kusalkar, D.V.Solunke, B.D.2017-07-292017-07-292010http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810026598The present investigation entitled, “Effect of sterile and fertile cytoplasm on yield and fibre quality characters in Gossypium hirsutum L. cotton was carried out with objectives to study the effect of sterile and fertile cytoplasm, the heterosis, combining ability, gene action on yield and fibre quality characters. Four sterile (A) and fertile (B) lines were intermated with seven testers (R) during summer 2008. The resulting 28 hybrids were evaluated in two sets (A x R and B x R) along with parents (4 + 7) and standard check (Phule-492, Mallika) at All India Co-ordinated Cotton Improvement Project, M.P.K.V., Rahuri in a Randomized Block Design with three replications during summer 2009. In A x R set the combinations Laxmi x RHC-713 (214.22 g), B-1007 x RHC-712 (187.06 g), Laxmi x RHC-701 (185.50), B-1007 x RHC-718 (181.33), B-1007 x RHBB-9720 (176.89) recorded high seed cotton yield (g/plant) over better parent and standard check Phule-492 and Mallika. In B x R set the combinations K-3400 x RHC-714 (233.33 g), Laxmi x RHC-713 (212.11 g), B-1007 x RHC-714 (211.56 g), K-3400 x RHC-713 (210.56 g), MCU-5 x RHC-714 (195.06 g) also recorded high seed cotton yield (g/plant) over better parent and standard check Phule-492 and Mallika. In A x R set, K-3400 x RHBB-9720 (ginning percent), Laxmi x RHBB-9720 (100 seed weight), K-3400 x RHC-714 (boll weight), B-1007 x RHC-718 (number of bolls, number of sympodia), B-1007 x RHC-701 (number of monopodia, days to maturity), MCU-5 x RHC-713 (plant height, days to boll bursting) exhibited highly significant and the highest heterobeltiotic percentage for the respective characters. In B x R set, K-3400 x RHC-712 (ginning percent), MCU-5 x RHBB-9720 (100 seed weight), Laxmi x RHC-713 (boll weight, number of sympodia), B-1007 x RHC-712 (number of bolls), Laxmi x RHC-006 (number of monopodia) recorded highly significant and highest heterobeltiotic percentage for the respective characters. The mean sum of squares due to gca and sca were significant in both the sets (A x R and B x R) for majority of the characters studied indicating variability in combining ability of various lines, testers and crosses used. Among the females, B1007 was the best general combiner as it exhibited significant gca effects in desirable direction for seed cotton yield and yield contributing characters in both sets (A x R and B x R). However, among male parents RHC-714 was the best general combiner in both the sets (A x R and B x R) exhibiting significant gca effects for seed cotton yield and yield contributing characters in desirable direction.ennullThesis