Combining Ability Analysis for Yield and its Related Traits in Pearl Millet

Abstract

A 10 × 10 half diallel excluding reciprocals was evaluated in 3 environments to study the combing ability and gene action involved in respect of yield and its attributers in pearl millet. The environment wise combining ability analysis revealed significant differences for GCA (general combining ability) and SCA (specific combining ability) variances for characters viz. days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, productive tillers/plant, plant height, panicle length, panicle girth, biological yield/plant, dry fodder yield/plant, grain yield/plant, harvest index, test weight and protein content in all the three environments, except GCA for productive tillers per plant in E2 and panicle girth in E3 and SCA for panicle girth in E3, indicating the importance of both additive and non-additive gene effects for the genetic control of all the characters studied. The estimates of GCA effects indicated that the parents 71–75 and 76–80 emerged as good general combiners for grain yield and its components in the entire environment. Out of 45 crosses combinations only seven combinations such as 26–30 x 71–75, 26–30 × RIB-135-144, 31–40 × 76–80, 31–40 × RIB-135-144, 31–40 × 101–105, 41–50 × RIB-20 and RIB-20 × 71–75 showed significant and positive SCA effects in all the three environment for grain yield and other yield attributing characters. These parents and crosses have immense potential for pearl millet improvement and may be utilized in multiple crossing programme.