Heterosis and combining ability for yield and its contributing traits in crosses of two-row and six-row barley under rainfed environment.

摘要

Combining ability for grain yield and its components in barley was studied in a set of four females (testers, 6 rowed), six males (lines, 2 rowed) and their resultant F₁'s with standard check K-603. Twenty two crosses, excluding BCU-4925 x K-603 and BCU-4922 x Karan-16, exhibited significant positive economic heterosis for grain yield per plant. Analysis of variance for combining ability revealed that the variance due to general combining ability (GCA) and specific combing ability (SCA) were highly significant for most of the traits studied. The relative magnitude of these two variances indicated the predominance of additive gene action for plant height and thousand seed weight, while rest of the traits showed preponderance of non-additive gene action. Two female parents (BCU-4925 and BCU-4927) and one male parent (Lakhan) had significant and positive GCA effects for grain yield per plant. Five crosses were found to be good specific combiners for grain yield with maximum SCA effect in cross BCU-4922 x Lakhan.