This· research were carried out at the Experimental Farm 01 El-Kassassei
Hort. Station, Ismailia Govemorate, during the seasons 012000 until 2003, 10 sludy
the best parent can be reliable for conducting local hybrid. Four exotic genotypes and
one local variety were used In this Investigation. All possible crosses were made with
out rllCiprocals 10 raise F, seeds In the green hOuse condltron, end F,'s setfed to
obtain F2 seeds. I All the parental genotypes and their F, and F2 generations were sown I~
open field and data were collected on fruits of individual plants. The obtained result
show, that variances due to specific combining ability were higher in magnitude tha
the variances of general combining ability for all studied traits. Dominant gene effect!!
were controlling the economic characteristics of melon, except number of frults/ plantⁱ
This was governed by both dominant and additive gene effects. The genera
combining ability effects of parents revealed that P₂ (P11 83227) was good combine~
lor yield components and its quality. The specifIC combined ability effects of hybrids
decleared that the best specific cross combination for total yieldl fed., average fruit
weight and ,nesh thickness was F, (PI x Ps) and the cross F, (P2 x P_l) was the bes
combination for number of fruits! plant and total soluble solids. Heritability estimates i~
broad sense were found to be higher in magnitUde inbreeding depression had a grea~
effect on yield on yield component and its quality, while vegetative growth was noli
affected by it.