GENETIC ANALYSIS FOR PRODUCTION TRAITS IN WHEAT USING LINE X TESTER COMBINING ABILITY ANALYSIS

The knowledge of genetic variability, combining capability, and gene activity are vital in enhancing wheat productivity. Six diverse wheat genotypes, Anmol91, Fatehjung16, Khattakwal, Auqab2000, PR128, Abaseen 2021, and KT06, crossed with three strip rust-resistant wheat lines, i.e., YR5, YR10, and YR15, employed line × tester hybridization. The analysis determined that the general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) variances were significantly different for examined parameters (p < 0.05). Parental lines Auqab2000 and Fatehjung16 emerged as better general combiners for earliness and yield-related attributes; however, Auqab2000 × YR5, KT06 × YR5, Khattakwal × YR10, PR128 × YR5, Khattakwal × Auqab, and KT06 × YR10, proved the top particular cross combinations for contributing features of grain yield per plant. Results also showed that lines import sufficient variety to manifest the traits under investigation. For almost all tested qualities, the value of σ2gca/ σ2sca demonstrated a non-additive gene effect, except for days to maturity, which the additive gene action influenced. The selection of superior plants should take time until later segregation generation when non-additive gene activities dominate. The genotypes chosen for the current study are crucial genetic resources for wheat’s continued gene development.