The study investigated genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance as percent of mean (GAM) for yield and related traits across melon generations. In F₂, ovary length, ovary width, pistil scar size, seed cavity, yield per plant, and seed length showed high GCV, PCV, heritability, and GAM, indicating additive gene effects. Leaf traits, flesh thickness, fruit weight and TSS expressed moderate variability but high heritability with promising selection potential. In contrast, days to first female flowering and days to first fruit maturity revealed low variability and GAM. In BC₁P₁, ovary length, pistil scar size, fruits per plant, and yield per plant displayed high variability and GAM, whereas fruit length, width, seed cavity, flesh thickness, and fruit weight showed moderate variability with high heritability. Flowering and maturity traits had low variability. In BC₁P₂, ovary length, leaf length, pistil scar size, fruit weight, and TSS exhibited high variability with substantial GAM. Yield per plant and seed width showed moderate to high variability, while flowering and maturity were less variable. Overall, ovary length, pistil scar size, fruit weight, yield per plant, and TSS are identified as key selection targets due to their high variability, heritability and GAM.

Melon, Genetic variability, Heritability, GCV, PCV

The present investigation revealed substantial genetic variability for yield and yield-related traits in the F₂ and backcross generations of the inter-botanical cross Kashi Madhu × IC321371. High GCV, PCV, heritability and GAM were consistently recorded for ovary length, pistil scar size, fruit weight, total number of fruits per plant and yield per plant across different generations, highlighting the predominance of additive gene action and the potential for effective selection. Traits such as TSS and flesh thickness also expressed high heritability with promising GAM, suggesting their usefulness as selection indices in melon improvement programs. Moderate variability with high heritability and GAM was observed for fruit length, fruit width and leaf traits indicating that improvement through phenotypic selection is feasible though progress may be relatively gradual. In contrast, flowering and maturity traits consistently exhibited low to moderate variability with comparatively low GAM, reflecting the influence of non-additive gene action and environmental factors, which may limit direct selection gains for earliness. The overall findings emphasize that traits directly contributing to yield and quality, such as ovary traits, fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, flesh thickness, and TSS offer the greatest promise for selection and genetic improvement in melon. Consequently, breeding programs focusing on these characters can achieve significant genetic gains, while traits with low variability and GAM may require alternative approaches such as heterosis breeding or multi-environment evaluation.

Rashmi K., Shivapriya M., Vishnuvardhana and Ravishankar K. V. (2025). Study of Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance for Yield- Related Traits in Inter-Botanical Cross of Melon Kashi Madhu (Cucumis melo var. chandalak) x IC231371 (Cucumis melo var. indicus). Biological Forum, 17(10): 20-24.