Genotypic, phenotypic and environmental correlations were estimated among the following traits of watermelon: number of days to the appearance of the first female flower (FF); number of fruits per plant (NF); weight of fruit (PF); flesh color (CP) and thickness (EP); longitudinal (DL) and transversal (DT) fruit diameter; sugar content (TS); number of seeds (NS) and weight of 100 seeds (PS) per fruit. The watermelon populations B9, Charleston Gray, Crimson Sweet, New H. Midget, M7, P14 and B13, their 21 F1 hybrids in diallel crosses and corresponding reciprocals were evaluated in the field, through a randomized complete block design with four replications. A great similarity among the estimates of genotypic and phenotypic correlation was found. Interesting genotypic correlations were observed between NF and PF, DL and DT; between PF and DL, DT, EP and TS and between CP and FF, EP and TS. Such correlations indicated that an increase in the number of fruits per plant is correlated with a reduction in the fruit weight and fruit size (function of DL and DT) and that an increase of fruit weight is associated with an increase in fruit size, thickness and sugar content. In addition, red flesh color was related with earliness and with increments of traits thickness and sugar content. The undesirable associations detected between number of fruits per plant and flesh color and number of fruits per plant and sugar content, however, was not sufficiently strong, indicating that it is possible to obtain recombinant individuals in segregating populations synthesized through crosses among contrasting populations.
Citrullus lanatus; correlation; characters; prebreeding; diallel
