International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology Citation: IAEB: 11: 941-945, Special Issue 2018 ©2018 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING Genetic Variability Studies on Sponge Gourd [Luffa cylindrical (L.) Roem.] Abhijeet 1 , Saurabh Kasera* 1 , Netra Pal Yadav 2 , V.B. Singh 1 and Sudhir K. Mishra 2 1 Department of Vegetable Science, N.D. University of Agriculture & Technology, College of Horticulture & Forestry, Kumarganj, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India 2 Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences, Naini Agricultural Institute, Naini, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India *Corresponding author: saurabhkaseraag@gmail.com (ORCID ID: MISSING) Paper No. 766 Received: Accepted: ABSTRACT An investigation was carried out to evaluate thirty sponge gourd genotypes including one check variety (Pusa Chikni) for eleven traits at Main Experiment Station, Department of Vegetable Science, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad (U.P.), during Zaid 2012 with three replications in Randomized Block Design. Analysis of variance indicates that thirty diverse genotype of sponge gourd difered signifcantly for the eleven traits. The genotypes NDSG-3 (3.405 kg), NDSG-1 (3.252 kg), NDSG-60 (3.217 kg), Pusa chikni (3.162 kg) and NDSG-55 (3.048 kg) produced highest fruit yield per plant. These genotypes also exhibited average mean performance for fruit diameter, vine length and fruit length. The highest estimate of phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefcient of variation were recorded in case of node number to anthesis of frst staminate fower (PCV=40.09) and (GCV=36.20) followed by node number to anthesis of frst pistillate fower (PCV= 31.82) and (GCV=30.26), and Average fruit weight (g) (PCV =27.07) while days to frst marketable fruit harvest exhibited lowest value (8.89 and 7.07). The presences of high heritability with high genetic advance in per cent of mean were observed for node number to anthesis of frst staminate fower (81.5 and 67.33), node number to anthesis of frst pistillate fower (90.4 and 59.27), number of fruits per plant (92.8 and 49.83) and average fruit weight (89.4 and 49.85) exhibiting additive gene efect and selection for these traits is reliable for developing high yielding cultivar of sponge gourd. Highlights m Genetic evaluation of 30 sponge gourd genotypes indicated that highest GCV and PCV in association with high heritability and genetic advance was observed with node number to anthesis of frst staminate fower. m The genotypes NDSG-3, NDSG-1, NDSG-60, Pusa chikni and NDSG-55 produced highest fruit yield per plant. Keywords: Sponge gourd, GCV, PCV, heritability, genetic advance. A tropical member of the Cucurbitaceae, the Lufa sponge gourd [Lufa cylindrical (L.) Roem.] is an annual vine with tendrils and large, cylindrical fruits that are edible when young. Lufa commonly called as sponge gourd, loofah vegetable, sponge or dish cloth. It is one of the most important cucurbits grown throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the country and world. Sponge gourd is mainly produced as a home garden crop. It originated in subtropical Asian region particularly India (Kalloo 1993). It is commonly grown for its tender fruits for vegetable purpose as well as for scrubbing of body skin as a bath sponge of mature fruits, increases blood circulation and for cleaning utensils (Oboh and Aluyor 2009). The tender fruits are rich in