This study investigates genetic variability, morphological diversity, and biochemical traits in gynoecious Coccinia accessions using multivariate analysis. ANOVA revealed significant variation across key traits, with vine length (VL) ranging from 243.0 to 532.2 cm (CV = 10.15%), internode length (IL) from 6.15 to 9.7 cm, and leaf length (LL) from 6.52 to 8.76 cm. Fruit-related traits, including fruit diameter (FD) (1.72–4.76 cm), fruit length (FL) (3.74–8.16 cm), and average fruit weight (AFW) (11.88–30.42 g), showed significant variability (p < 0.01). Reproductive traits such as the number of female flowers per plant (NFFP) ranged from 828 to 1824 (CV = 12.08%), highlighting strong selection potential. Biochemical attributes exhibited considerable variation, with ascorbic acid (AsA) content between 18.52 and 53.68 mg/100 g and total soluble solids (TSS) from 0.9 to 3.4%. Antioxidant-related traits, including total phenolics (TPL: 13.66–24.95 mg GAE/100 g), total flavonoids (TFL: 5.42–12.16 mg CE/100 g), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAPL: 20.49–46.62 µmol TE/g), indicated high bioactive potential. Strong positive correlations between yield traits (e.g., AFW and fruit yield per hectare, FYH, r > 0.9), were found by correlation analysis, and both trade-offs and synergies were seen between biochemical and morphological variables. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) highlighted genotype-specific trait relationships and explained 50.8% of the total variation. Cluster and network analyses further illustrated genetic diversity, with Thar Dipti (CHESIG-7) and Thar Sadabahar (CHESIG-2) emerging as genetically distinct accessions. These findings provide valuable insights for breeding strategies aimed at improving yield, antioxidant content, and fruit quality in Coccinia accessions.

The goal of the current study was to assess genetic variability in Momordica dioica for both qualitative and morphological features to create trait-specific lines. The correlation coefficients among twenty-three different traits of twenty-one Momordica dioica gynoecious accessions calculated and summarized by using the best linear unbiased predictor (BLUPs). The traits contribution to principal components for growth, yield and yield attributing characters positively contributed towards the PC-I were tender fruit weight (FWT), mature fruit weight (FWM), ripen fruit weight (FWR), fruit yield per plant (MFYP), fruit yield per hectare (MFPH), seeds per fruit (NSF), fruit length (FL), fruit diameter (FD), inter-nodal length (IL), fruit pedicel length (FPL), leaf width (LW), leaf length (LL) and vine length (VL). Three groups were identified; group III had the most genotypes (10), followed by cluster II (07), and cluster I (04). Group II and III had the greatest inter-cluster value (8.73811), proceeded by group III and group I (8.738105) which indicates a wider genetic base among the genotypes under study. For the twenty-three traits, different genetic traits were analyzed, including heritability (H²), genetic advance (GA), genetic advance as a percentage of mean (GAM), and phenotypic coefficient of variability and genotypic coefficient of variability (PCV & GCV). High PCV and GCV were noted respectively for the VL (26.93 and 26.24), number of stems per plant (28.12 and 21.03), LL (23.60 and 23.48), LW (21.21 and 21.09), FPL (37.53 and 36.74), FL (22.06 and 21.75), FD (22.65 and 22.60), FWT (39.77 and 49.76), FWM (51.07 and 51.01), FWR (51.97 and 51.79), fruits per plant (51.97 and 51.79), NSF (22.99 and 21.06), 100 Seed weight (141.25 and 141.25), MFYP (54.14 and 53.94) and MFYH (54.13 and 53.93). High GA as per cent grand mean was observed for VL (73.59%), number stem per plant (23.76%), FL (22.01%), FD (23.40%), FWT (24.07%), NFP (99.70%), 100 Seed weight (25.55%), MFYP (21.14%), MFYH (28.55%) and ascorbic acid (115.58%). The study provided a comprehensive of genetic variability of Momordica dioica for morphological and qualitative traits to support the development of gynoecious lines with specific traits.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the genetic variability for morphological and qualitative traits of Coccinia for development of trait specific lines at ICAR-Central Horticultural Experiment Station (CIAH-RS), Panchmahals (Godhra), Gujarat during 2020–2022. In this study, we evaluated 26 gynoecious accessions to assess the genetic divergence through principal component and cluster analysis. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications under rainfed semi-arid conditions. High values of PCV and GCV were observed for variables such as NFFP (25.13 and 22.20), PL (23.14 and 20.69), FD (24.01 and 21.46), AFW (22.98 and 20.13), NFPY (26.38 and 24.40), FYP (37.57 and 31.29), FY (35.55 and 33.20), AsC (28.65 and 27.73), Ac (24.32 and 21.06), TSS (37.23 and 35.94), DPPHL (20.71 and 20.38), FRAPL (21.08 and 20.92), TPF(20.81 and 20.45) respectively. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for vine length (VL), internodal length (IL), number of female flowers per plant (NFFP), fruit length (FL), peduncle length (PL), fruit diameter (FD), average fruit weight (AFW), number of fruit per plant per year (NFPY), fruit yield per plant (FYP), fruit yield (FY), ascorbic acid (AsC), acidity (Ac), total soluble solids (TSS), total phenols in leaves TPL), total flavonoids in leaves TFL, CUPRAC in leaves (CUPRACL), DPPH in leaves (DPPHL), FRAP in leaves (FRAPL), Total phenols in fruits (TPF), Total flavonoids in fruits (TFF), CUPRAC in fruits (CUPRACF) and DPPH in fruits (DPPHF). The FYP exhibited a significant positive correlation with variables like VL (0.6833), IL (0.2991), NFFP (0.8107), FD (0.5245), AFW (0.6766), NFPY (0.7659), ASC (0.4611), TSS (0.5004) and TPF (0.4281). The estimates of genetic parameters revealed scope for further improvement of fruit yield by selection. Of the eight principal components, PC-I through PC-VIII had eigen values greater than 1 and it accounts 85.02% of the total variation for 26 gynoecious accessions of Ivy gourd. The eigen values of PC-I comprised 5.775% of total variation followed by PC-II (4.250%), PC-III (3.175%), PC-IV (2.588%), PC-V (1.828%), PC-VI (1.447%), PC-VII (1.179%) and PC-VIII (1.013%).The cluster VI and cluster I having highest mean values for most of traits under study. Thus, genotypes from the distinct cluster like cluster VI and I for should be used for selection of parents and varietal improvement for further breeding programme in ivy gourd.