Analysis on 8 × 8 diallel crosses of Cucumber (Cucumissativus L.) for potential yield improvement at Can Tho, VietNam

Combining ability analysis provides useful information for the selection of parents, in the breeding program of cucumber at Can tho, VietNam, as well as information related to the nature and extent of the gene activities involved. Cucumberimprovement involves strategies to enhance yieldpotential and quality of cucumber. Targeting the improvement of new varieties for breeding in cucumber plants, combining abilities and genetic parameters for 12 traits estimated from the full diallel analysis technique 8×8. The results showed that the differences due to general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) capabilities are significant for most of these important traits.It indicates the importance of both plus- and non-plus gene activity. GCA variances are more intense than SCA variances for all hybrid materials studied showing the advantages of linear effects in their genetics. P1 (PhungTuong) appears as the best general combination for early flowers; P3 (MaLai) has a high primary branch number; P3(MaLai);P4 (TL 00L);P5(TayNinh) P6( BinhPhu) and P7(TQ) have the best combining ability for use in the breeding program to improve the number of fruits per plant. P4 (TL 00L) gives the length of the fruits. The SCA effect as well as the reciprocal effect also have implications for most important combinations in different hybrid combinations such as: the crossing P1xP6, P2xP3, P2xP4,P2xP5 and P2xP7for fruit weight/plant. The length of the fruit forP1x P6 and P2 x P7,these selected crossing were associated with the agronomic performance of cucumber varieties in future.