Vol. 10, Issue 4 (2021)

Author(s):
SD Nehru, Akshata Timmanna Budihal, MS Umar Farooq, YG Shadakshari, MS Uma, S Ramesh and Dattatraya Bhat

Abstract:
The present study was carried out, in order to identify the combining ability of 47 new inbred lines on three Cytoplasmic Male Sterile (CMS) lines and also to identify the hybrids surpassing the best checks in sunflower by crossing them in a line × tester mating design. The resultant 141 hybrids along with their parents and two checks viz., KBSH-44 and KBSH-53 were evaluated in simple lattice design. The analysis of variance for line × tester indicated the presence of substantial variability among the crosses and significance of mean sum of squares due to parents v/s crosses indicated the presence of heterosis in general. Highly significant variance due to line × tester interaction component indicated the involvement of non-additive gene action in the inheritance of these traits. The line CMS 234A was identified as a line with high overall general combining ability (gca) status. Whereas five of the 10 testers viz., GMU-456, GMU-746, GMU-759, GP6-952 and GP6-990 had high overall gca status across traits. The hybrid CMS 234A × GMU-716 was identified as the best specific combination for some of the important economic traits in sunflower. The promising hybrids surpassing the best checks were identified viz., CMS 234A × GMU-456, NDCMS 2A × GMU-746 and CMS 911A × GMU-456 for high seed yield plant-1and its attributing traits. The resultant hybrids could be tested in large scale yield trials over locations and seasons to confirm their potentiality for commercial cultivation.