Combining ability studies in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] for growth and earliness parameters

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out with the objective to identify good general and specific combiners for growth and earliness characters using eight parental lines of okra and their 28 F1 hybrids obtained from half diallel mating design. The parent KO1608 was identified as good general combiner for all the growth parameters except internodal length. The parents viz., KO1604 (-0.739) and KO1605 (-0.509) showed significantly negative gca effects for internodal length. The cross KO1603 x KO1606 was identified as good specific combiner for number of leaves (5.361), internodal length (-3.344) and number of nodes on the main stem (5.255). The maximum sca effects was observed in the cross KO1601 x KO1608 (0.532) followed by KO1606 x KO1607 (0.322) for number of branches per plant. The parent KO1602 was identified as good combiner for days to first flowering (-0.713) and days to 50 per cent flowering (-2.013). Significant maximum negative sca effects for days to 50 per cent flowering was observed in the cross KO1601 x KO1602 (-3.994) followed by KO1602 x KO1605 (-3.344) and KO1603 x KO1608 (-3.194).