Heterosis in single cross inter and intra-specific hybrids of Desi cotton (Gossipium arboreum and G. herbaceaum) for their seed cotton yield, fibre quality and seed oil content

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to assess the expression of per se performance and heterotic effect for fibre quality and seed oil content besides seed cotton yield, studied involving ten desi cotton (Gossipium arboreum and G. herbaceaum) genotypes and their 45 cross combinations in half diallel analysis. F-1 hybrids GBhv-282 x G 27 (67.36%), GBhv- 287 x 824 (58.14%), GBhv- 282 x GAM- 173 (35.00%), GBhv- 286 x G 27 (20.50%), and GBhv- 283 x 824 (18.75%) recorded highest per se performance and significant positive standard heterosis while the maximum heterobeltiosis for seed cotton yield per plant was exhibited by the hybrid GBhv- 287 x 824(155.60 %) followed by GBhv- 282 x G 27 (151.29%) and GBhv- 282 x GAM- 173 (130.30%). Similar trend of heterosis for numbers of boll per plant were observed in above hybrids. For fibre quality traits none of the cross showed consistent high performance for all the characters. Cross GBhv- 283 x 824 was exhibited high standard heterosis for 2.5 % span length, fibre strength, fibre elongation percentage as well as for short fibre index (SFI) while cross GBhv- 286 x 824 were promising for 2.5 per cent span length, fibre strength and fibre fineness. In case of oil content intraarboreum crosses resulted as better crosses and among them cross combination 824 x GAM- 173 was best. Desi cotton hybrids are having lower fibre quality and yield. So, improvement for yield and fibre quality of diploid native varieties through heterosis breeding provided better hybrids for rainfed farming.