GENETIC ANALYSIS IN PAPAYA (CARICA PAPAYA L.)

Analysis of various genetic characters in papaya was done during 2000 to 2002 in Randomized Block Design with four replications having two plants per replication. Evaluation of parental inbreds revealed that Pusa Dwarf (PD) was dwarf and low-flowering. Pusa Nanha (PN) flowered earlier, gave large fruits and maximum yield. Coorg Honey Dew (CHD) showed high fruit set and quality. Sunrise Solo (SS) was early flowering, had high TSS, total sugars, carotenoids and maximum shelf life. Among hybrids, CHD × PD was dwarf and recorded lower height to first flower. PN × CHD recorded maximum fruit set and earlier harvest. The highest yield per plant was in CHD × SS and SS × PD. On per se performance and combining ability analysis, the hybrids PD × CHD (dwarf, low-flowering, early bearing), PN × CHD (early bearing), CHD × SS (yield per plant, quality), SS × PD (yield per plant, fruit weight, fruit volume) and PN × PD (disease tolerance, yield per plant) were promising. PN had the highest number of dominant alleles for plant height, days to harvest, fruits per plant, yield per plant, fruit size, pulp percentage and total carotenoids. PD had the highest number of dominant alleles for plant girth, height to first flower, days to first flower, fruit weight, total sugars and shelf life. SS carried the highest number of dominant alleles for TSS and ascorbic acid, but the lowest number of dominant alleles for plant height, girth, days to first flower, pulp content, total sugars and shelf life. The study revealed that the hybrids PD × CHD, CHD × PD, SS × PD, CHD × SS and SS × CHD excelled all the other hybrids evaluated, based on their superior performance for various horticultural traits.