Author(s):

Koushik Saha, Swamini Bhoi, Prasant Kalal and Subhalaxmi Mishra

Abstract: Gynoecy is the condition where all the flowering nodes produce only pistillate flowers, which can be exploited for improving yield and economizing hybrid production. Though Bitter gourd is a typical monoecious member of Cucurbitaceae family, it also exhibits various sex forms. Gynoecious sex form has been reported in Indian germplasm which is governed by a single recessive gene ‘gy-1’. These lines have been maintained at the beginning through sib-mating. Treatment of gynoecious lines of bitter gourd with ethylene perception inhibitor i.e. silver thiosulfate induces hermaphrodite flower buds. Micro-propagation for maintenance and mass multiplication of gynoecious lines in bitter gourd for hybrid seed production was standardized. However, early phenotypic detection of gynoecy in breeding lines is difficult as it highly influenced by environment. The mode of inheritance of gynoecy and the position of the gene governing it, can be analyzed by identifying a molecular marker closely linked to the gynoecy locus which can further be used in the marker assisted selection of gynoecious line. But in India molecular breeding in bitter gourd is in its infancy, due to limited molecular resources, particularly on functional markers for traits such as gynoecy. The available molecular markers which are summarized in this review can be utilized for incorporation of gynoecy traits into genetic background of cultivated Bitter gourd. This review also covers the implication of gynoecy trait towards the sustainable development in the genetic improvement of Bitter gourd.

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