Vol. 10, Issue 9 (2021)

Author(s):
More Ambika, Deosarkar DB, Kalpande HV and Mehtre SP

Abstract:
An experiment was conducted to assess the extent of heterosis in for grain yield and its contributing traits in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) crosses using line x tester mating design. Thirty hybrids derived from mating five testers with six lines in L x T design along with their parents and two checks viz., CSH 15 R and CSV 22 R were evaluated in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Observations were recorded on randomly selected 5 five plants in each replication for grain yield and its Contributing characters. Results evidenced the higher estimates of sca variances than the corresponding gca variances for the characters plant height, panicle length, panicle breadth, number of primaries per panicle, grain yield and fodder yield indicating non additive gene effects controlling the traits. Amongst 30 hybrids evaluated, three hybrids viz., Phule Anuradha x PBMR 3, Phule Anuradha x PBMR 1 and ICSR 196 x PBMR 3 recorded lowest negative heterosis percentage for days to 50% flowering over standard hybrid check (CHS 15 R), varietal check (CSV 22 R) and better parent. Seven hybrids expressed significant superiority for heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis for grain yield, amongst which, CSV 29 R x PBMR 3, Parbhani Moti X PBMR 4, Phule Anuradha x PBMR 4, Parbhani Moti x PBMR 1 and MS 104B x PBMR 3 were top ranking. In addition to grain yield these crosses also performed better for panicle breadth, number of primary branches per panicle, 100 seed weight and harvest index. In addition the crosses; Parbhani Moti x PBMR 5, PMS 71B x PBMR 5, CSV 29R x PBMR 3, MS 104B x PBMR 3, ICSR 196 x PBMR 3 and Phule Anuradha x PBMR 3 possessed significantly desirable heterosis and per se performance for fodder yield per plant.