Author(s):

SK Bishnoi, JS Hooda, Preeti Sharma and Praveen Kumar

Abstract: The efficiency and efficacy of the parent selection programmes in most crops including faba bean can be significantly improved by estimating the combining ability and effects. The present study was undertaken with an aim to estimate the combining ability variances and effects in 48 cross combinations constituted by 16 faba bean genotypes for yield and major yield contributing traits. The 16 faba bean genotypes of Indian and exotic origin were crossed in L x T fashion. Four genotypes which were used as females were crossed to 12 pollen parents to obtain 48 cross combinations. The ANOVA indicated presence of significant variability in the genotypes and heterotic effects among F1s for different traits. The pollen parents were better general combiner as compared to the female parents for all traits except seeds per pod. Highly significant differences among genotypes relative to General Combining Ability (GCA) and Specific Combining Ability (SCA) variances were observed for all the studied traits. The line × tester interactions had greater contribution towards total variance which indicated higher estimates of specific combining ability variance. The estimates of heritability and genetic advance for the studied characters are also presented in the paper. Highly significant GCA effects should be the criteria for parent selection for synthesis of a dynamic population and highly significant SCA effects should be the criteria for parent selection for hybridization. Therefore, phenotypic performance based selection may prove reliable in faba bean hybridization programme for improvement of yield and other characters.

Pages: 1085-1090  |  1282 Views  260 Downloads

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