Studies on combining ability for yield and contributing traits in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)

Fifty-seven lines of okra including ten parents, forty-five hybrids and two standard checks were evaluated in Randomized Block Design with two replications. Combining ability was carried out to study comparisons of lines in combinations for the traits days to 50% flowering, plant height at harvest, the number of branches per plant, the number of nodes per plant, days to first picking, the number of fruits per plant, the mean length of fruit, the mean weight of fruit, yield per plant , yield per plot , yield per hectare and reaction to yellow vein mosaic disease. The result revealed that the variance to general combining ability (gca) is less than specific combining ability (sca), ratio of that is less than unity indicated preponderance of non additive gene action for all the traits. The parent Akola Bahar was good general combiner, whereas, cross combination Shagun x VNR (Super Green) recorded a significant specific combining ability (sca) effects as far as yield is concerned.