Heterosis and combining ability of F1 and F2 generations of Indian mustard for seed yield and its attributes

Abstract

Combining ability analysis on a L X T of F1 and F2 generations in Indian mustard revealed that general combining ability
effects of the parents had a positive association with their per se performance. The parents EC401574, Pusa Bold and
Rajendra Sufalam for seed yield and number of siliqua on main raceme, RAURD 153, RAURD 34 and RAURD 32 for days
to flowering and main shoot length, EC 399788 number of siliqua per plant and number of secondary branches per plant,
were good general combiners. In most of the crosses, the specific combining ability estimates for most of the traits were
higher in the F1 than in the F2. EC 401574/Rajendra Sufalam for number of siliqua per plant followed by seed yield per
plant and number of secondary braches per plant were identified as potential cross combinations on the basis of better
parent heterosis and specific combining ability. It was evident from the two analyses that additive and non-additive gene
effects are important for the inheritance of different characters studied. However, the relative magnitude of non-additive
was higher than additive component for all the characters in both the populations. The hybrid RAURD 153 x Pusa Bold
for number of primary branches per plant, EC 399788 x Pusa Bold for secondary branches per plant, EC 401574/ Rajendra
Sufalam for seed yield per plant, number of siliqua per plant and siliqua on main raceme, RAURD 214/ Rajendra Sufalam
for siliqua length and RAURD 32/Vardan for seeds per siliqua manifested high sca as well as heterotic effects. Such
crosses are expected to throw better segregants for yield and its components in the subsequent generations which can
be exploited effectively for mustard improvement.