Vol. 11, Issue 4 (2022)

Author(s):
JP Chaudhry, NN Prajapati, MS Patel, AB Chaudhary and KG Kugasiya

Abstract:
A present experiment was conducted at Centre for Crop Improvement, S.D.A.U., S. K. Nagar during the summer season of 2018 with nine male sterile lines (female parents) and five restorers (male parents) of pearlmillet in line x tester mating fashion. In relation with grain yield per plant, hybrid ICMA 92333 x 16110 R was recorded highest and significantly positive relative heterosis (142.34%), heterobeltiosis (116.34%) and standard heterosis (36.69). In general combining ability analysis ICMA 01555 found maximum GCA effects for grain yield, ear head girth, ear head length, number of productive tillers per plant and test weight. In specific combining ability analysis five crosses viz, ICMA92333 x 16110 R, ICMA 05444 x 15001 R, ICMA 07111 x 15208 R, ICMA-01555 x 15208 R and ICMA 05888 x 16066 R were identified as the best specific combiners for grain yield and major yield components. The magnitude of sca variances was higher than the GCA variances for all the characters, revealed that non additive gene action were involved in the inheritance of all the character under study. Analysis of sca effects revealed that good combining parents yield better hybrids, because parents with significant positive GCA effects were involved more in selected crosses than those with non-significant GCA effects and negative GCA effects. In the present study, the involvement of at least one good general combiner was found essential for obtaining combinations with high specific effects. Combining ability studies revealed that both general and specific combining ability variances were important but the estimates of sca variance were higher in magnitude for all the characters. Thus, indicating the predominance of nonadditive gene action. The cross ICMA 92333 × 16110 R (average × poor combiner parents) and ICMA 05444 × 15001 R and ICMA 05888 × 16066 R (good × poor combiner parents) recorded high per se performance, significant and positive mid parent, better parent and standard heterosis as well as positive specific combining ability effect for grain yield, number of effective tiller per plant and harvest index.