ReviewPhenotypic and genotypic characterization of bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] and implications for breeding: A Review

•Bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] is an important crop which is underutilized and under-researched especially in sub-Saharan Africa.•Knowledge on the genetic diversity present among bottle gourd collections through phenotypic and genotypic characterization is useful for effective breeding and germplasm conservation.•Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling important agronomic or horticultural traits and disease resistance is utmost significant for accelerated breeding of bottle gourd.•Transferability of genomic resources of related cucurbits should be explored for genetic analysis, genetic linkage map construction and marker-assisted breeding of bottle gourd.

Bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae is an important crop widely grown for its fruits, seeds or succulent leaves. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is believed to be the centre of genetic diversity of bottle gourd where it is commonly grown by smallholder farmers predominantly using unimproved and genetically diverse landrace varieties. Bottle gourd received limited research and development priority towards genetic improvement and cultivar deployment and conservation in SSA compared to the continental Asia and America. The genetic variation present among landraces in SSA is a useful raw material for bottle gourd improvement programmes in the region and globally. The objective of this review is to present the perspectives on the genetic diversity and genetic resources, population structure and breeding progress of bottle gourd. Further, the review discusses the potential of genomic resources for genetic analysis and genomic selection of bottle gourd to accelerate conventional breeding in enhancing productivity and systematic conservation of the crop.