Evaluation and selection of superior snap melon (Cucumis melo var. momordica Duth. & Full.) genotypes using...

The snap melon (Cucumis melo var. momordica Duth. & Full.), recognized for its characteristic fruit splitting at maturity, is a nutritious and resilient cucurbit with considerable potential for crop improvement. However, systematic breeding efforts remain limited due to low genetic variability present in available germplasm and the relationships among yield and selected fruit quality traits. This study evaluated 30 snap melon genotypes to quantify genetic variability, heritability, trait correlations, and genetic divergence for the identification of superior breeding materials. Substantial phenotypic variation was observed for key traits, including vine length (185.13-535.54 cm), fruit length (6.59-22.00 cm), fruit weight (168.13-1065.40 g), and fruit yield per plant (0.49-4.68 kg). High heritability coupled with high genetic advance for average fruit weight, fruit yield per plant, and titratable acidity indicated the predominance of additive gene action and the effectiveness of direct selection. Fruit yield per plant exhibited strong positive correlations with fruit weight, fruit length, and fruiting period, suggesting that these traits can serve as reliable selection criteria for yield improvement. Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into five distinct clusters, with the greatest genetic divergence observed between Clusters 1 and 2, indicating their potential use as parents in hybridization programs. Principal component analysis revealed that the first six principal components explained 88.12% of the total variation, with fruit weight, vine length, and fruit yield contributing most to genotypic differentiation. Based on their overall performance and comparison with the released check variety AHS-82, genotypes HSM-13, HSM-19, and HSM-9 were identified as promising breeding materials for developing high-yielding snap melon cultivars.