Author(s):

Mayank Chaudhary, SK Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Pooran Chand and Mukesh Kumar

Abstract: The aim of this study was to estimate the general combining ability (GCA) of the parents and specific combining ability (SCA) to estimate heterosis in F 1 hybrids of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] with respect to yield and its components using ten hybrids considered for the development of high yielding and better quality cultivars of forage sorghum. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes, parents and hybrids for all the traits on pooled basis. The hybrids and their parents were evaluated to assess the combining ability and gene action governing the quantitative traits. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for the traits viz., plant height, leaves per plant, leaf area, stem girth, leaf stem ratio and green fodder yield. The SCA variance was found to be more important to gca variance for green and dry fodder yield per plant, plant height, stem diameter, leaf width, leaf: stem ratio, shoot fly dead heart percentage, quality characters and days to flowering, which favored a hybrid breeding programme. The mean degree of dominance (σ²g/σ²s)^1/2 was estimated greater than unity for days to 50% flowering, leaf area, stem girth, leaf stem ratio and green fodder yield over dominance for these characters. This cross found to be superior in terms of days to 50 percent flowering, plant height, number of grains per panicle and grain yield per plant. It was followed by UP Chari-1 x HC-308, UP Chari-1 x Rajasthan Chari-1, HC-308 x UP Chari-2, HC-308 x HC-171, HC-308 x CSV-17, HC-171 x CSV-84 and Pant Chari-5 x Rajasthan Chari-1. The manifestation of high degree of heterosis over better and mid parent in certain cross combinations revealed the UP Chari-1 x HC-308, UP Chari-2 x CSV-17, UP Chari-2 x Pant Chari-5, CSV-84 x Rajasthan Chari-1 and Pant Chari-5 x Rajasthan Chari-1, suggested that great possibility to produce higher fodder yield varieties/genotype under study.

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