Study of combining ability and gene action for fruit yield and its component traits in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench]

Abstract

The experimental material comprised of eight lines, four testers of okra, their 32 hybrids developed by line × tester design and one standard check hybrid (GJOH-4). They were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications at Instructional Farm, Krushigadh, Dept. of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, J.A.U., Junagadh during kharif-2024 for studies of combining ability in okra. The analysis of variance for combining ability revealed that mean squares due to lines and line × tester were significant for all the traits, whereas, the mean squares due to testers were significant for all the traits except fruit length (cm), plant height (cm), number of nodes per plant and internode length (cm) when tested against error mean square. This indicated significance contribution of both females and males towards overall variation. The variance ratio of gca and sca showed that the non-additive components were preponderance for the expression of all the characters under studied except fruit girth. None of the parent was found good general combiner for all the traits studied. Among the parents two female parents viz., JOL-23-11 and JOL-23-16, and one male parents like Pusa Sawani were found good general combiners for fruit yield per plant. The highest positive sca effect was manifested by cross JOL-23-01 × GJO-3 for fruit yield per plant followed by JOL-23-11 × GJO-3, JOL-23-13 × GAO-8, JOL-23-08 × Pusa Sawani and JOL-22-12 × GAO-8.