Agro-morphological characterization of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) genotypes based on quantitative morphological descriptors

Abstract:

Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) is an economically important vegetable crop valued for its high nutritional content, short crop duration, and wide adaptability. The present study was undertaken to characterize eighteen genetically diverse summer squash genotypes using quantitative agro-morphological descriptors under the agro-climatic conditions of New Delhi, India. The experiment was conducted during the Rabi season (2024-2026) at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Morphological observations were recorded on vegetative, floral, fruit, and seed traits following UPOV and Bioversity International descriptors. Data were collected from five randomly selected plants per replication and analyzed to assess phenotypic variability among genotypes. Considerable variation was observed for growth, reproductive, fruit, and seed characteristics, indicating the presence of substantial genetic diversity. The identified variability provides valuable information for germplasm characterization, variety identification, and parental selection. The findings will support breeding programmes aimed at developing high-yielding, superior-quality, and climate-resilient summer squash cultivars.