A field experiment was carried out using 16 genotypes during spring-summer season (2022). The experiment was conducted using a RBD with three replications to study the nature and extent of genetic variability in bitter gourd genotypes for improvement in fruit yield and yield attributing traits. Significant variations in the genotypes for each character were found using the analysis of variance. The PCV was greater than GCV for every character under study. The characters such as average fruit weight, days to 50% flowering, days to first female flower opening and sex-ratio observed relatively low difference of GCV and PCV. High heritability and high GA as per cent of mean was recorded for characters like average fruit weight, fruit yield per vine, sex-ratio, vine length, number of primary branches, number of fruits per vine and fruit diameter indicating that these characters are highly influenced by additive gene action and hence, direct selection through these characters would be more effective in improvement programme

Bitter gourd, GCV, PCV, heritability, genetic advance

In the present investigation, analysis of variance revealed that significant variation existed among various characters. The PCV was found higher than GCV for all the characters. Characters like fruit yield per plot, average fruit weight, fruit yield per vine, sex-ratio, vine length, number of primary branches, number of fruits per vine, and fruit diameter showed high heritability with genetic advance as percent of mean indicating the preponderance of additive gene effect for these characters. Therefore, direct selection will be effective through such traits for improvement of bitter gourd.

Pratibha Sharma, Gouri Shankar Sahu, Anita Mohanty, Pradyumna Tripathy, Neeraj Kumar and S. Karubakee (2025). Evaluation of Performance of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Genotypes under Coastal Conditions of Odisha. Biological Forum, 17(6): 20-24