GENETIC PARAMETERS AND TOTAL PROTEIN ANALYSIS FOR YIELD COMPONENTS IN HYBRID RICE (Oryza Sativa, L.)

A line x testing experiment was conducted during the 2018 and 2019 seasons to estimate the combining ability, gene action, and heterosis for yield characters. Four lines were crossed with seven testers to produce twenty-eight F1 hybrids. The hybrids and their parents were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications on May 1st during the 2019 season. The data were recorded on yield characteristics, i.e., number of panicles per plant, panicle length (cm), panicle weight (g), seed set (%), 1000 grain weight (g), and grain yield per plant (g). The results revealed that the analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among lines, testers, and line × tester for the yield and its components. Estimates of the variance and ratio of general and specific combining ability and the degree of dominance indicated a preponderance of non-additive gene effects for each trait. Within CMS lines; G46A recorded the best GCA for most of the studied characters. Among testers, G178M4, Giza 178Im, and Giza 179Im were observed to be good general combiners for most of the studied characters. The crosses that showed desirable values of specific combining ability for all the studied traits have been detected. Broad sense heritability was high for all the studied characters. The results also showed that, the parental lines G178M4, Giza 178Im and Giza 179Im could be utilized for producing new hybrid combinations, the female line G46A could be used as good combiners for most of the studied traits. Total protein analyses were performed on the parental lines and their hybrids. The results revealed that the intensity of the protein bands varied among the studied genotypes, indicating a high degree of genetic diversity in these genotypes.