Studies on combining ability and economic heterosis in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
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Date
2011
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CCSHAU
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to estimate economic heterosis with the objective of
exploring possibilities of its commercial utilization and to study the combining ability effects. The
material for the present investigation comprised of 70 upland cotton genotype viz., 52 hybrids
developed on 4 female parents (testers) using 13 male parents (lines) in line x testers mating design
along with their 17 parents (4 females and 13 males) and one standard check (Hybrid HHH-223).The
experimental material was grown at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Cotton Research Station
Sirsa, during Kharif 2010 in a randomized block design with three replications. Observations were
recorded for nine characters namely, plant height, days to first flower, number of monopods, number of
bolls, boll weight, ginning out turn, seed index, lint index and seed cotton yield per plant. The
economic heterosis for all these characters was calculated over standard check HHH-223. Considerable
amount of heterosis were recorded for seed cotton yield and other related characters under study. The
hybrids H1226 x HS-1 and H1098 x DELTA SL exhibited heterosis of more than 65 per cent and
hence warrant their further testing over locations for commercial utilization. The combining ability
analysis revealed that both additive and non additive variances were present in the expression of all the
characters with former playing major role for majority of the characters. In general, none of the male
and female parents was found to posses high gca effects for all the characters under study. However,
considering the economic importance of various characters DELCOT-517, F-1378, AUBURN NE-165,
REX-66 and RS-875 among the males and H1226 among females may be used for future breeding
programmes.