Combining ability effects for yield and its attributes in Eruca sativa by using varietal diallel analysis

Abstract

Ten genetically diverse open pollinated populations of taramira [Eruca sativa (Mill.)] were crossed
in a diallel mating design (excluding reciprocals) during Rabi season of 2012-13. The resultant 45
F1's along with parents were evaluated in RBD with three environments (dates of sowing) with
three replications during Rabi 2013-14.Varieties (vi) mean squares were significant for all the
characters in all the environments except plant height and siliquae per plant in environment-II,
while plant height and test weight in environment-III. Overall heterosis (hii') was highly significant
for all the characters in all the environments. Average heterosis (Th) was significant for all the
characters in all the environments except siliqua length and number of seeds per siliqua in
environment-I, while test weight in the environment-II and environment-III. Varietal heterosis (hi)
was significant for all the characters in all the environments except test weight in the environment-
III. Specific heterosis (Sii') was also significant for all characters in all the environments. Specific
heterosis (sii') component accounted for more than 50% to the overall heterosis (hii') sum of squares.
This indicated the presence of additive, dominance and epistatic components in the genetic control
of the characters in the present investigation.