Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding (Dec 2014)
Combining ability analysis for yield related traits in F2 generation of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)
Abstract
An attempt was made to study the general and specific combining ability in sesame through 6 x 6 diallel analysis for yield and yield contributing characters viz., days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, plant height, height to first capsule, number of branches per plant, number of internodes per plant, length of capsule, width of capsule, number of capsules per plant, number of capsules per leaf axil, number of seeds per capsule, 1000-seed weight, oil content and seed yield per plant. The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed that the mean squares due to GCA were higher than the corresponding mean squares due to SCA for days to 50 % flowering, plant height, height to first capsule, number of branches per plant, number of internodes per plant, number of capsules per leaf axil and oil content indicating the predominance of the additive type of gene action in the inheritance of these characters. Based on general combining ability, the parents G.Til-1, Borda-1, G.Til-2 and G.Til-10 were good general combiners for seed yield per plant, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of internodes per plant, length of capsule, number of capsules per plant and number of seeds per capsule. Borda-1 x G.Til-10, Kalyanpur-2 x Borda-1, G.Til-1 x Borda-1 and G.Til-2 x China were best specific combiners for seed yield and its components.
