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Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) is an economically important commercial and nutritious vegetable of cucurbit belongs to the family cucurbitaceae. The fruits contain 2.1 g of protein, 1.8 mg of iron, 20 mg of calcium, 88 mg of vitamin C, 55 mg of phosphorus and 210 I.U. of vitamin A in 100 g of edible portion. Bitter melons serve as a preventive, complementary and/or alternative treatment for diabetes and its complications. Fruits of bitter gourd also have anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-viral activities. Therefore, it can play a vital role in achieving the nutritional security. The subjectiveness of quality introduces great deal of complications in its genetic improvement. Therefore, quality is often a secondary priority in the breeding program. Knowledge of existing variability both at phenotypic and genotypic levels, in the breeding material, for yield and yield attributing traits with good quality is a basic pre-requisite for any breeding approach to be exploited for crop improvement.
About the author
Miss Preeti Kumari got M.sc in Horticulture (Vegetable and Floriculture) degree in 2016 from B.A.U, Sabour. Her basic research focus is on vegetable breeding. She has published paper papers , review articles and book chapter in different journals.She qualified ASRB NET exam in 2016 and recently joined in agriculture department.
