consumers
 Parthenocarpic cucumber for protected cultivation
 Better keeping quality of fruits with less shrinkage,
non-bitter, crispy, free from carpel separation without
hollow spot
 Small seed cavity
 Resistance to diseases: Downy mildew, powdery
mildew, anthracnose, cucumber mosaic virus etc.
 Resistance to insect particularly fruit fly
 Abiotic stress tolerance (temperature, drought etc)
Small seed cavity
Breeding Methods

 Pedigree method
 Back cross method
 Single seed descent method
 Population improvement
 Heterosis breeding
 Varieties
 Japanese Long Green
 KTCH-11
 KTCH-8
 Pusa Sanyog
 Straight Eight
UHF Nauni SOLAN
 Khira 75
 Khira 90
 KH-1
 KH-2
Bitter gourd
(Momordica charantia
• Bitter gourd is a rich source of
iron and vitamin C and an
important cucurbit grown both
as rainy season and spring-
summer crop in India.
• It is also extensively gown in
China, Japan, South East Asia,
Tropical Africa and South
America. It is also known as
bitter melon, balsam pear,
bitter squash.
 ORIGIN, DOMESTICATION AND
HISTORY
According to the Zeven and Zhukovsky (1975) the
origin of bitter gourd remains unidentified. However,
now it is considered of Indo-Malayan origin.
Its domestication was in eastern India and southern
China.
It has a long history of cultivation. It was introduced
from the Old World in Brazil.
It is widely distributed in India, China, Malaysia,
Thailand, and Tropical Africa.
The wild species, M. charantia var. muricata of Asia
is perhaps progenitor of the cultivated bitter gourd, M.
charantia L.
BIOSYSTEMATICS:-
The genus Momordica has about 80 species, among
which M. charantia L. is the most widely cultivated
species.
The other species grown for their edible fruits are M.
dioica (kakrol), M. cochinchinensis (kheksa or sweet
gourd), M. tuberose (syn. M. cymbalaria Hooker) and
M. balsamina L. (Balsam apple).
Six wild species of Momordica occure in India. These
includes M. balsamina, M. cochinchinensis, M.
cymbalaria, M. denudata, M. dioica, M. macrophylla
and M. subangulata.
 BOTANY
Plants are monoecious annuals with medium size
vines.

Staminate flowers are small, yellow and borne on

long slender pedicels.

The pistillate flowers are solitary, have small pedicel

and are easily distinguishable by oblong to long
distinct green color ovary.
Anthesis (3:30-7:30AM) and dehiscence (7:30AM) occur early
in the morning. Therefore selfing and crossing should be attempted
in forenoon preferably in early hours.
 BREEDING OBJECTIVES
Early fruiting and high yield .
High female to male sex ratio .
Fruit shape, size, color and spininess as per
consumers preference:
Short, oval, spiny, green, 7-8cm long,
Short, spindle, spiny, green, 15cm long
Medium long, spindle, spiny, green, 20 cm
long
Smooth, spindle, green, 20 cm long
Medium long, spiny, white, 20 cm long
Long, spiny, white, 30 cm long
Tough spines for long distance
transportation
Immature seeds for longer period during green
edible stage .
 BREEDING METHODS
Single plant selection, mass selection,
pedigree method and bulk method are the
common breeding methods are followed.

Pusa Do Mausami, Arka Harit, Priya,

Coimbatore Long and Pusa Visesh are a few
of the high-yielding selection in bitter gourd.

Since bitter gourd is a cross-pollinated

crop, there is ample scope for exploitation of
heterosis. More pronounced hybrid vigour could
be observed with inclusion of diverse parents.
 VARIETIES
• Solan Hara
• Solan Safed
• Pusa Do Mausami
• Pusa Vishesh
• Kalyanpur Barahmasi
• Phule Green
• Arka Harit
• Pant Karela
Bottle gourd
(Lagenaria siceraria)
An important cucurbit in India
Chromosome no. is 2n=2x=22
Cultivated in Kharif and summer season
White flowered, shallow rooted crop
Used as cooked, in musical instruments,
dry shell as water pitcher
Good source of minerals
Six species have been recognized
One is domesticated monoecious specie
Other five are wild, perennial, dioecious forms
confined to Africa, Madagascar and Comoro
islands.
Origin, Domestication &
History :-
• According to the De Candolle (1882), bottle gourd has been found
in wild form in South Africa and India.
• However, Cutler and Whitaker (1961) are of the view that probably
it is indigenous to Tropical Africa (south of Equator) on the basis
of variability in seeds and fruits.
• The species appear to be domesticated to be independently in Asia,
Africa, and The New World (Heiser, 1973).
• Its progenitor is unknown.
• It has a prehistoric existence in India.
• It was cultivated during ancient times.
• Its utilization by man is about 16,000 years old in the Old World
and 12,000 years old in New World.
Biosystematics :-
• The genus Lagenaria include six species that are
distributed in Africa, Madagascar, Indo-Malaysia and
the neotropics.
• There is only one cultivated species, L. siceraria,
which is an annual and monoecious.
• The five other species are wild, perennial and
dioecious, occurring in east Africa and Madagascar.
L.sphaerica, L. breviflora, L. abyssinica, L.guineensis
and L. rufa
• The cultivated sp. siceraria L. have two subspecies,
one domesticated in India i.e. ssp. asiatica and the
other in Africa & New world ssp. siceraria.
 Floral biology
Monoecious, annual vine with soft pubescence.
Flowers are white, solitary and open at night .
Anthesis –between 5 pm and 8 pm
Anthesis dehiscene –between 1 pm and 2:30pm.
Pollen fertility lasts on day of anthesis till next
morning.
Stigma receptivity starts 36 hours before
anthesis and remained up to 60 hrs. after
anthesis .
Breeding objectives
High yield
Greater fruit number
Fruit weight as per market demand
Earliness
High female: male flower ratio
Round, club, long and pear shaped fruits
Sparse hairs persisting on skin
Non-fibrous flesh and Non-bitter fruits at edible stage
Attractive green fruit with long colour retention
Resistance to PM, DM, Cucumber mosaic virus and
red pumpkin beetle.
Breeding methods
Plant introduction
Pureline selection
Mass selection
Pedigree method
Bulk method
Single seed descent method
Backcross method
Heterosis breeding
Varietal characters
variety Method of breeding Characteristic
features
Pusa Summer Prolific Selection from local For summer season,
Long germplasm fruits 40-45cm long
Pusa Summer Prolific Selection in local Prolific bearer, heavy
Round germplasm yielder.

Pusa Naveen (sel.-48) selection Non-crook neck

fruit,300q/ha.
Arka Bahar Selection in local Non-crook
cultivar in KA neck,wt.1kg,light
green and shiny
flesh.
Punjab Komal - Early maturing,
oblonged and
tolerant to
CuMV,400Q/ha.
Variety Method of breeding Characteristic
features

Pusa Meghdoot PSPL x sel.2 High yielding, spring-

summer season.

Pusa Manjari PSPR x sel.11 Round fruited high

yielding
Pant Sankar Louki 1 PBOG22 x 35cm long
PBOG40 fruit,,400q/ha
Pant Sankar Louki 2 Long fruited.

Pusa Hybrid 3 Pusa Naveen x Easy packing for long

sel.P-8 distance transport

Kashi Ganga IC-92465 x DVBG- Early variety

151
BREEDING OF
PUMPKIN
Common name Pumpkin
Scientific name Cucurbita moschata
Family Cucurbitaceae
Chromosome no 2n=2x=40
 Origin
It was native to the low lands of tropical
and subtropical America (Mexico and
South America).
Evidence has been found for the presence of
C. moschata in Southern Mexico about
5000BC and Peru about 3000BC.
It can tolerates high temperature better than
the other species of cucurbits and is the
preferably the least cold tolerate.
There are 26 species of cucurbita, five of
which are domesticated, but genetically
isolated from each other.
Interspecific hybrids are usually self sterile or
sparingly fertile.
The cultivated species of cucurbita are

C. pepo (summer squash);

C. moschata (pumpkin);
C. maxima (winter squash);
C. mixta (cushaw)
C. ficifolia (fig leaf gourd, malabar gourd)
Summer squash

Winter squash
 The seeds, however non-bitter, tasty & nutritive
 The wild forms of Cucurbita are classified into:-
Xerophytic forms:- C. digitata; C. palmata; C.
cylindriata; C. foetodiscima.
Mesophytic forms:-

C. ficifolia ; C. sororia ; C. lundelliana

 Pumpkin closely related to xerophytic forms.
 C. lundelliana (ancestor) is seen as key species in a group.
 C. lundelliana x C. moschata (wide spectrum compatibility)
Floral biology
Plants are monoecius and hence
Cross pollinated crop
Flowers are large, yellow colored
Time of anthesis ------3:30 am to
6:00 am .
Time of dehiscence------9.00pm to
6:00 am.
Pollen viability ------up to 16 hours
after an thesis.
 Breeding objectives
High fruit yield.
Early maturing.
First pistillte flowers at early node number.
High female to male flower ratio.
Yellow or mottle skin of fruit.
Non ridged fruit surface.
High antioxidants specially carotenoides.
Thick fruit flesh and small seed cavity.
Round /oblong/flat round fruit shape.
Breeding objectives
Orange flesh colour, rich in beta carotene,
the precursor of vitamin –A.
Resistance to Powdery mildew, downy
mildew, zucchini yellow mosaic virus, Red
pumpkin beetle.
Tolerance to low temperature and saline
conditions.
Varieties
characterstics
Selection from IIHR-105.
Arka chandan Rich in
carotene(3331IU/100g).
Good keeping & cooking
quality.
Selection from local
CM-14 collection at KAU.
Fruits weight is 6kg each.

Vines vigrous,early and

Solan Badami prolific ,good keeping quality,
first fruiting in 100-120days
after sowing.
Pusa Biswas Selection from
Selection of line SM-107
at IARI .
Identified for zone V
and VII.
Arka Suryamukhi Selection from local
collection IIHR-79.
Resistant to fruit fly.
Good keeping and
transport quality.
Pusa Hybrid -1 Suitable for Punjab,
Kerala and Delhi region.
MUSKMELON
• Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L., 2n = 2x = 24) encompasses the
netted, salmon-flesh cantaloupe,
– the smooth – skinned green fleshed Honey Dew,
– the wrinkled – skinned, white or orange fleshed and several other
dessert melons.
• Cucumis comprises a genus of nearly 40 species including
several of considerable economic importance such as
cucumber, muskmelon, and West Indian gherkin
• Muskmelon- Indigenous to East Africa which apparently were
introduced to West Indies from Africa
• India, Persia, and Southern Asia are considered secondary
centers of diversity for muskmelon.
• In India particularly oriental pickling melon (C. melo var.
conomon) & snap melon (C. melo var. momordica) are unique
and have considerable variability in Western Ghats.
 Botanical classification
• Based on fruit shape:-
C. melo var. agrestis Small round, inedible, grown at
higher altitudes upto 1100m

C. melo var. cultas Fruits are large & edible

C. melo var. reticulatus Netted or nutmeg muskmelon, green
to red orange flesh colour

C. melo var. cantaloupensis Medium sized fruits round shape

smooth surface aromatic flavour &
sweet
C. melo var. inodorus Winter melon. Honey dew, whites
kinned, musky odour
C. melo var . conomon Very large with thick flesh no odour
oriental pickling melon

C. melo var. flexuosus Serpent snake melon fruit shape long &
peculiar

C. melo var. chicko Mango melon, garden melon.

C. melo var. Long melon fruits are long & slender &
utilissimus are ribbed.

C. melo var. dudaim Pomegranate melon deep orange flesh

colour
 Floral biology and pollination mechanism
• In Muskmelon mostly andromonoecious sex form is common
in most of the varieties grown in the country.
• Male flowers appear first in cluster on main as well as
secondary branches but hermaphrodite flowers appear on
secondary branch solitary.
• In case of muskmelon the petals started opening from the top
between 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at the temperature 30°C.
• The anther dehiscence take place before anthesis.
• The anthers dehisce at 21.8 to 23°C.
• High pollen fertility remain until 10:00 AM after which it goes
down and negligible by evening (6:00 PM).
Andromonoecious
Andromonoecious
 BREEDING OBJECTIVES
• High early and total marketable yield.
• Attractive round shapes/spherical shape.
• Thick flesh with attractive orange/green color.
• Small seed cavity.
• Sweet, juicy, musky flavoured fruits.
• TSS not less than 10%.
• Tough netted skin of fruit.
• Resistance to common diseases (powdery mildew, downy
mildew, virus, Fusarium wilt, gummy stem blight.)
• Resistance to important insect –pests (aphid and leaf
miner)
 Varieties and their characterisation
Varieties /Hybrid Remarks

Arka Jeet High TSS variety, excellent flavour

Arka Rajhans Moderately resistant to powdery mildew

Hara Madhu Do not slip stage at maturity

Pusa Sharbati Fruits are round with netted skin

Punjab Hybrid Moderately resistant to powdery mildew, early maturity,

has good transportability and post harvest life

Pusa Rasraj Utilization of monoecious line

Punjab Rasilla Resistance to powdery and downy mildew

Kashi Madhu Long storage capacity

PMR Cantaloupe 45 Variety resistant to both downy mildew and aphids

and PMR 6,7
 Breeding methods
• Introduction
• Selection
• Hybridization (Backcrossing & Pedigree Method)
• Heterosis Breeding :-It is employed for earliness, fruit size ,
fruit weight, flesh thickness and soluble solids.
– Male sterility has immense potential for production of
hybrid cultivars of muskmelon. The male sterile line MS-1
is the only male sterile line in India
– The development of superior F-1 cultivar of Punjab Hybrid
(MS-1 × Hara Madhu ) is the result of research and
breeding work using MS-1.
 RME LON
WAT E

Botanical name – Citrullus lanatus

Watermelon is served fresh as slices, as chunks (often in
fruit salad), as juice, pickled rind, glaze candy, and as
edible seeds (harvested from confectionary type cultivars).
The watermelon fruit is 93% water, with small amounts of
protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins.
In some arid regions, watermelon is used as a valuable
source of water.
The major nutritional components of the fruit are
carbohydrates (6.4 g/100 g), vitamin A (590 IU), and
Lycopene (4,100 µg/100g, range 2,300–7,200), an anti-
carcinogenic compound found in red flesh watermelon.
The lycopene content of the new dark red watermelon
cultivars is higher than in tomato, pink grape fruit or
guava.
Origin :-
• Origin – West Africa
• Primary Centre of diversity – Southern
Africa
• Domestication – Egypt and India.
• Secondary Centre of diversity- China .
 Watermelon has been cultivated in Africa and
the Middle East for thousands of years, and in
China since at least 900 AD.
 Watermelon was brought to the New World in
the 1500s. In the United States, watermelon is
a major vegetable crop that is grown primarily
in the southern states .
 Citrullus colocynthis is considered to be a wild
ancestor of watermelon and is now found
native in North and West Africa.
FEMALE FLOWER

MALE FLOWER
 Floral biology and pollination mechanism

• Watermelon is monoecious and female

flowers appear on the main branches.
• Anthesis continued from 6:00 to 7.30 AM
with the peak between 6:30 to 7:00 AM.
• The anthesis is completed in a short time.
• The anther dehiscence start one hour before
anthesis and continued upto 6:30 AM.
Breeding goals :-
 High yield
 Earliness
 Pistillate flowers at lower node number
 Tough skinned fruit for long distance transportation
 Fruits with smaller and fewer black seeds with attractive
deep red flesh
 Firm and non – fibrous flesh texture
 Intermediate fruit shape between typical long and round
 Proper sugar to acid ratio
 TSS content not less than 10%
 Resistance to disease, viz., Virus, Fusarium wilt, Anthracnose,
gummy stem blight Powdery mildew
 Resistance to insects (cucumber aphids, fruit fly, cucumber
beetle, red pumpkin beetle.
 met h od s
B reed i n g
Introduction :-
 Asahi Yamato – Introduced from Japan , TSS 11- 13 % , fruit 6-8
kg in weight .
 Sugar Baby – Introduced from USA , TSS 11-13 % , very sweet in
taste , suitable for north India .
 Improved Shipper – Introduction from USA , TSS 8-9 %
 New Hemisphire Midget – 1.5 – 2.0 kg weight , suitable for
home gardens.
 Dixie

Sugar Baby
Selection :-
 Special No. 1 - Early maturing, red flesh and
red seed , selection made by P.A.U Ludhiana .
 Durgapura Meetha - Good keeping quality,
TSS 11% , dark red color , matures 125 days
after sowing ( Late cultivars ).
 Durgapura Kesar - Late cultivars , flesh is
yellow in color , moderate sweet , large seeds .
 Pusa Rasal – Old cultivar
Hybridization :-
 Pusa Bedana - Tetra – 2 (4X) × Pusa Rasal (2X), seedless
triploid variety
Triploid watermelon was developed by Dr. Kihara in 1950.
- Fruits have dark green skin with faint stripes.
- TSS 12- 13 %
- Average fruit weight 5-6 kg
- It takes 115 – 120 days for first fruit harvest
Arka Manik - IIHR – 21 × Crimson Sweet.
- Fruits are round to oval , with green rind , dark green stripes .
-Flesh – deep crimson , with granular texture .
-Very sweet with TSS 12-15 %
-Multiple resistance to powdery mildew , downy mildew ,
anthracnose

Arka Jyoti - Mid season , F 1 hybrid ( IIHR -20 × Crimson Sweet )

- Fruit – Oval , deep blue angular stripes .
- Flesh is bright crimson sweet with 11- 13% TSS.
- Yield potential 500 q /ha .
THANKS
Questions?