Estimation of heterosis for yield and its components under normal and sodic soil in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

Manipulation of heterosis is considered to be a vital approach to enhance the yield potential of barley and is as accepted to be a safe strategy to overcome barriers in barley yield. Thirteen diverse Indian genotypes were crossed to obtain a series of crosses to estimate the level of heterosis and heterobeltiosis among F1 hybrids along with their parents under two contrasting environments: normal and sodic soil. Estimates revealed a significant relationship between the mean performance of F1 hybrids and their parents under sodic stress regime only. The presence of significant heterosis for grain yield was also accompanied by heterosis for yield components, such as days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of effective tillers /plant, number of spikelets /spike, number of grains/ spike, days to maturity,1000- grain weight, biological yield / plant, grain yield / plant and harvest index. The cross NDB 1245 X NDB 943 was an elite cultivar and showed significant heterobeltiosis. The study suggests that the obtained hybrids surpassed their better parents’ effects, indicative of commercial heterosis, and are thus candidates for the commercial production of hybrid barley.