Studies on Combining Ability and Heterosis for Grain Yield and its Contributing Traits in Pearl Millet

Abstract

The experimental material comprising 42 crosses of pearl millet was developed by crossing seven lines and six testers in line x tester mating design. Sufficient amount of genetic variability was present in the material as was evident from highly significant mean square values in case of lines, testers and lines x tester for all the characters. The estimates of general predictability ratio revealed that both additive and non-additive gene effects were equally important for all the characters studied. The estimate of gca effects revealed that lines HMS 9A, ICMA 95555 and testers H 90/4-5. G 73-107, CSSC 46-2 were the good general combiners not only for grain yield. but also for most of its component traits, and cross combinations HMS 9A x CSSC 46-2 and ICMA 95555 x CSSC 46-2 showed not only high positive sca effects, but also high heterosis and per se performance for grain yield and most of its contributing traits. The material could be best exploited following hybrid breeding program and/or reciprocal recurrent selection.