Exploitation of Heterosis for Growth, Earliness and Yield Attributes in Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)

摘要

Heterotic studies of 45 single crosses derived from crossing 10 horticulturally superior, optimally diverse and nearly homozygous lines of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench), namely P_1(IC282248), P_2(IC27826-A), P_3(IC29119-B), P_4(IC31398-A),P_5(IC45732), P_6(IC89819), P_7(IC89976), P_8(IC90107), P_9(IC99716) and P_(10)(IC111443) in a half diallel fashion over three seasons (early, mid and late kharif, 2009) revealed an appreciable amount of average heterosis and heterobeltiosis in a desirable direction in a good number of crosses for the majority of growth, earliness and yield attributes. Cross C_4(P_1×P_5), displaying high negative heterosis over the standard check for days to 50% flowering (-4.24%) and first flowering and fruiting node(-13.22 %) is important to exploit heterosis for earliness in okra. The crosses with non-significant standard heterosis in any direction for total yield per plant C_(42)(P_7×P_10), C_(31)(P_5×P_6), C_(35)(P_5×P_10), C_(25)(P_4×P_5) and C_(17)(P_2×P_(10)) and marketable yield per plant C_(42)(P_7×P_(10)), C_(31)(P_5×P_6), were statistically on par with the standard check in their mean performance and were as promising as that of the standard check under comparison (Mahyco Hybrid No. 10). Of the two comparable hybrids identified for both total yield and marketable yield/plant (C_(42) and C_(31)), the F_1 hybrid C_(42)(P_7×P_(10)) also had good fruit quality, which can be exploited after further testing at different locations for commercial cultivation for the entire kharif season.