Combining ability studies in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench]

Abstract

The experiment was undertaken to study the combining ability for yield and its contributing traits in okra. The experimental material consisted of seven parents and 21 F1s produced from diallel mating design excluding reciprocal crosses in randomized block design for fourteen characters. The mean squares due to gca, sca effects were significant for fruit yield and yield contributing traits studied. None of the parents identified as good general combiner for fruit yield per plant but the parents AOL-10-22, VRO-6, HRB-55 and AOL-12-59 were identified as average general combiners for yield per plant and can be exploited well in further breeding programme. The estimates of sca effects revealed that the cross combinations AOL-10-22 × GAO-5, AOL-10-22 × VRO-6, JDNOL-11-01 × Arka Anamika and HRB-55 × AOL-12-59 were observed most promising for fruit yield and some of its related traits could be used as heterotic hybrids.