Studies on clonal characterization, floral biology, fruit yield components and fruit quality traits in teasle gourd (Momordica subangulata blume. subsp. renigera)
2013
Thapa, U. | Hazra, P. | Naik, A.
Field experiments using five diverse female clones of teasle gourd revealed that, beginning with the emergence of the stems from the soil, the opening of the first female flowers of different plants required an average of 53 days and the male plant produced the first flower at the 8th node of the main stem 75 days after emergence from the soil. Male and female buds passed through eight distinct developmental phases. Considerable variation was recorded among the female clones for days taken from sprouting to flowering, ranging between 67.6 days in the cultivar ‘Mondouri Local’ to 86.0 days in ‘Assam Local’. From the time the female flower buds became visible they required an average of 20 days (range 19.8 to 20.6 days) to bloom. Considering the variation within clones, 4.50 to 5.50 am could be regarded as the peak anthesis time of teasle gourd during the June-July period. The anthers dehisced at the time of opening of the flowers and the release of pollen grains continued for several hours. In four female clones, the stigma became receptive 18.5 h before anthesis and in ‘Assam Local’ it became receptive 18.0 h before anthesis. All the female flowers which were pollinated within 12 h before or after anthesis produced fruits. It took on average 16 days (range 15.8 to 16.5 days) to develop the ovaries into the marketable stage of the fruit. General characterization of the female clones was done employing different plant characters, including leaf shape, tendril characters, floral features, fruit shape and spine characters. Fruit weight was the most important character influencing both fruit yield and fruit quality. Fruits per plant was as important as other yield components. TSS content of the fruit was the most influential quality parameter. Selection in teasle gourd must take into account yield and quality of the fruit.
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