Combining ability effects in CGMS based pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) mill sp.] hybrids

Abstract

The objective of present study is to estimate the Combining Ability effects in CGMS based parents and crosses to find out promising cross combinations for seed yield and its components. The experimental material comprised of 40 crosses along with 13 parents (5 lines and 8 testers) and a standard check BDN 716. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with two replications. The observations were recorded on eleven characters for evaluation. The analysis of variance revealed that there were significant differences among the parents and crosses for all the characters studied. The estimates of GCA effects revealed that BDN 2004-4 B, BSMR 736 B, BDNHR 1 and BDNHR 35-8 were the good general combiners for number pods per plant and grain yield per plant. The line BDN 2004-3 B and the tester BDNHR 21-1-1 and BDNHR 36-7 have registered significant negative GCA effects for days to 50 per cent flowering and for days to maturity the negative GCA effects recorded by line BDN 2004-3 B and BSMR 736 B and testers BDNHR 24-1-1-1 and BDNHR 36-7. The crosses BDN 2004-4 A x BDNHR 35-8 and BSMR 736 A x BDNHR 22-1-1 had high per se performance and desirable significant SCA effects for grain yield and other components.