Studies on habit of flowering and its relation to shape of fruit in an inbred line of watermelon, Citrullus vulgaris schrad.

Abstract

Attempts have been made to describe the interaction between the shape of fruit and habit of flowering in two watermelon plants found in the multiplication plot of a new variety. The first plant Gol-43-1 had staminate and perfect flowers; the shape of fruit was oblate to oblong. The other, Gol-43-2, bore pistillate, staminate and perfect flowers; the shape of fruit was oblate to spherical. By selfing and sibbing different offsprings of these two plants and considering the segregants, definite monohybrid ratios were obtained. This indicated that a pair of independent genes control habit of flowering and that monoecious habit of flowering is dominant over andromonoecious habit of flowering. No definite ratios indicative of an interaction between shape of fruit and habit of flowering could be established. Plants bearing defective reproductive organs had fruits which were intermediate in shape. It is our belief that more than two pairs of genes are responsible for the gradation in fruit shape and the interaction between habit of flowering and shape of fruit.