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ThesisItem Open Access Performance Evaluation of Sensor Based Nitrogen Application in Wheat Crop(MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024-02) Patel Mustkim Abdulrashid; Manjeet SinghAn experiment entitled "Performance Evaluation of Sensor-Based Nitrogen Application in Wheat Crop" was conducted at the Technology Park, CTAE Campus, MPUAT Udaipur during the Rabi season of 2022-23. The soil of the experimental site was sandy loam in texture, slightly alkaline in reaction, low in organic carbon, and medium in available phosphorus and potassium. The experiment consisted of 5 treatments, viz., T1-Control, T2-75% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF), T3-100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF), T4-125% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF), and T5-Based on Crop Sensor. The experimental results revealed that the treatment based on the Crop Sensor recorded the highest growth and yield attributes, i.e., plant height was 89.81 cm, number of tillers/m2 was 459 per square meter, grains per spike was 40.07, grain yield was 5.61 tonne per hectare, and straw yield 11.54 tonne per hectare. Higher net returns and B: C ratio was 3.68 which was recorded with the treatment based on the Crop Sensor, followed by T3-100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) whose B: C ratio was 3.63, during the year. Hence, based on the one-year study, it may be concluded that among the different sensor-based nitrogen application treatments, the treatment based on the Crop Sensor was found to be the most effective treatment in the economical control of nitrogen management in Raj-4238 wheat cropsThesisItem Open Access Systematic and Scientific Mine Planning Of Opencast Mine of Red Ochre Mineral(MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024) RAVI PRAKASH BAWAL; S.C. JainMining is a crucial process of extracting valuable minerals and geological materials from the Earth's surface, with the economic viability of exploitation determining the investments required. Mine planning plays a vital role in maximizing the value of mineral deposits while aligning with strategic goals. Open-pit mining, also known as opencast mining, is a less complex method compared to underground mining. The design of an open pit involves various stages, including planning, evaluation, and selection of the best scheme. The stripping ratio, the ratio of overburden thickness to ore thickness, is a key factor in determining the profitability of a mining project. This research study focuses on the Red Ochre mining lease area located 25 km from Nimbahera railway station, District Chittorgarh, in the southern part of Chittorgarh district, India. The study area is characterized by a semi-arid climate with wide variations in temperature and rainfall. The region's topography is gently sloping towards the western side with no natural water bodies or drainage. The geological investigation reveals that the area belongs to the Vindhya Super Group of Satola Group of Bhagwanpura limestone, and it is covered with a thin layer of soil with Red Ochre scree. Red Ochre is found in the area, but it is of inferior quality and suitable for use only in cement industries. The research includes a reserve estimation based on UNFC parameters, and the calculated reserves are categorized as proved reserve, probable reserve, and possible reserves. The mining operation is proposed to be an open-cast method due to the soft nature of the Red Ochre deposit, and excavation will be done using excavators without the need for drilling and blasting. The study also outlines the year-wise development plan for the next five years, detailing the excavation quantities and the proposed mining layout. Additionally, the research presents the post-mining reclamation plan, which includes afforestation to reclaim the mined-out area and convert it into a rainwater collection pond. There is no impact on surface water or groundwater since the proposed excavation is shallow and well above the water table. The study concludes by addressing the disposal of overburden and mineral rejects, indicating that the generated overburden during the next five years will be nil, and the reclaimed area will be utilized for rainwater harvesting for the benefit of nearby villagersThesisItem Open Access Development and probiotic profiling of cereal-based traditional Rab by adding inulin (CRE) and assessment of its market potential and health impact on hyperlipidemia(MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024) ZAHARA ALI SHAMS; Nikita WadhawanThe present research delved into the emerging field of prebiotic-enriched traditional beverage a category within functional foods that has gained significant attention for its potential to promote gut health and overall well-being. Rab/Raabadi is a traditional drink widely consumed in the hot and arid regions of western India. It is consumed by rural and urban communities. The research aimed to investigate the various aspects surrounding prebiotic drinks, including their formulation and standardization, microbial profiling, nutritional analysis, and consumer acceptance and effect on the lipid profile of selected hyperlipidemic individuals. The first phase of the study is focused on developing and standardizing four flour (maize, wheat, pearl millet and, foxtail millet) based Rabs containing inulin and horse gram dal powder (HGDP). Four different flour-based Rabs were obtained; each Rab was then divided into 4 parts and inulin was added at 0 per-cent, 1 per-cent, 3 per-cent, and 5 per-cent i.e., maize Rab (MF controlled, MFT2, MFT3, MFT4); Wheat Rab (WF controlled, WFT2, WFT3, and WFT4); pearl millet Rab (PM controlled, PMT2, PMT3, PMT4); and foxtail millet Rab (FM controlled, FMT2, FMT3, FMT4). Sensory evaluation using Hedonic scale was conducted to find the most acceptable Rab. Based on the sensory evaluation MFT4, WFT4, PMT2, and FMT3 were selected for the probiotic profiling, nutrient analysis, physicochemical, analysis, microbial analysis, and shelf-life assessment. Out of MFT4, WFT4, PMT2, and FMT3; MFT4 was selected for the consumer acceptability and marketability and assessment of effect on the lipid profile of hyperlipidemic subjects. In the second phase of the study probiotic profiling of buttermilk and all Rabs was conducted. All the samples were subjected to DNA isolation, PCR, and gel electrophoresis. The bacterial diversity analysis revealed that the most dominant phylum presented in the samples was Firmicutes. The sequencing of PCR products performed to match and identify the Lactobacillus strains suggested that the dominating species isolated were Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus gallinarum. With 100 per-cent indent Lactobacillus acidophilus strain JCM 1132 and Streptococcus thermophilus strain STH_CIRM_65 were found in buttermilk and all four Rabs. Nutrient analysis of Rabs revealed that the energy content ranged from 44.71 to 41.34 Kcal, total fat from 1.01 to 1.18g, protein from 2.35 to 2.08g, CHO from 5.92 to 5.45g, ash from 0.70 to 0.72g, crude fiber from 5.59 to 6.16g, Ca from 32.46 to 33.41mg, P from 39.33 to 41.81mg, Na from 312 to 336.33mg, K from 135.36 to 147.14mg, Mg from 25.86 to 27.05mg, B1 from 0.02 to 0.03μg, B2 from 0.01 to 0.04μg, B3 from 0.07 to 0.12μg and folic acid from 2.87 to 3.46μg; per 100 mL. The physico-chemical analysis of Rabs included moisture content (84.73 to 80.64%), TA (0.45 to 0.57%), viscosity (44 to 53.67 cP), pH (4.08 to 4.78), TSS (6.13 to 6.57 0Brix), and whey off (1.17 to 1.46%). The microbial analysis showed TPC, yeast-mould and coliform count were under FSSAI limit. Shelf-life study was performed for 8 days at 4±10C which showed a gradual deterioration in all sensory and physico-chemical properties of the Rabs. The study of consumer acceptance performed on 100 participants through questionnaire, revealed that maize-Rab was extremely liked by majority (49%); 22 per-cent consume Rab and 42 per-cent purchase health drinks every day. The estimated production cost of 200 mL Rab is `23.53. To investigate the effect of consumption of maize Rab on the lipid profile, a 4-week long trial was carried out on 30 hyperlipidaemic subjects; following pre-trial post-trial design. For 28 days, subjects were fed 200mL fresh Rab. The results showed significant alterations between pre-and post-trial mean values of HDL, LDL, Triglycerides, total cholesterol, weight, BMI, waist circumference, WHR, and systolic blood pressure. In the mean values of VLDL, non-HDL cholesterol, hip circumference, and diastolic blood pressure non-significant decline was observed. Hence, it is concluded that all the inulin-added Rabs were well-liked for sensory properties, and had low-calorie, high fiber content. The microbial profiling showed presence of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus; confirming their probiotic properties. The maize Rab performed well for consumer acceptance and might be a strategic success if commercially available. The feeding intervention showed positive impact on the lipid profile, anthropometric parameters, and blood pressure values. Therefore, it can be recommended for the management of hyperlipidemia, weight loss, and hypertension. Keywords: Rab, Rabadi, Prebiotics drink, Probiotics, Hyperlipidemia, Weight management, maize Rab, millet-based drink, fermented drink, dairy-based drink, inulin, consumer acceptabilityThesisItem Open Access Assessment of Carbon Footprint and Development of Mobile Application for Sensitizing Rural Women(MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024) Swati Inani; Prakash PanwarClimate change is a global problem caused by greenhouse gases that warm the Earth and cause harmful effects. The "carbon footprint" is a way to measure how much we contribute to this issue. It mainly comes from activities like using fossil fuels, deforestation, industries, household activities and farming. These gases stay in the atmosphere, leading to problems like rising temperatures and extreme weather. The present study examines the knowledge and practices of rural women in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, India, regarding their carbon footprints, particularly linked to household activities of rural women such as cooking fuel consumption, electrical appliance use, kitchen waste and plastic waste. The study was conducted in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, India. There are 12 Panchayat samities in district, out of them three panchayat samities from each direction i.e. north, east, west and south were selected purposely and after that from each direction one panchayat samiti was selected randomly which were namely Kotri, Mandal, Hurda and Suwana. List of villages was prepared from each panchayat samiti. From this list two villages were selected randomly. Thus, total eight villages Jawal, Kanti, Mandal, Meja, Dantra, Dhanpura, Suwana, Kodukota were selected to have a representative sample of Bhilwara district. A list of rural women in the age group of 20-45 years, having at least primary education and a smart phone was prepared for each selected village with the help of Anganwadi workers. From each village, a sample of 30 rural women who were willing to participate, ready to answer and cooperate with the investigator were purposely included for study. Thus, the total sample of the study consisted of 240 rural women. Data collection was carried out through interviews using a structured questionnaire. The data collection process consisted of two phases: pre-test and post-test. In the pre-test phase, the existing knowledge and practices of rural women in different areas were assessed using a knowledge test and practice scale which helped in identifying the knowledge gap. A mobile application “meracarbon.com” was designed based on the knowledge gap. In the post-test phase, one-day training was organized for the respondents on whom the pre-test was administered. During the training, the mobile application was introduced to the respondents and they were provided with the necessary instructions and guidance. After the training, link was shared to the respondents on Whatsapp. Post-test was conducted immediately after the exposure to assess the gain in knowledge. After training, a performance test was administered on individual to evaluate the effectiveness of use by the respondents. The profile of the respondents revealed that more than half of the respondents (55.83%) belonged from medium socio-economic status. Before training a majority of respondents (87.08%) had poor level of knowledge about carbon footprint. This implies that they had limited understanding or awareness of the concept, its significance and its implications. In terms of overall practices, the data indicates that majority of respondents (87.50%) exhibited poor practices, reflecting a low level of engagement with sustainable behaviors aimed at reducing carbon emissions. The result shows that a significant portion of the respondents (68.75%) had Co2 emissions from various cooking fuels, more than one-third of the respondents (35.83%) had Co2 emissions from various electrical appliances, 77.50 per cent of the respondents had Co2 emissions generated from kitchen waste and 41.67 per cent of the respondents were responsible for Co2 emissions derived from plastic waste. This leads to an average emission of 2.38 tons of carbon dioxide per year per respondent. To address these issues researcher developed a web-based mobile application enabling users to calculate their carbon emissions easily. Evaluation of the mobile application by experts was rated excellent by experts. The findings revealed a significant and noteworthy increase in knowledge among the respondents after the training program. The t-value comparing the initial and post-training knowledge scores was highly significant (29.94) at a significance level of 1%.These findings reflect that dissemination of messages regarding carbon footprint was effective as well as the training had more significant impact which resulted in very good learning. Majority of respondents (97.92%) displayed a high level of proficiency and effectiveness in utilizing the mobile application. The application was highly effective enhancing respondents' knowledge and facilitating its application. Recommendations emerged to enhance environmental awareness, advocate for energy-efficient appliances and enforce environmental regulations. The study highlights the importance of comprehensive efforts involving government initiatives, awareness campaigns and community engagement to tackle the knowledge-practice gap and reduce carbon footprintsThesisItem Open Access Development and Validation of Mobile Phone Application on Developmental Changes and Coping Strategies of Early Adolescent Boys(MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024) Nita Babruwahan Gaikwad; Gaytri TiwariAdolescenceis the transitional stage ofphysicalandpsychologicaldevelopmentthat generally occurs during the period starting frompubertyto legal adulthood (age of maturity). Adolescence is generally associated with 10 yrs. to19 yrs. of age(World Health Organization,2017) .A boy goes through many important changes during early adolescence stage. Earlyadolescent boys often face a number of crises and dilemmasdue to drastic developmental changes .Therefore awareness and coping strategies must be constantly maintained. Awareness is knowledge about the state of some environment. Coping strategies are the ability to handle life’s challenges in the most effective ways, maximizing the changes of success or survival and minimizing the damages and other negative consequences. Earlyadolescent boys need to be educated. Education(mobile education) is a general term for the use of mobile phones and other wireless technology in education,supported by mobile technology allow users to continuously track and manage certain educational data without having to seetheir educational provider.The cost of mobile technology developmenthas reduced substantially and people find it more affordable irrespective of whether they fall in low and middle-income families.In order to effectively deal with transition in development, early adolescents need to be aware of their bodily changes to make their life easy and productive by using appropriate coping strategies . Lack of awareness regarding developmental changes lead to unfavorable attitude towards their own bodily changes resulting in different negative outcomes throughout their life. Most of the research have been focusing on the adolescence girls, very few systematic and methodologically adequate research has been conducted in the area of awareness and coping of early adolescent boys.Keeping the same perspective in mind, the present study was undertaken with an attempt to assess the levels of awareness and coping strategies among early (12-14 years) adolescent boys belonging to LIG, nuclear families and residing in Beed city (MS). The total sample consisted of 200 early adolescent boys (100control group and 100 Experimental group respondents). The Scales on ‘Awareness ’and ‘ Coping Strategies’ constructed and standardized by the investigator were used to assess the levels of Awareness and Coping Strategies among the early adolescents boys through frequency and percentage distribution. The data was coded and analyzed separately for respondents belonging to control and experimental groups in light of the objectives set for the present investigation. Z-test for difference between two means was administered to compare the levels of awareness and coping strategies of the respondents of control and experimental groups on the basis of intervention provided by developed need based mobile phone application to only experimental group respondents. Results revealed that, majority of the early adolescents boys of both the groups were second born whereas majority were first born. Most of the respondents had one sibling. Data related to educational qualifications of the parents reveals that most of the fathers were illiterates, whereas mothers were completed primary schooling. The data on occupation of parents concludes that majority of the fathers and mothers of both the groups’ respondents were equally engaged in unskilled work. Majority of the early adolescent boys of control and experimental groups were low levels of awareness and neutral or following “not appropriate” coping strategies when pre assessed. On the basis of pre assessment results, researcher developed need based mobile application for early adolescent boys regarding selected developmental changes for providing intervention to experimental group respondents for a period of one month. Post assessment was conducted after imparted intervention. On the basis of post assessment data ,Administered Z-test to find difference between two means of awareness and coping strategies of the respondents both the groups, Highly significant difference in awareness and significant difference in coping strategies of experimental group respondents were found whereas no significant difference were found in awareness and coping strategies of control group respondents . It can be concluded that imparted interevntion regarding selected developmental changes by using developed need based mobile application has highly significant raise in awareness and coping startegies levels regarding selected developmental changes ,which shows the need of imparting intervention to enhance awareness and coping strategies .regarding developmental changes in early adolescent boysThesisItem Open Access Adoption of Wheat Varieties Recommended By Mpuat, Udaipur among Farm Women of Agro Climate Zone IV A of Rajasthan(MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024) SUSHILA; Dhriti SolankiThe present study was undertaken with the objectives to explore the adoption of wheat varieties recommended by MPUAT, Udaipur for agro climatic zone IV a among farm women, to study the knowledge and adoption of package of practices of recommended wheat varieties among farm women and to identify the constraints faced by them in adoption of package of practices of recommended wheat varieties. The present study was conducted in the Agro-climatic zone IV a i.e. Sub-humid southern plain and Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan. Out of twenty panchayat samities, two panchayat samities were selected purposively and four villages from each panchyat samiti were selected randomly. Thus, there were total eight villages. A sample of 25 farm women was selected randomly from each village. Thus, the total sample comprised of 200 farm women for exploring the adoption of recommended wheat varieties. For in depth study of knowledge, adoption and constraints, all the farm women who have adopted recommended wheat varieties of MPUAT (113 farm women) were considered. Interview schedule was developed by the investigator and data were collected by using interview technique. Frequency, percentage, mean percent score, paired T test were used to analyze data statistically. The findings of the study pointed out that 36.00 per cent respondents were from low socio-economic status, 55.00 per cent were from medium socio- economic status whereas, only 8 per cent had high socio-economic status. Total 56.50 per cent respondents adopted the wheat varieties recommended by MPUAT, Udaipur. Majority of the respondents (57 %) were found in average knowledge category and only 14 per cent respondents belonged to the category of good knowledge. With regard to adoption, majority of the respondents (82.3%) belonged to medium adoption category. There was significance difference between overall knowledge and adoption of package of practices of recommended wheat varieties among the respondents. Economic constraints were the most severe with MPS 62.53 and ranked I. The other constraints faced by the respondents were operational constraints with MPS 61.0 (rank II), technical constraints with MPS 56.83 (rank III), personal constraints with MPS 54.81(rank IV).ThesisItem Open Access Assessment of Nutritional Status and Snacking Pattern of Young Adults (19 To 24 Years)(MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024) Ms. Kajal Joshi; Vishakha SinghA sample of 150 young adults (75 boys and 75 girls) in the age group of 19 to 24 years was selected form maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur. The date on Background information, Anthropometric measurements, Dietary intake, Eating habits, and Snack consumption patterns were collected. Dietary intake and Anthropometric measurements were also assessed using standard methods. The data was analyzed using frequency and percent mean and standard deviation percent score, t-test for compare the mean of RDA. The results revealed that frequency of snacks consumption higher than general food consumption. The percent of food intake RDA value for cereals, pulses, green leafy vegetables, root and tubers other vegetables, milk and milk products, fruits, sugar and jiggery was lower than Adequate in both genders. Boys and girls exceeded their RDA for, carbohydrates fat and oil by a higher percentage. The data on per cent adequacy of nutrient intake revealed that intake of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals was low. The thiamin intake was adequate while intake of iron was higher only for boys. The classification of Body Mass Index showed that a higher percentage of girls was obese while boys. Both boys and girls typically buy snacks form the cafeteria, though girls preferred a more types of snacks. Fried and backed sweet snacks are consumed more frequently than the other snacks items.ThesisItem Open Access Evaluation of National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) Project with Special Reference to Technology Demonstration Component in Konkan and Marathwada Region of Maharashtra(MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024) Pramod Maruti Mandavkar; S. S. SisodiaIndian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has launched a major Project entitled “National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)” during the year 2010-11with an outlay of Rs.350 crores for the eleventh Plan. The project aims to enhance resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability through strategic research and technology demonstration. The programme had many dimensions but the ultimate goal was its assessment in rural area. Keeping above consideration in mind, the present study entitled “Evaluation of National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) Project with Special Reference to Technology Demonstration Component in Konkan and Marathwada Region of Maharashtra” was undertaken with the following specific objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. To assess the attributes of different technology interventions used under demonstration component of NICRA project as perceived by beneficiary respondents. To find out the adoption level of different technology interventions used under demonstration component of the project. To ascertain the relationship between personal variables and adoption of technology interventions by respondents. To assess the impact of selected technology interventions on socio-economic and psychological correlates of respondents. To ascertain attitude of beneficiary respondents towards selected activities under demonstration component. To determine constraints faced by scientist in implementation and constraints faced by respondents in adoption of technology. This study was undertaken in two districts viz. Ratnagiri from Konkan region and Aurangabad (Chattrapati Sambhajinagar) from Marathwada region of Maharashtra state, respectively as these districts belong to flood and draught prevailing conditions. The NICRA project was the implemented by respective Krishi Vigyan Kendras i.e. in five villages from Ratangiri district and five villages from Aurangabad (Chattrapati Sambhajinagar) district. From each district total 70 beneficiary farmers from NICRA villages and 70 non-beneficiary farmers from Non-NICRA villages were selected purposely. Random sampling method was followed for selection of farmers. Thus, a total of 280 farmers (respondents) from two districts were selected. Besides, 12 officials of both the KVKs, who were involved in NICRA, were selected for ascertaining the constraints in implementation of the programme. In the present investigation, four major crops namely Paddy (Orayza sativa) and Horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) from Ratnagiri district and Maize (Zea mays) and Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum) from Aurangabad (Chattrapati Sambhajinagar) district were selected. Ex-post facto research design was applied for the present study. Data were collected from selected respondents by employing personal interview technique. Afterwards, data was analyzed, tabulated and results were interpreted. Following are the salient findings of the study: 1. 2. Majority of respondents belongs to the age group of 41 to 58 years. This age group alone constitutes 65.35 per cent of total sample. Majority of respondents were educated up to secondary class and 50.00 per cent respondents possessed land holding up to 2 hectares. While, 82.50 per cent respondents had their annual income medium level and 63.57 per cent respondents were reported to have medium level of mass media exposure. Majority of beneficiary respondents perceived technology interventions on paddy, horse gram and maize as easy to adopt, while those on Bengal gram as difficult to adopt. Majority of beneficiary respondents perceived the technology interventions on paddy, horse gram, maize and Bengal gram as suitable to their agro-ecosystem and results of technology could be seen clearly on the farmers field. Majority of respondents indicated that technology interventions on paddy and horse gram involved no extra cost for adoption, while those on maize and Bengal gram involved medium to high cost. Majority of respondents opined that technology interventions of all the crops under study were by and large profitable to the farmers. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. The beneficiary respondents showed medium to high level as well as significantly higher level of adoption of technology interventions pertaining to the four crops than those of non-beneficiary respondents. Thus, beneficiary farmers showed an increasing trend in adoption of improved technology due to their exposure to technology through Technology Demonstration Component of NICRA project. In Konkan region, personal variables i.e. size of land holding and annual income were positive and highly correlated with adoption. Whereas, in Marathwada region age, education, size of land holding, annual income and mass media exposure of beneficiary respondents were found positive and significantly correlated with adoption of technology interventions. Technology Demonstration Component of NICRA project led to comparatively higher level of social participation and information seeking behavior of the respondents. The efforts of the demonstrations significantly raised the yield and returns of paddy, maize, horse gram and Bengal gram. The extension activities of the project helped in significantly improving the knowledge and innovativeness of farmers. The beneficiary respondents by and large had favourable attitude towards Technology Demonstration Component of NICRA project. The study indicated high rank constraints related to infrastructure availability, availability of weather based data, awareness about climate, knowledge about soil test based fertilizer, cost of farm machineries and land development and timely services to farmers.ThesisItem Open Access Stability Analysis for Yield and Yield Attributing Traits in Isabgol [Plantago ovata Forsk.](MPUAT, Udaipur, 2024) MONIKA SHAHANI; Amit DadheechThe present investigation entitled “Stability Analysis for Yield and Yield Attributing Traits in Isabgol [Plantago ovata Forsk.]” was carried out in three environments viz., E1 (Rabi-2022-2023, Instructional Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur), E2 (Rabi-2022-2023, Agriculture Research Station- Banswara) and E3 (Rabi-2022-2023, Krishi Vigyan Kendra- Chittorgarh). The experimental material comprised of 70 genotypes, including 19 parents, 48 crosses with 3 checks (Niharika, VI-3, GI-2) were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications. The observations were recorded on ten randomly selected plants for all the nineteen traits under study in order to generate information on heterosis, combining ability, genotype x environment interaction and stability parameters. The analysis of variance indicated that the sum of squares due to genotypes weresignificant for all the characters in all the three environments. The pooled analysis of variance revealed that the mean sum of squares due to genotypes and environments were found significant for all the traits under consideration.The mean sum of squares due to parents vs crosses were also found significant for the traits in all the environments except days to flowering in E1 and E3, days to maturity in E2, number of tillers per plant in E1 and E2, spike length in E2, length of peduncle in E1, E2and E3, number of leaves per plant in E3,1000 seed weight in E2 and E3 and biological yield per plant in E1, E2 and E3. The mean sum of squares due to genotype x environment were found significant for most of the traits viz, days to maturity, plant height, number of spikes per plant, length of peduncle, number of leaves per plant, seed yield per plant, husk recovery content, crude fiber, total soluble sugar Similarly, themean squares due to parents, crosses and parents vs crosses were also found significant for allthe traits under the study The per se performance indicated that parental line L12exhibited maximum seed yield per plant along with other contributing traits.Among the crosses, L7 x T1 exhibited maximum seed yield per plantalong with other contributing traits. Five crosses out of forty-eight viz., L7 x T1, L10 x T1, L6 x T2, L10 x T2 exhibited significant positive economic heterosis in all the three environments individually and on thepooled basis. Among these crosses the highest positive economic heterosis was exhibited by L7 x T1 for seed yield per plant and also exhibited significant estimates of economic heterosis in desirable direction for other component traits. The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed that mean sum of squares due to lines, testers and line x tester were found to be significant for all the characters in all the three environments except days to maturity in E2, number of spikes per plant in E1 and E3, length of peduncle in E1 and E2, length of leaves in E1, number of spikelets per spike in all the three environments, biological yield in E1 and total soluble sugar in E1 and E2 environments due to tester. An overall appraisal of GCA effects indicatedthat the parental line L7, L10 and L5 were good combiners for most of the traits on the pooled basis.A perusal of SCA effects revealed that number of the crossesexhibited consistently high SCA effects for all the traits studied. However, for seed yield per plant highest estimates were recorded forL11 x T3 followed by L16 x T1, L6 x T2, L10x T2, L7 x T1. The stability analysis indicated that cross L10 x T2 for seed yield per plant may be suitable for general cultivation in a variety of environments. The crosses viz., L1 x T1, L2 x T1, L3 x T1, L5 x T1, L6 x T1, L9 x T1, L16 x T1, L6 x T2, L11 x T2 for seed yield per plantwere found suitable for cultivation under favourable environment. The crosses L4x T1, L7 x T1, L10 x T1, L15 x T1, L1 x T2, L3 x T2, L4 x T2, for seed yield per plant were found suitable for cultivation under unfavourable environment. The study identifies four promising crosses L7 x T1 and L10 x T1, L10 x T2, L6x T2 demonstrating high per se performance, significant economic heterosis and positive SCA effects for seed yield per plant. Notably, L7 x T1 and L10 x T1involved parents with good x poor GCA effects, while L10 x T2, L6x T2involved parents with good x good GCA effects. These crosses are recommended for further advancement, either may be advancedto isolate transgressive segregants in subsequent generations or may be subjected to a suitable population improvementsuch as intermating among F2 segregants followed by recurrent selection. Further the parents with good general combining ability can be used for hybridization programme.
