Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 20:60-62 (article 27) 1997
M.S. Dhaliwal
Department of Vegetable Crops, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141 004, India
Introduction. Gherkin, burgherkin or West Indian gherkin is botanically known as Cucumis anguria L. and is a diploid species having chromosome number 2n=24. It has descended from a non-bitter variant of an African wild species C. longipes Hook, which bears bitter fruits. Fruits of gherkin are small, egg-shaped and are borne on a long peduncle. The fruits can be consumed fresh in salads, processed in pickles or cooked as a vegetable (1). Gherkin is not grown in this part of India, so an effort has been made to evaluate this germplasm under Punjab conditions.
Material and Methods. Forty-eight lines of gherkin were introduced from North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, Ames during 1994. These genotypes were grown at Vegetable Research Farm, PAU, Ludhiana during summer 1995 under replicated trial. Each replication accommodated five plants. Spacing between rows and plants was maintained at 3 m x 50 cm respectively. Two rows were planted per bed. Data were recorded for only 44 genotypes as 8 lines did not germinate. Quantitative characters studied include cotyledon size (L x B, cm 2), fruit number per plant, fruit shape (E/P), vine length (m) and yield (kg/plant). Based upon the performance in the first year, 18 lines were planted during 1996 for re-evaluation.
Results and Discussion. Number of fruits/ vine ranged from 4 for TGR 898 to 138 for PI 386034 (Table 1). Other prolific fruit bearing lines were PI 386032 (1000), PI 396055 (80), TGR 1253 (78), PI 386052 (75), PI 386085 (75), PI 282442 (65), PI 147065 (65) and Clark No. 156 (63). the highest fruit yield/plant was recorded in PI 282442 (2kg), followed by PI 386052 (1.8kg), PI 386085 (1.4kg), PI 386055 (1.4kg), PI 196477 (1.375kg), and PI 438679 and PI 386034 (1.3kg each). Vine length varied from 1.07 m in PI 386076 to 3.58 m in PI 386052. Other genotypes having vine length greater than 3 m include TGR 539 (3.18m), TGR 1928 (3.13m), PI 386071 (3.10m) and PI 282442 (3m). Fruit shape ratio varied from 2.2 for PI 233646 to 1.1 for TGR 1253.
Correlation coefficients were estimated between yield/plant and fruit number/plant, vine length, cotyledon size and fruit shape. Estimation of correlation (Table1) indicated that yield might be improved by selecting for fruit number and vine length. Fruit shape and cotyledon size had no correlation with yield cannot be used as a selection criterion for improving gherkin yields.
Eighteen lines producing average yield of 0.80 kg/plant or more during 1995 were replanted during 1996. Among these lines, PI 438679, PI 196477, PI 147065 and PI 320052 had yields in 1996 that were similar to the 1995 yields (Table 2). The fruit of these four PIs are egg-shaped, non-bitter and with the exception of PI 147065 have smooth surfaces. PI 438679, PI 196477, PI 147065 and PI 320052 are all commercially acceptable.
Table 1. Evaluation of gherkin germplasm during 1995.
SR No. |
Line |
Fruit No./Plant |
Vine Length (m) |
Cotyledon Size (cm2 ) |
Fruit Shape (E/P) |
Yield/Plant (kg) |
| 1 | PI-233646 | 50 | 1.1660 | 0.640 | 2.200 | 1.100 |
| 2 | PI-386082 | 22 | 2.580 | 1.440 | 1.300 | 0.591 |
| 3 | PI-482-385 | 29 | 1.950 | 1.200 | 1.600 | 0.357 |
| 4 | PI-386023 | 100 | 2.000 | 0.560 | 1.400 | 0.500 |
| 5 | PI-386075 | 32 | 1.750 | 0.310 | 1.300 | 0.450 |
| 6 | PI-386034 | 138 | 2.500 | 0.830 | 1.600 | 1.300 |
| 7 | PI-386029 | 58 | 2.000 | 0.630 | 1.700 | 0.967 |
| 8 | PI-438679 | 52 | 2.400 | 1.280 | 1.700 | 1.375 |
| 9 | PI-320052 | 38 | 2.500 | 0.580 | 1.500 | 0.205 |
| 10 | PI-196477 | 62 | 2.700 | 0.850 | 1.800 | 0.300 |
| 11 | PI-386044 | 19 | 2.500 | 0.750 | 1.700 | 0.629 |
| 12 | PI-438570 | 28 | 2.200 | 1.250 | 1.800 | 0.350 |
| 13 | Clark No. 156 | 63 | 2.000 | 1.740 | 1.200 | 0.300 |
| 14 | PI-386062 | 22 | 2.730 | 0.970 | 1.700 | 0.733 |
| 15 | PI-386080 | 35 | 1.750 | 0.740 | 1.600 | 1.050 |
| 16 | Gatooma 29 | 11 | 2.790 | 0.530 | 1.600 | 0.460 |
| 17 | Gatooma 26 | 51 | 2.760 | 0.900 | 2.000 | 0.700 |
| 18 | TGR-1928 | 19 | 3.130 | 1.640 | 2.000 | 0.483 |
| 19 | TGR-80 | 30 | 3.570 | 1.090 | 2.000 | 0.150 |
| 20 | TGR-539 | 17 | 3.180 | 0.910 | 1.500 | 1.800 |
| 21 | TGR-289 | 8 | 2.000 | 1.370 | 1.500 | 1.100 |
| 22 | TGR-235 | 40 | 2.600 | 1.470 | 1.900 | 0.210 |
| 23 | TGR-1253 | 78 | 3.550 | 0.830 | 1.100 | 0.080 |
| 24 | TGR-898 | 4 | 2.120 | 1.470 | 1.700 | 1.100 |
| 25 | PI-442176 | 15 | 2.140 | 0.750 | 1.700 | 0.150 |
| 26 | PI-147065 | 65 | 2.250 | 0.820 | 2.000 | 1.150 |
| 27 | PI-386076 | 40 | 1.070 | 0.400 | 1.600 | 0.160 |
| 28 | PI-386071 | 38 | 3.100 | 0.590 | 1.400 | 0.125 |
| 29 | PI-386070 | 15 | 1.530 | 0.400 | 1.800 | 0.400 |
| 30 | PI-386086 | 8 | 2.200 | 0.430 | 1.800 | 0.800 |
| 31 | PI-386085 | 75 | 2.000 | 0.740 | 1.400 | 0.350 |
| 32 | PI-386052 | 75 | 3.580 | 0.670 | 1.700 | 1.800 |
| 33 | PI-386067 | 24 | 1.410 | 0.620 | 2.000 | 0.350 |
| 34 | PI-386036 | 22 | 1.550 | 0.320 | 1.900 | 0.255 |
| 35 | PI-386039 | 23 | 1.750 | 0.590 | 1.600 | 0.210 |
| 36 | PI-386064 | 14 | 1.900 | 0.910 | 1.200 | 0.420 |
| 37 | PI-386037 | 53 | 2.500 | 0.510 | 1.500 | 0.900 |
| 38 | PI-386055 | 80 | 0.050 | 0.550 | 1.600 | 1.400 |
| 39 | PI-386048 | 56 | 0.500 | 0.460 | 1.700 | 1.060 |
| 40 | PI-386066 | 50 | 2.300 | 0.330 | 1.500 | 0.700 |
| 41 | PI-386051 | 40 | 1.830 | 0.370 | 2.000 | 0.375 |
| 42 | PI-386054 | 60 | 1.100 | 0.440 | 1.600 | 0.850 |
| 43 | PI-282442 | 65 | 3.000 | 0.550 | 1.300 | 2.000 |
| 44 | PI-482383 | 50 | 2.700 | 1.190 | 1.600 | 0.840 |
| CD at P=0.05 | 3.45 | 0.640 | 0.090 | 0.130 | 0.210 | |
| Corr. with yield | 0.69 | 0.470 | -0.020 | -0.130 |
Table 2. Yield and fruit characteristics of selected gherkin lines during 1996.
SR |
Line |
Fruit No/Plant |
Yield/plant (kg) |
Fruit surface |
Fruit shape |
Fruit taste |
| 1 | PI-438679 | 42.4 | 0.920 | Smooth | Egg | Non-bitter |
| 2 | Pi-196477 | 60.7 | 1.360 | Smootj | Egg | Non-bitter |
| 3 | PI-147065 | 60.2 | 1.400 | Spined | Egg | Non-bitter |
| 4 | PI-320052 | 40.3 | 0.820 | Smooth | Egg | Non-bitter |
| CD a P=0.05 | 5.17 | 0.250 | ||||
Acknowledgment: I am grateful to North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, Ames, Iowa USA, for providing seed material.
Literature Cited
- Whitaker, T.W. and G.N. Davis. 1962. Cucurbits: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. Leonard Hill, London, 250 pp.