Vol. 11, Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
Virendra Bahadur, Vinod Singh, Ravi Prakash Chaudhary, Lal Ji Bharti and Shivam Dubey

Abstract:
The present investigation entitled “Combining ability and heterosis for yield and its contributing trait in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under sodic soil” will be conducted at Main Experiment Station of Genetics and plant Breeding, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.) during Rabi, 2019-20 and 2020-21. Eighty seven genotypes comprising 64 F₁, 16 parents and 3 checks (16 lines + 4 testers + 3 checks) will be evaluated in Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replications in two conditions (E₁= Timely sown; E₂= Late sown). The mean sum of squares due to treatments of analysis of variance (ANOVA) were highly significant for all the characters studied except number of tillers per plant in both E₁ and E2 condition. Best five crosses that have higher grain yield per plant (g) - PBW-778 x NW-5054, PBW-780 x NW-5054, PBW-778 x HD-2967, PBW-780 x HD-2967 and HS-645 x NW-5054 in both E₁ and E₂ condition, these hybrids showed very high mean performance in grain yield per plant (g). The highest estimates of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was observed in grain yield per plant (g) in both E₁ and E₂ condition, that’s reason this characters have higher phenotypic variability and genetic variability. The highest estimated of heritability in broad sense was recorded for all the characters. The high estimate of heritability coupled with high genetic advance for plant height (cm), number of tillers per plant, spike length (cm), number of spikelets per spike, grain per spike, peduncle length (cm), biological yield per plant (g), harvest index (%), chlorophyll content, and grain yield per plant (g) in both E₁ and E₂ condition, and also flag leaf area (cm²) in E₂, conditions that’s reason the selection of genotypes based on these characters are more useful for genetic improvement of genotypes.