Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding (Jun 2014)
Diallel analysis for yield and its contributing characters in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.)Czern&Coss]
Abstract
A set of 8×8 diallel crosses (excluding reciprocals) of Indian mustard along with their parents were evaluated to identify heterotic crosses and estimate general and specific combining ability of parents and crosses, respectively. Observations were recorded on 13 economically important characters. Best hybrids were selected on the basis of estimates of mid parent heterosis, better parent heterosis and standard heterosis. Among the 28 hybrids, three hybrids viz., HYOLA 401 × GM-1, PM 67 × ZEM-1 and GM-2 × GM-3 exhibited superior performance for yield and its component traits as they registered significant and positive estimates for midparent, better parent and standard heterosis. Genetic variance components indicated the involvement of non-additive gene action for the inheritance of all the characters under study. Parents viz., GM-3, ZEM-1, Varuna and PM-67 were good general combiner for yield per plant, while HYOLA 401 and HNS 0004 were good general combiner for earliness and dwarfness and oil and protein content respectively. Based on sca effects, the high ranking crosses for yield and its component traits were HYOLA 401 × GM-1, PM 67 × ZEM-1 and GM-2 × GM-3. For oil content, the superior crosses were HYOLA 401 × HNS 0004 and HNS 0004 × ZEM-1.
