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Wheat Information Service
December 79: 18 - 23 (1994)

II. Articles

Combining ability analysis for yield and its components in bread wheat over environments

Uma Menon and S.N. Sharma

Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Rajasthan Agricultural University, Agricultural Research Station, Durgapura, Jaipur 301018, India


Summary

Combining ability analysis was undertaken in 10x10 half parental diallel progenies (F1 & F2 ) for grain yield and its component traits pooled over three environments. The gca and sca components of variance were significant for most of the yield components. However, gca component of variance was predominant. Both the gca and sca effects were highly influenced by the environments. The parents Raj 1432 and HD 2204 were the best general combiners for grain yield and also high to average combiners for most of the important traits. The best specific crosses for grain yield were Kharchia 65 x Chiroca, WL 711 x Chiroca, Brochis x Kharchia 65, Brochis x Rai 821 and Brochis x D 65 which involved Indian x Mexican combinations. These crosses could be utilized extensively in future breeding programmes. To ensure further increase in the grain yield combination of desirable yield components is advocated. Further, biparental mating and/or diallel selective mating systems under favourable environments are suggested for a more tangible advance.


Introduction

Wheat today occupies a unique position among cereals in India. Recent breakthrough in wheat production is not sufficient to the rapidly growing population of the country which is estimated to cross one billion by the end of this century. This necessitates the acceleration of improvement in this crop. For this combining ability studies are frequently used by plant breeders to evaluate newly developed cultures for their parental usefulness and to assess the gene action involved in various characters, so as to design an efficient breeding plan for further genetic upgrading of the existing material. However, the combining ability studies in a single environment may not provide precise information as environmental effects play an important role and greatly influence the combining ability estimates. Such information on combining ability analysis of wheat over environments is scanty. It is, therefore, necessary to assess combining ability, components of variance and combining ability x environment interaction for yield and its components to ensure better prediction and gain under selection. Present study deals with such endeavours.

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