Combining ability and gene action analysis for yield traits, fiber quality, and biochemical traits of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to determine the general combining ability of the parents and specific combining ability of hybrids and gene action for yield traits, fiber quality, and biochemical traits of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The crossing programme was carried out during kharif 2019-20 at Main Cotton Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Surat. The experimental material consisted of thirteen parents (4 females and 9 males) and their thirty-six resultant crosses with a check GN. Cot. Hy-14 was evaluated in a randomized block design with three replications by using line × tester analysis. The crosses GISV-171 × GJHV-523, H-1452 × TCH-1705, GSHV-172 × TCH-1828, PBH-116 × SCS-1061, and PBH-116 × TCH-1705 were promising hybrids having high SCA effects for seed cotton yield per plant. Out of them H-1452 × TCH-1705 for days to 50% flowering, all five crosses for bolls per plant, four crosses for boll weight viz., GISV-171 × GJHV-523, GSHV-172 × TCH-1828, PBH-116 × SCS-1061, PBH-116 × TCH-1705, one cross PBH-116 × TCH-1705 for seed index and oil content, one cross H-1452 × TCH-1705 for gossypol content and one cross PBH-116 × SCS-1061 for protein content showed significant SCA effect in the desired direction. The ratio of σ 2gca /σ 2sca revealed that the majority of the characters manifested less than unity except for ginning outturn which clearly indicated the preponderance of additive type of genetic variance in the inheritance of these characters.