DEVELOPING SPONGE GOURD [LUFFA CYLINDRICAL (ROEM.) L.] POPULATIONS WITH A VERY HIGH PROPORTION OF PISTILLATE FLOWERS

The occurrence of gynoecism in sponge gourd [Luffa cylindrical (Roem.) L.] is very rare, although population with high proportion of pistillate flowers has been developed and utilized for hybrid development.
The gynoecious and male sterile populations are always been desired by the breeders across the globe.
We identified a cluster bearing sponge gourd genotype VRSG-52-1 and from this genotype of sponge gourd we isolated Four sponge gourd plants viz.
Gy25S, Gy27S, Gy28S and Gy29S with absolute expression of gynoecism.
We have been able to develop and maintain Four populations with a very high proportion of pistillate flowers from these gynoecious plants through sib-pollination.
The development of these gynoecious sponge gourd populations will help in the commercial production of hybrid seed of sponge gourd.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Environmental, Edaphic, and Genetic Factors Affecting Plants, Seeds and Turfgrass

P.K. Singh, B.R. Choudhary, R. Singh, D.R. Bhardwaj, M. Rai

sponge gourd, gynoecism, pistillate flower, hybrid seed production

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.938.64