Estimation of heterosis for yield and associated traits in rainfed upland rice genotypes of Uttarakhand hills

Abstract

In the present study a set of 45 F1s developed through crossing in a half diallel fashion involving ten parents were evaluated for yield and its component traits. Significantly higher heterosis was observed in most of the hybrids for days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, kernel length, grain yield and grain number. In general, the estimated values of heterosis were low for plant height and days to maturity as compared to grain yield and other traits. The magnitude of heterosis for all yield traits was not expressed in a single hybrid combination and varied from cross to cross due to diverse genetic background of the parents. Crosses VL 8116 x Sukradhan 1, VL 30560 x Sukradhan1, VL 30560 x VL 8116, VL 30560 x Sukradhan1, VL 7620 x Sukradhan1 manifested significant heterosis for grain yield as well as kernel length in the desirable range. Whereas, parents VL 30560, VL 30240, VL 8116, VL 7620 and Sukradhan1 were the best parent for both grain quality and yield.