Combining ability analysis for yield & it’s contributing traits based on multi-environment testing in upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.)

The experiment was aimed to study the combining ability of different parental lines in 8x8 diallel cross, carried out in Kharif 2016 at ICAR-CICR Regional Station, Sirsa, Haryana, India. Eight parental genotypes (RS-2013, RST-9, RS-810, F-1378, F-2164, F-2228, LH-2076 and LH-2108) were crossed in complete diallel fashion. Fifty-six F1 hybrids along with their parents were grown during Kharif-2017. Genotypes showed significant (p≤0.01) differences for mean squares values for all the traits under study. Mean squares due to GCA were higher in magnitude than SCA for majority of the traits and their inheritance was mainly governed by additive type of gene action and partially by non-additive. F-2228, F-2164 and LH-2108 were the parents with best general combining abilities and their combinations produced best F1 hybrids such as F-2228 x LH-2108, F-2164 x F-2228, RS-2013 x F-2228 and reciprocal hybrids like F-2228 x F-1378, F-2228 x RS-2013 and LH-2108 x F-2164 which performed very well in direct and reciprocal combinations.